Divided Loyalties

When it comes to professional sports loyalties Ocean County is often a divided territory and not just based on geography. There was a time in which Route 72 in Manahawkin was considered the dividing line…if you lived north of that you likely rooted for the New York teams while those south were Philadelphia fans. Some would offer the argument that Lacey Road in Forked River might better serve as the line to divide loyalties. Regardless Southern Ocean County was certainly likely to be more “Philly-friendly” then the more populated parts like Toms River and Brick to the north.

However maybe more than any other county in New Jersey we are a melting pot when it comes to favorite team choice. Let’s start with baseball since the National League Championship Series starts tonight in Philadelphia. The Phillies fan base has defiantly spread out since the inception of their minor league affiliate in Lakewood. As BlueClaw players like Ryan Howard and Cole Hamels became major leaguers fans continued to follow them and were certainly more likely to root for the Phills. There was a time when most of the Phillie fans in Ocean County came from towns like Barnegat and Manahawkin but I don’t necessarily think that’s the case any longer. Of course the Yankees and the Mets have larger fan bases in our area but watch what happens if the Phills win the World Series.

We’re of course in the middle of football season and like baseball have three pro teams considered local. Again geography plays a role but you will find Giants fans everywhere from Point Pleasant to Harvey Cedars. You would assume that is followed by the Jets but I’m not so sure as the Eagles might be number two. They have had success in recent years and that creates fans while the Jets have always struggled to have an identity….after all their one and only Super Bowl trip and victory came in 1969 so those under the age of 40 have never seen a championship.

Both basketball and hockey offer a unique challenge in indentifying a favorite because it’s the two major sports which have New Jersey team as part of the mix. The Devils have a solid fan base which is probably younger then those who cheer for the Rangers and the Flyers have their legions of followers. Pro basketball to me is at the bottom of the four majors in our area for different reasons. The Knicks and Sixers have been awful in recent years and the Nets are bolting for Brooklyn.