Why do you root for them?

I was thinking about the teams that I root for.  Kansas Jayhawks, St. Louis Blues, St. Louis Cadinals, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Bears (kind of).  Why do I root for these teams and not others?  I remember when I was young, I hated KU and I wanted Mizzou to beat them everytime in any sport no matter what.  Based on the recommendation of a friend, I looked at Kansas for a college choice.  He talked so highly of it and I took his opinion very seriously.  There were also other factors.  It was a school that was close to home, but not too close.  It was not Mizzou. Not being Mizzou had become a positive.  So many of the usual bro's went to Mizzou from my school, I knew I could not follow that path.  It was not only not Mizzou, it was the rival of Mizzou.  So I could actually root against those people I grew to despise.  Kansas was, from what I gathered on a visit, a great place.  The campus was and still is beautiful.  The town was great and the people were very supportive of the school and its sports.  I was blown away seeing everyone wearing Kansas shirts, hoodies, and hats.  I knew I wanted to stay.  Kansas was perfect.  It's weird because at one point in my life, I felt the exact opposite.  I had this passion for seeing Kansas lose.  Now I have this passion for seeing Kansas.  My connection to Kansas is now so great, I would never waver from my love for it.

The same goes for the St. Louis Cardinals and St. Louis Blues, although to a smaller degree.  I witnessed the Cardinals win the World Series and I witnessed the Jayhawks win the National Championship.   I feel even now that it was better seeing the Jayhawks win than it was seeing the Cardinals win.  But why?  Throughout my time at Kansas, I became a part of something.  I was in the crowd when Dickie V gave Nick Collison a standing ovation.  I was standing at Potter Lake when the goal posts were carried from the field to the water.  I was on Mass St. when we beat UNC and when we beat Memphis.  For all of these reason and even more, I love Kansas and will forever.

What about the other teams?  It seems like I don't have the connection to these teams like I do to Kansas.  Why not?  I have never had the experiences around these other teams like I have at KU.  Pro sports come and go.  Life on a college campus is year round.  Basketball might not be playing but you walk by the Fieldhouse everyday and see the players walking campus.  Same for football.  I remember waiting for Todd Reesing to get cash so he could pay for his beer while I was bartending.  He thought he could get his beer for free because of who he is but I waited for him and sure enough he came back with a twenty dollar bill.  These things don't happen with other sports teams.  Players play for money and usually don't give a shit about fans.  Well, that's a bit harsh but they are there to collect a check.  That is a fact.  It's different.  There is an emptiness involved in cheering for a professional sports team that does not exist in college sports.

While I know that I'll never stop cheering a rooting for Kansas, I cannot say the same about the other teams.  I like to think that I'll root for the Cardinals and Blues forever but I can't be certain.  I really do not care about the Rams.  Every once in a while I check on how they are doing but beyond that, I don't really care.  I used to love the Rams.  Could the same happen for my love of Cardinal baseball and Blues hockey?  Unlikely.  But, still I know it will never happen to my love for the Kansas Jayhawks.

Does anyone know what I mean?  Anyone have that connection to a team that is unwavering?