Do I let my 6-yo son become a 9er fan?

https://www.fieldgulls.com/2020/1/6/210 ... niners-fan

"Now I live in SF and I have a six year old son. He's about the age I was when I started professional rooting interests. Part of me wants to say he can root for whatever team he wants. I believe in letting kids have a lot of freedom to make their own decisions. Also, I worry a bit about how other kids will treat him if he's rooting for the Seahawks.

"But part of me just wants to say, "Here's who we root for: The most exciting, exasperating, all around fun group of warriors to suit up on game day. They're always close, they never quit, and they have some of the greatest characters to play the game."

"SF has a lot of people from around the country and around the world. I feel like he could get away with rooting for the Seahawks here (unlike in, say, Philly). At the same time, even if it is not my home town, it is his. I don't know if I should be trying to take away his natural rooting interest."

The dilemma of this poor parent...I'm torn really on what I would do.

Yes.

It's a great team to cheer for and we are really good this year. Kids like the very good teams.

I think in human psychology and parenting and raising a kid you are actually supposed to let a kid choose things. Like directing them or forcing them is bad. In any direction. That's a real thing.

What brought you to Santa Clara anyway? Job and career? Are you in the technology industry? But you are from the Seattle area? I just wondered what the story was.

It is such a dilemma.

This kid is impressionable yet. He won't want to do what his parents aren't, but at the same time, he's immersed in a culture of red and gold that Dad also chooses to partake in everytime he tunes in to local TV or radio. And kids pick on whoever's different, especially if it's a fan of a hated rival.

This dad will probably end up funding a lot of 49ers junior merch b/c, well, peer pressure. If I were Dad, I'd fund some tickets to take the kid to the home and away game. Just to let the kid know, that well, there are options out there.

Just saw your Q, SD49er. I'm a native San Franciscan, moved from place to place, before coming back. I've been here most of my life, but for most of my life, I didn't much care for football or any spectator sport, really.

Then I met Resident SO 49er who finally answered all my stupid questions about football. I began to pay attention to the game, and to fall in love. With another team.

SantaClaraHawk":7ev4vgcr said:

It is such a dilemma.

This kid is impressionable yet. He won't want to do what his parents aren't, but at the same time, he's immersed in a culture of red and gold that Dad also chooses to partake in everytime he tunes in to local TV or radio. And kids pick on whoever's different, especially if it's a fan of a hated rival.

This dad will probably end up funding a lot of 49ers junior merch b/c, well, peer pressure. If I were Dad, I'd fund some tickets to take the kid to the home and away game. Just to let the kid know, that well, there are options out there.

Just saw your Q, SD49er. I'm a native San Franciscan, moved from place to place, before coming back. I've been here most of my life, but for most of my life, I didn't much care for football or any spectator sport, really.

Then I met Resident SO 49er who finally answered all my stupid questions about football. I began to pay attention to the game, and to fall in love. With another team.

Click to expand...

LOL. It's not that bad. If I had a kid and moved to Seattle and he was surrounded by Seahawks influences I don't think I would mind it that bad who they cheer for. Kids just cheer for whoever all their friends like. Which is likely the local area team.

How to you come from the San Francisco area and become a Seahawks fan?

I'd been back for 15 years, but never "felt" anything for the 9ers. Even when I was in a higher position and got tickets for the games, I still felt nothing for them. They'd advance, I'd buy some shirt from a gas station, and that'd be it. But that was the case where I lived before (KC, Detroit, Boulder) and where I grew up. And a lot of that was b/c I was clueless about the game and had no one to ask.

I really didn't pay attention to any of those games, not until the green and blue became a factor--a much hated factor--here. Concomitant with my growing knowledge of the game was knowledge of how these players played, their stories, their coach, their owner--a Microsoft guy. And given that this team was always featured here, they just seemed to me to be the more classy bunch to follow, the more relatable.

And that's really my secret--now out. The year I became a fan was 2013. I'm sure I will get so much s from fellow hawks fans for that.

San Fran is a weird city. I went to school in the Bay Area during the height of the Harbaugh era, and I rarely saw jersey's and only met a handful of people who identified themselves as Niners fans while I was in the city. In fact, most people I ran into seemed almost oblivious to the team. It was a strange experience for someone whose grown up in both Philly and Seattle where you'll randomly turn a corner in mid May and hear "SEA-HAWKS" or "FLY EAGLES".

In my experience, trying to force a kid to like a team usually leads to them liking the rival. And honestly, now that they play games in Santa Clara, you and your kid can pretty much rep any team without fear of being patronized or harassed at games. Unfortunately, that wasn't always the case in Candlestick.

knownone":3lio3v7o said:

San Fran is a weird city. I went to school in the Bay Area during the height of the Harbaugh era, and I rarely saw jersey's and only met a handful of people who identified themselves as Niners fans while I was in the city. In fact, most people I ran into seemed almost oblivious to the team. It was a strange experience for someone whose grown up in both Philly and Seattle where you'll randomly turn a corner in mid May and hear "SEA-HAWKS" or "FLY EAGLES".

In my experience, trying to force a kid to like a team usually leads to them liking the rival. And honestly, now that they play games in Santa Clara, you and your kid can pretty much rep any team without fear of being patronized or harassed at games. Unfortunately, that wasn't always the case in Candlestick.

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The 49ers fandom was IMO strongest in the 1990s. At that time, it was exactly as you describe. I used to dread when the 9ers won big games, b/c people would start shooting at things and each other.

Levi's changed all that. Gone were the blue-collar wrassling fights at Candlestick parking lots. Gone too was the idea of "ordinary people" getting season tickets with the PSLs. It became a corporate venture with primo seats held for people who never cared about the game, just another Big Tech opportunity behind some glass sponsored by yet another 35-yo prompting big-tech speak. Most of your lifelong 49ers could not afford this, nor did they want to attend games that wouldn't be 35 minutes away, but really three hours away after they scraped you for parking.

I went to their preseason games when that stadium opened. Even I with my neophyte knowledge could see how pathetic it was. People literally did not know that you're supposed to be QUIET once the team you want is on third down.

You can't force him, but I will say I don't think stuff gets set in stone until their teenage years. I was a Chiefs fan until I was 15. I hopped on the Seahawks in late 1998, I'd say if there was a turning point, it was the Phantom Touchdown, followed by the Holmgren hire.

Let him choose

(Subliminal messages while he sleeps are ok too)

SantaClaraHawk":9q1ccskd said:

https://www.fieldgulls.com/2020/1/6/21054570/do-i-let-my-six-year-old-son-become-a-niners-fan

"Now I live in SF and I have a six year old son. He's about the age I was when I started professional rooting interests. Part of me wants to say he can root for whatever team he wants. I believe in letting kids have a lot of freedom to make their own decisions. Also, I worry a bit about how other kids will treat him if he's rooting for the Seahawks.

"But part of me just wants to say, "Here's who we root for: The most exciting, exasperating, all around fun group of warriors to suit up on game day. They're always close, they never quit, and they have some of the greatest characters to play the game."

"SF has a lot of people from around the country and around the world. I feel like he could get away with rooting for the Seahawks here (unlike in, say, Philly). At the same time, even if it is not my home town, it is his. I don't know if I should be trying to take away his natural rooting interest."

The dilemma of this poor parent...I'm torn really on what I would do.

Click to expand...

Yes...It's something a young child can look forward to supporting.

knownone":2uel70hj said:

San Fran is a weird city. I went to school in the Bay Area during the height of the Harbaugh era, and I rarely saw jersey's and only met a handful of people who identified themselves as Niners fans while I was in the city. In fact, most people I ran into seemed almost oblivious to the team. It was a strange experience for someone whose grown up in both Philly and Seattle where you'll randomly turn a corner in mid May and hear "SEA-HAWKS" or "FLY EAGLES".

In my experience, trying to force a kid to like a team usually leads to them liking the rival. And honestly, now that they play games in Santa Clara, you and your kid can pretty much rep any team without fear of being patronized or harassed at games. Unfortunately, that wasn't always the case in Candlestick.

Click to expand...

So...there is this thing about SF. They are really more Giants fans than anything. The Niners really have been a "Bay Area" team much more than specifically an SF team.

The reality is that more that 50% of the Season ticket holders at Candlestick were from the South Bay. While people in SF and the North Bay cry about the Niner moving south to SC, the reality is that the team actually moved CLOSER to the largest portion of their season ticket base. I think it was like only 9% of their season ticket holders were from the city of SF (don't quote me...not sure of exact figure).

As for the question at large, while I'd love to tell you "of course let him be a Niners fan!!!" I'd be lyin if I didn't say I've kinda guided my own kids. Now I didn't tell them they COULDN'T be a fan of another team, but I did introduce them to Niner fandom early.

If they decided tho to be a fan of another team, I would of course let them. There are a ton of people in the Bay Area who are from all different parts of the country and rep different teams. My manager here at work came here for the job but is from Minneapolis and is a huge Vikings fan. I'll be taking him to the game on Saturday.

Its Silicon Valley and a lot of people come here for work and are fans of different teams. No biggy.

If he knows why he wants to root for them, and he's dead set on that decision, then yes.

Hell no! If he starts being a Niner fan, you put him on restriction until he smartens up.
Tough love! 8)

Of course you do. You also immediately disinherit him, and kick him to the curb as soon as he's 18. You also only buy him Seahawks swag or nothing at all for Christmas. Actions have consequences! :mrgreen:

Let him, just buy him Seahawks gear for Christmas and his Birthdays till he gets the message, besides if he doesn't change it will make for great Sundays in front of the TV having intrafamily rivalry's to talk over etc when he gets older.

My Oldest was a Packer fan when he was younger, the Farve days, he's an avid Seahawks fan now.

Only took all the gear I had three broken fingers and a Concussion or to

Just kidding. The gear is real though.

The one thing that can trump where your from is who your Dad roots for. He can make plenty of decisions on his own but not being a Niners fan just because his little bastard friends are. Tell him Marshawn is from the Bay and he's a Seahawk.

SantaClaraHawk":35aopvd3 said:

https://www.fieldgulls.com/2020/1/6/21054570/do-i-let-my-six-year-old-son-become-a-niners-fan

"Now I live in SF and I have a six year old son. He's about the age I was when I started professional rooting interests. Part of me wants to say he can root for whatever team he wants. I believe in letting kids have a lot of freedom to make their own decisions. Also, I worry a bit about how other kids will treat him if he's rooting for the Seahawks.

"But part of me just wants to say, "Here's who we root for: The most exciting, exasperating, all around fun group of warriors to suit up on game day. They're always close, they never quit, and they have some of the greatest characters to play the game."

"SF has a lot of people from around the country and around the world. I feel like he could get away with rooting for the Seahawks here (unlike in, say, Philly). At the same time, even if it is not my home town, it is his. I don't know if I should be trying to take away his natural rooting interest."

The dilemma of this poor parent...I'm torn really on what I would do.

Click to expand...

He is 6.... Let him become one because in a year or two at max they will go right back to the turd-show they have been for most of the last two decades. Just like the Rams. You show your pride for the Seahawks and he will be right there with you before he is ten.

When I was 6 the Seahawks didn't even exist. I had to root for the Steelers because the family originated there but even then the local broadcast was ALWAYS Raiders or Rams. I chose the Seahawks because their uniforms were cool looking and by the time I was a teenager they were actually good.

This is a no brainer.

HELL NO
you never let anyone you care for root for the 9ers, especially your own flesh and blood.

I fully understand the dilemma though.


The only answer is, GTFO of the Bay Area.

You have to move away.
Quit your job, put your home on the market, and rent a UHaul.

Hurry before it’s too late.