How did you become a Sharks fan?

[hockeyball]

Instead of asking everyone to pretend to be positive (no offense intended!) I thought what might be a little more interesting and productive was to ask everyone how they became a Sharks fan (and/or a hockey fan). I don't think I've seen a thread on this board all these years and I thought it might remind us all why we root for this team and why we will continue to do so.

For me it was my best bud in real life (some of you have seen him around here from time-to-time as user Zaffy). We've been friends for almost 16 years now and back when we first met he was a huge Sharks fan. He convinced me to watch a game with him one day and I've never looked back since. I used to be a season ticket holder (until I moved out of the area) and Marleau is and has always been my favorite Shark. Oddly I actually used to play hockey as a teenager, but never got into watching it on TV until my buddy got me hooked, don't ask me why.

I played as a forward, but one day our goalie quit and they needed someone to fill in. I reluctantly did so and ended up being the top goalie in the league. I didn't actually like it (I grew up roller skating and skiing so I was a very good skater) but the team made me stick with it. Eventually I developed tendonitis in my elbows and simply couldn't play anymore, but I still have most of my gear and wish I could still play.

So, what's your story?

Click to read more...

 

[Juxtaposer]

When I was a kid, must have been 12 or 13, my best friend's little brother played ice hockey in the city, and so I'd go with them and watch his games or practices, and then afterword he and my friend and I would lace 'em up and go during the public skate, we were those little brats who weaved in and out of the adults who couldn't skate for **** and almost knocked everyone down but somehow avoided it. Of course, that was the '05-'06 season, so hockey in the Bay Area was starting to become a little more high profile due to Jumbo, so naturally we started watching the Sharks too. I was only a casual fan then.

I became a real die-hard during the '07-'08 season; I'm laughing a little right now thinking about it, but how does one choose Patrick Marleau as their favorite player during the '07-'08 season? I guess I just noticed that everyone was down on him and it made me a little upset how quick everyone was to throw him under the bus and how obsessed they were with wondering what was wrong with him. I'm sure that's where my inherent need to defend him comes from.

Good thread, HB.

 

[EastBayShark]

I grew up about 30 minutes from Detroit and started watching the Red Wings in the 96-97 playoffs (8 years old). I would watch the games on a 13'' TV in my parents room, and would bounce on the bed when they scored. I wasn't aware of the schedule, but during the season I would turn on the TV every night, hoping to catch the game.

Fast forward to 2000.. my family moved to the Bay Area. We ended up splitting season tickets with our neighbors, and one of the first games I went to was against Detroit. I had to make a decision; wear the Fedorov away jersey, or wear the Sturm home jersey. I chose to put on the Teal, and history was made. I am in too deep now, though. I will never switch teams again, and though I still have a soft spot for the Red Wings very, very deep in my heart, I don't consider myself a fan anymore.

 

[Alaskanice]

I became an instant hockey fan with the 1980 USA olympic win. It wasn't until 1990 when the word came to me that there was to be a professional team in San Jose. I contacted them that day. I've been a fanatic for this team ever since. Yes, even through the 11 win year. I remember Jarmo Myllys, Rob Gaudreau, Larry DePalma, Dave Snuggerrud and Jon Morris. This has been the only professional team that I've truly followed. I will until I can't comprehend it any longer.

 

[Gene Parmesan]

I grew up playing hockey and then the Sharks came to the bay area. I was a hockey fan before a Sharks fan. Now im a diehard Sharks fan and this season sucks so far. I still play roller from time to time. Doing my best Phil Esposito impression.

 

[The Ice Hockey Dude]

I started when the franchise was awarded to San Jose. I'm from metro Detroit, spent some time in metro Boston and really got back into hockey with the Sharks. Always been a sharks fan since day one.

 

[SHARPENCAP]

Well to be honest.. I went to a spiders game yeah back when they were the spiders.. I was hooked and I was a little kid must been before I was 5 but after that I asked my dad because he is a sports jock and what was hockey like in real life? So he took me to my first game and it was a lot of fun for me so he bought me my first hockey stick and me and him used to shoot the puck back in the backyard was fun but not fun to be breaking windows lol that'd happen a lot since we used the black hard rubber pucks.. So we switched to the neon orange plastic ones lol so I started liking hockey at a young age and ever since then I been hooked on hockey. But as far as getting my first hockey jersey it wasnt until 2008.. My dad had always told me that they were way too much money back then! Hey does anyone know how much CCMs were worth when the sharks became a team? I don't remember thanks if anyone can remember that far back? And as soon as the sharks became a team in 1991 I became a fan since day 1 and my first fav player was Doug Wilson.. If anyone ever wonders why I wear number 24 its that reason!

 

[sharski]

Did not follow hockey at all

I was randomly channel surfing

Happened to stop on sharks red wings literally about 30 seconds before Jamie bakers goal

Been hooked ever since (SRS)

In b4 I get labeled a bandwagon fan

 

[OffSydes]

I had a Big Brother from Big Brothers and Big Sisters.. he was from Pitt and loved the Pens. He took me to a game during the Sharks inaugural season and I was hooked. 22 years of heartbreaks and sadness have followed

 

[Barrie22]

thornton trade.

 

[JodyShelleysNo1Fan]

Did not follow hockey at all

I was randomly channel surfing

Happened to stop on sharks red wings literally about 30 seconds before Jamie bakers goal

Been hooked ever since (SRS)

In b4 I get labeled a bandwagon fan

Thats kinda how I got started, randomly channel surfing.

 

[jwhitesj]

I became a fan the day I heard a professional sports team was coming to San Jose. I was 11. I didn't have very much exposure to hockey before that.

 

[OldAsianSharksFan]

I've lived in the Bay Area since 1990 (I moved to El Cerrito). Since my Asian parents didn't want to install cable, and weren't hockey fans, I never saw a game until 2000, when I flipped thru the channels and saw the Sharks play the Blues (it was on NBC since it was a playoff game). The first goal I saw the Sharks score was a Teemu Selanne goal on a bad play by the goaltender behind the net.

I began following the Sharks casually, but I was much more a Warriors and Niners fan at the time. I'd sometimes check the scores to see if the Sharks won but that would be it. When I moved to college in 2004, I began watching more and more hockey, and found myself becoming a fan of the Sharks.

When I discovered HF in 2008, I learned a lot about the game and made me enjoy hockey a lot more. Now I'm a Sharks fan first, Niner fan second and Giants/Warriors tied for 3rd. I realized I became a Sharks fan first when I was watching the Sharks play the Blue Jackets in a regular season game instead of watching the end on the Niners-Saints playoff game a year ago.

 

[BaileyMacTavish]

I was born in Edmonton and raised there till I moved when I was 6-7, so I was exposed to hockey already. I didn't take a real interest in hockey during that time and I moved to San Jose in '96- '97 and after reading a few articles on the paper and visits from Sharkie in elementary school, I was aware of the Sharks. I didn't take real interest until 2000 during the playoffs. I was channel surfing when this happened.



I thought it was the funniest, but greatest thing ever and said I'd follow this team around.

 

[DG93]

Went to my first Sharks game vs the Preds in 2003 when I was in elementary school and have been one ever since. Go Sharks Go.

 

[Hatrick Marleau]

Started watching the Sharks in the 2003-2004 season and have been hooked ever since. I don't know what it is about hockey but I love it.

 

[JoeThorntonsRooster]

My mother took me to games before I could speak, I've always been a Sharks fan. Would be a lot easier to be a Blackhawks fan or whatever but meh.

 

[ChompChomp]

Born in SF, raised in Bay Area, and same age as Marleau/Thornton, so I didn't grow up in my early years with hockey. When the Sharks played their first game in fall 1991, I was 12 and not a sports diehard yet (That would start for me in 1993).

In 91-92 and 92-93 I still didn't care much about sports except on a very superficial level, but I used to poke fun at our expansion team.

In 1993 I really got into sports. Although I grew up a Giants fan, it wasn't until 1993, all of the 93 season, that I really followed it.

In April 1994, I remember the buzz about the San Jose Sharks making their first playoff appearance. I remember the TV media and also a full page ad in the Mercury News about the Sharks being in the "Quest for the Cup." Thought it was pretty cool. Intrigued and wanted to see this 8 seed Sharks team.

So I watched my very first Sharks game on April 18, 1994. Sharks @ Red Wings, Game 1. It was a 4:30pm Pacific start, so I was home from school. The Sharks jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first period and I was enthralled that the 8 seed Sharks were taking it to the 1 seed Red Wings. Watched every playoff game. Great stuff.

Next season was lockout shortened, and again, didn't watch many (any?) regular season games. But I watched all playoff games. I was a soph in HS and we had to read Les Mis. I would read it at the kitchen table while the games vs. Flames were on, periodically looking it. The next day I wouldn't remember much about Les Mis. LOL.

Throughout the 90's seasons, I watched all playoffs but not many regular season games.

First game in person was season opener of 99-00. Because of college and stuff, didn't watch many regular seasons. But watched all playoffs and attended all home playoff games in 2000 playoffs. In law school I watched all playoff games (of course), but again, not many regular season.

It wasn't until I was back in Cali post 04-05 lockout that I watched just about all regular season games (always 70 or more), attended games, had season tix for 3 seasons (06-09), HF boards regular since Jan 07, and 10-11, 11-12 and 12-13 watched every single non-exhibition game for the Sharks (all regular season + playoffs).

In my Sharks fandom, I've seen every single playoff game except one: The one Kipper win in the 01 series vs. Blues. I went to go meet a girl ( a date, which I regret since it would be cool to say I've seen every Sharks playoff game). Nothing ever happened with her, but thank God I was able to convert my hockey-loving wife into a Sharks-loving wife

The point of this long post is that the Sharks first ever playoff game was what got me hooked, and in retrospect, probably that 3-0 first period of Game 1. I wonder if the Sharks were down 3-0 in that 1st period (and/or lost the game) if I would be as hardcore of a Sharks fan today. I don't know the answer to that and am glad I never have to answer that

 

[murdock1116]

I had always been a fan since they came to San Jose but I really started following them when I heard about the Vinny Damphousse trade. At the time he seemed like the biggest star to come to the sharks. I begged my dad to get tickets to the Colorado playoff series and went to game 6.

The next season I followed them religiously, watching Nolan score 44 goals and then upsetting the Blues in the first round. So amazing. Been a die hard fan ever since.

 

[Nighthock]

I grew up near the Bay Area and went to the 2nd ever pre-season game at the Cow Palace when I was 11 ... ta-da

 

[SJSharksfan39]

I was slowly getting into hockey and the Sharks were the only exposure I had to the NHL. Hell, I remember a time when the Sharks were the only team I watched, and I barely saw anything from the Eastern Conference. The Jamie Baker shot in that game against Detroit in the playoffs really helped to. That was really exciting.

 

[The Nemesis]

Wasn't a hockey fan when I was really little, but when the Sharks were created somebody (family member I guess, don't remember who) got me a Sharks had and sweatshirt. I liked them both and liked the logo, so I ended up getting more gear like a jacket and whatnot. Then in the mid 90s my best friend had NHL 95 on the Sega Genesis and that was my first exposure to the Sharks roster since they were never on TV here (and I had no interest in following the Canucks)

That video game taught me the players, and I started following hockey more and more intently at the same time as the Sharks were becoming a better and better team. And that's when I became a die-hard and got CI and ended up on this site.

Obviously it's not the same as most of your "when I was little a friend/family member took me to a game" stories, but hey, what am I going to do living up here?

 

[murdock1116]

Wasn't a hockey fan when I was really little, but when the Sharks were created somebody (family member I guess, don't remember who) got me a Sharks had and sweatshirt. I liked them both and liked the logo, so I ended up getting more gear like a jacket and whatnot. Then in the mid 90s my best friend had NHL 95 on the Sega Genesis and that was my first exposure to the Sharks roster since they were never on TV here (and I had no interest in following the Canucks)

That video game taught me the players, and I started following hockey more and more intently at the same time as the Sharks were becoming a better and better team. And that's when I became a die-hard and got CI and ended up on this site.

Obviously it's not the same as most of your "when I was little a friend/family member took me to a game" stories, but hey, what am I going to do living up here?

NHL 95!!! Classic!

First time it had create-a-player, season, awards, etc.

 

[The Nemesis]

Telling that story made me realize that my serious, serious fandom isn't as old as I thought. It only dates back like 14-15 years.

Another piece of the puzzle that I forgot was when I was in high school and my grandmother was in the hospital because of her cancer, I picked up a Hockey News yearbook from the hospital gift shop and voraciously read it over the next few weeks. that's what really, really familiarized me with the team and the league and in a way it was the distraction I needed from everything that was happening at the time.

 

[Lazyking]

I became a casual Shark fan the day Owen Nolan pointed at Hasek in the all star game and sniped a goal.

I would watch them in the playoffs and hope they'd win after that but it wasn't until I got really back into hockey a few years ago that I latched onto the team.