Often geography is the largest determining factor in fandom. It’s rare then, how my fandom began because of anti-fandom. My grandfather was living in Texarkana, Arkansas when the legendary Ice Bowl was played.
Living in a border town between Texas and Arkansas, the Dallas Cowboys were only a few hours car ride away, but even more present as “the team” of the area. In spite, he rooted for the Green Bay Packers.
That choice led to my father to be a Packer fan for his entire life. Through the good times and eventually the doldrums of the ’70s and ’80s, until the turning point of the early ’90s when his son was just becoming old enough to toss the ol’ pigskin in the front yard.