Sports fan gears up to watch 10 favorite teams

By Greg Feltes

As a huge sports fan, this weekend is essentially Steve Batterman’s Woodstock.

Batterman, a freshman undecided major, can settle down to watch the third weekend of the Major League Baseball season, the NBA playoffs and the NFL draft all in a 48-hour span.

Of course, he’ll be paying attention to “his” teams. Batterman said local teams take priority, but he’ll root for other teams if they meet certain criteria.

“I love Chicago teams, but I can like teams from other states,” he said. “It really has to do with their history and swagger and entertainment [value].”

Here are Batterman’s 10 favorite sports teams:

10. Phoenix Suns – “They are having a great year. They really embrace the team concept and have meshed really well. The fact that they don’t play defense doesn’t really matter, because they take care of business.

9. Green Bay Packers – “Even though they are an arch rival, I respect Brett Favre. He’s a legend. After he’s gone, there’s no real reason to watch them.

8. Atlanta Falcons – “It’s obvious why. Michael Vick is so exciting to watch. He’ll mature and stay in the pocket eventually, but that’s thankfully a long way off.”

7. Chicago Cubs – “I’m loyal to Chicago teams, so I’ll still root for them … except for when they play the White Sox. [The Cubs] aren’t cursed – they’re just bad.”

6. Miami Heat – “Now, they have Shaq, and they already [had] Dwayne Wade. They might be the best team in the league.”

5. Philadelphia Eagles – “I like Donovan McNabb a lot, and Terrell Owens is fun to watch. McNabb is also a Chicago guy, so I pay special attention to them.”

4. Chicago Bears – “My parents are big Bears fans, so I guess I got it from them. I really admired Walter Payton.”

3. Boston Red Sox – “I hate the Yankees, and [Boston is] like the opposite of them. They’re really loose and fun and together as a team.”

2. Chicago Bulls – “They have such a history from the Jordan era, but I am following them religiously now. But I have to admit, honestly, I was kind of a fair-weather fan.

1. Chicago White Sox – “They’re really close to where I live, and I grew up playing baseball, so it make sense. I love them. Paul Konerko is my favorite.”