How Did You Become a Sharks Fan?

I've been curious as to how some of you became Sharks fans. Kevin, Max, Strizzi, vilpertti, Cyclops, etc. I believe all of you are located outside of the Bay Area. How/why did you start following the Sharks?

My Barons. Plain and simple. :D

I did an internship in the bay area (lived in San Jose) back in '99. And because I already was into hockey, I watched the Sharks a few times (as long as I got tickets), and then kept following them when I got back.

My folks were big Blackhawk fans back in the day of Mikita. We lived in DC right when the Caps joined the league. We went to 15 games their first year, and they actually won 5 of them (great percent for them that year)

We moved to SF 4 years later. Suffered without hockey for 13 years until the Sharks joined up. Had season tickets from 1995-1996 through 2000-2001. Been in St Louis since January.

I liked the idea of hockey in Nicaraqua.. Later I found out that there is a San Jose in California too.

Actually, when I thought that Sharks played in Nicaraqua I was a Blackhawks "fan".. A little boy (9 years old =) who had heard of a Finnish hockey player Christian Ruuttu who played in Chicago.

Later, with the ov-line and all, Irbe etc and Sharks beating Detroit they really caught my eye. Also Ville Peltonen playing for them later... About those times I got a Sharks jersey... After that it's been Sharks.

I grew up liking hockey in the first place...Even though I have no bloodlines who like hockey. When I was young I took teams by there colors. I saw the Sharks logo when they unveild it and I latched on to it and came a Sharks fan. I've been a Sharks fan since opening nite. The past three years I have ordered Center Ice on digital cable.. This year I did as well. Before that I only saw games on espn and espn 2 other then that I just checked the sports ticker on CNN or ESPN News and I watchecd NHL 2nite for highlights. If my mom let me stay up.

Sharks moved into town when I was 10, and growing up in Mtn View, I've been hooked ever since.

I liked the idea of hockey in Nicaraqua.. Later I found out that there is a San Jose in California too.

Actually, when I thought that Sharks played in Nicaraqua I was a Blackhawks "fan".. A little boy (9 years old =) who had heard of a Finnish hockey player Christian Ruuttu who played in Chicago.

Later, with the ov-line and all, Irbe etc and Sharks beating Detroit they really caught my eye. Also Ville Peltonen playing for them later... About those times I got a Sharks jersey... After that it's been Sharks.
So you're a Finn living in Nicaragua? Interesting, how'd you end up there?

I grew up liking hockey in the first place...Even though I have no bloodlines who like hockey. When I was young I took teams by there colors. I saw the Sharks logo when they unveild it and I latched on to it and came a Sharks fan. I've been a Sharks fan since opening nite. The past three years I have ordered Center Ice on digital cable.. This year I did as well. Before that I only saw games on espn and espn 2 other then that I just checked the sports ticker on CNN or ESPN News and I watchecd NHL 2nite for highlights. If my mom let me stay up.
Haha, nice...the teal marketing tactic worked!

My folks were big Blackhawk fans back in the day of Mikita. We lived in DC right when the Caps joined the league. We went to 15 games their first year, and they actually won 5 of them (great percent for them that year)

We moved to SF 4 years later. Suffered without hockey for 13 years until the Sharks joined up. Had season tickets from 1995-1996 through 2000-2001. Been in St Louis since January.
So are you a Wild fan too?

I'm probally more hardcore of a fan then you guys know haha.

Lets make it clear though...Sharks and all my teams could switch there colors and I wouldnt switch teams lol.

1. Sharks



2. Dolphins

3. Marlins




4. Hornets

I'm a pretty big Dolphins fan ... But nowhere near my level of comitment compared to the SHarks. HIYOOO

Growing up I had friends who were into hockey. Whenever I'd hang out we would drink beers and play sega hockey. For some reason I'd always play as San Jose. Then the first game I ever watched on TV was Colorado/San Jose. My friend is a diehard Av's fan so I rooted for the Sharks. It progessed from there. Thats how a kid from Boise becomes a Sharks fan. Spite.

So are you a Wild fan too?

No. I am the GM of the Wild for the Hockeys Future Sim league.

Actually, the other San Jose is in Costa Rica.

So you're a Finn living in Nicaragua? Interesting, how'd you end up there?No just had noticed in an atlas there's San Jose somewhere there.. It's not actually in Nicaraqua :)

Still living in Finland :)

I've liked the Sharks since I saw Nabokov. :)

Actually, the other San Jose is in Costa Rica.
What's your story?

One guy...Owen Nolan. I'm a fan of this guy first and foremost and while the Sharks were one of my top three teams (behind Nords n Sens) when they first entered the league...I grew to love em after Nolan was acquired.

Edit: horrible typo

I picked the Sharks a bit before the Expansion Draft of 1991. I had become interested in hockey just before the North Stars went to the Finals. While I rooted for the North Stars, I was truly attached to them, so I decided since I was new to hockey to like the new hockey team. Well, when I got my first packs of 91-92 Upper Deck hockey cards, I knew I'd picked the right team. I really liked the jerseys. The original NHL Hockey by EA Sports really solidified my love for hockey. The first time I rented it, over Thanksgiving Break, I was the Sharks. In fact, when I saw the Sharks were included in the game, I told my dad I had to rent it. So anyway, the next day I won the Cup with the Sharks. Stockpiling Shark hockey cards, looking forward to the small blurb on the Sharks in TSN each week and then late in the first season following the Sharks online using Prodigy. (Remember that?)

My love for the Sharks really fed upon itself.

Oh, funny story:

Early in my second season of hockey (my first season was about eight days outside in the winter, my second season was about four months outside, what a winter!) I got my first Sharks jersey and wore it playing. Well, I took a puck to the mouth and the first thing I did was go down and make sure I didn't bleed on my new jersey :) No, I didn't lose any teeth, although my four front teeth lost vitality for a while. (I imagine some of you have had vitality testing done with teeth suspected of being damaged before.)

That's my only puck to the face, but I have taken some sticks to the face, including one this past summer that cut my eyelid. (I was wearing a half-shield, and I tend to wear it like Craig Janney, not how you're supposed to.) It's a weird feeling when your eye proper hurts because it feels like it got pushed into something in the back.

Patty Ice: I started swearing out loud when I saw in the paper Owen Nolan had been acquired, because Sandis was who was traded. (Sandis was my second favorite Shark after Pat Falloon, who was my favorite because of his draft status and rookie season.) It went something starting with the sixth letter of the alphabet with an "ing" and the son of a female dog.:)

Funny story 2: Two weeks after I had purchased a Shark jersey and personalized it with Kroupa 44, he was traded to New Jersey. So my new jersey was already old :) That was my last personalized jersey! Rest assured, I'll get Christian Ehrhoff. Hopefully getting an Ehrhoff jersey won't necessitate his being traded.

I've also got Falloon, Ozolinsh, Sykora and Kozlov.

San Jose's German prospects are the first players in a while to come down the pipeline that I've liked as much as I liked younger Sharks on the earlier Shark team.

Well, I'm from the East Coast and actually followed the Baltimore SkipJacks as a kid. Used to hit the rink, and run around the corridors with a stick and a crushed soda can.

Anyway, I followed the caps as well, but never really enjoyed their style of play. Always seemed to weak to me...then I moved around the country for 5 years and landed in SJ. I immediately dropped for SJ when I watched them in Feb of 97...when I came out here.

From then on, I have been a upstanding Homer of Sj's and what solidified the deal was my first date with my wife....she knew I like Hockey, and got us some tickets. Watched the St. Louis game...SJ won 6-3 if memory serves.

Anywho...that's my story...nice thread. :p

I agree. Nice thread!

I stumbled upon hockey during Desert Storm when my family would watch the news for war updates. One of those days was the NHL All-Star game. It was my first time watching a hockey game and I loved the flow of the action and the players seemed to be having so much fun (of course they were - it was the All-Star game after all!). After that day, I went to my local card shop and started learning about who's who in hockey and buying hockey cards.

Since I live in the Bay Area, it was perfect when the Sharks began their first season shortly after I had discovered hockey.

Patty Ice: I started swearing out loud when I saw in the paper Owen Nolan had been acquired, because Sandis was who was traded. (Sandis was my second favorite Shark after Pat Falloon, who was my favorite because of his draft status and rookie season.) It went something starting with the sixth letter of the alphabet with an "ing" and the son of a female dog.

Had pretty much the same reaction. I was finally gonna get to see a full year of Nolan n Forsberg tearin up the league after years of Nords being on the bottom of the list (granted they did have two good years...one being the lockout) and then....BAM back to the bottom again with the Sharks...I did like Friesen and Pat Falloon so that eased my pain somewhat but Peter they are not. I think what hurt the most is that the shortly acquired my favorite goalie at the time (for my other favorite goalie...T-Bo!!).

I think I was 12 when I saw my 1st Sharks game. Hrudey caught my eye on Hockey and I've been watching them since. Sharks lost that game 4-1 (Boy were they brutal back in 96...)

I remember the Sandis trade that was hard. My worst Shark moment was when Irbe was not back in a Sharks uniform very hard to swallow.

When I was 7-10 I would cut out pictures of the Sharks from the website or the Preview magazines and make minny Sharks magazines on there. It's funny to back and read those things some times.

It's good to see most of you where a Sharks fan since day one!

I my self like Kevin latched on the team before they even got started. Invision a 4 year old boy doing everything he could just to find out who the Sharks took. Falloon was that guy. I latched onto him. He was my fav untill Irbe came around. Plus he was damn good in NHL 93-94 lol.
My favroite player now is Patrick Marleau. I have a soft spot for Michalek because 2 weeks before the draft I decided this is the guy I wanted. For awhile I just took Kevins word on Vanek. So I ruite for him.
Jeff Friesen was another Great. Ulf Dahlen I liked alot... ummm. Al Iafrate I enjoyed but he didnt play much now did he? Tony Granato.

IDK.. So many...as long as he's wearing a Sharks jersey or in the Sharks system I like him.

DONT LET MY AGE FOOL YOU I have been a Sharks fan since age 4. How many 5 year olds do you know who got up extra early in the mourning to read the CNN sports ticker for scores. lol. I've been a Sharks fan since I saw that logo!

How many 5 year olds do you know who got up extra early in the mourning to read the CNN sports ticker for scores. lol. I've been a Sharks fan since I saw that logo!I don't know very many 5 year olds who mourn every night... Or did you mourn only the nights before u could see the score? :)

I don't know very many 5 year olds who mourn every night... Or did you mourn only the nights before u could see the score? :)

???I couldnt be more lost.

you said "mourning" not morning... there is a significant difference

One of my friends had an early EA NHL game back in the day, that was a blast. It was all about the Oil. I asked for NHL 94 for my birthday and a love of hockey was born. So I'd start reading the articles on the Sharks in the SJ paper, then it was the radio broadcasts, and then in 98 or 99 I got to go to my first game. I guess you could say that the video games were my starter drug ;) Anyway, that first game was against Calgary and Patty scored to tie it with like .1 sec left. The energy in the tank was incredible, I was hooked.

Born and raised in San Jose. I am the only member of my family actually born in CA. The rest are from Chicago. My Dad always told me stories about him and his buddies going to see the Hawks or the Wings, or trips to see the Rangers and all the cool things that they experienced. Telling me stories about the guy that mouthed off in a game and then got his ass pummeled. The Gordie Howe stories were really cool. I never really liked sports until SJ announced we would have an NHL team. It might have something to do with people slapping each other in the ass all the time. That bugs me and hockey doesn't really have that mentality (except for the Flyer game I saw in which two of the guys kissed after a goal was scored, they must have been French). I was a fan before the Sharks even had a name. I'm proud to be a Sharks fan and my only regret is that I didn't/couldn't play hockey growing up. I was a big kid and would have dominated.

Go Sharks! :yo: :yo: :yo: :yo:

On a side note, when I was going up, my Dad tried coaching a soccer team I was on, and he couldn't understand soccer's offside rule because hockey was so embedded in him. Good for him because I hated soccer anyway.

I remember the Sandis trade that was hard. My worst Shark moment was when Irbe was not back in a Sharks uniform very hard to swallow.

When I was 7-10 I would cut out pictures of the Sharks from the website or the Preview magazines and make minny Sharks magazines on there. It's funny to back and read those things some times.

It's good to see most of you where a Sharks fan since day one!

I my self like Kevin latched on the team before they even got started. Invision a 4 year old boy doing everything he could just to find out who the Sharks took. Falloon was that guy. I latched onto him. He was my fav untill Irbe came around. Plus he was damn good in NHL 93-94 lol.
My favroite player now is Patrick Marleau. I have a soft spot for Michalek because 2 weeks before the draft I decided this is the guy I wanted. For awhile I just took Kevins word on Vanek. So I ruite for him.
Jeff Friesen was another Great. Ulf Dahlen I liked alot... ummm. Al Iafrate I enjoyed but he didnt play much now did he? Tony Granato.

IDK.. So many...as long as he's wearing a Sharks jersey or in the Sharks system I like him.

DONT LET MY AGE FOOL YOU I have been a Sharks fan since age 4. How many 5 year olds do you know who got up extra early in the mourning to read the CNN sports ticker for scores. lol. I've been a Sharks fan since I saw that logo!


how old where you when dahlen and iafrate when they played with sharks...no offense but im 20 i cant remember players that far back, sorry if i am coming across as ***** but it just seems alittle odd

when I was going up, my Dad tried coaching a soccer team I was on, and he couldn't understand soccer's offside rule because hockey was so embedded in him

The offside rule in soccer is pretty simple, really. Maybe he should not have been coaching...?!:dunno:

Dancin' Gabe rules. :bow:

I was a pretty typical american sports fan, loved the big three NFL, MLB and NBA, College FB and BB too. WHen the SHarks came here I was still indifferent to the game. THe GF ( now wife ) and her family though was from minnesota and they loved hockey so I went to the cow palace and watched the blow outs, the pigeons flying around, Kisio, DW, Hacket and Co. SO when they came to SJ and we got season tix I was still a very lukewarm fan to the sharks and the NHL

then came 1994, after a brutal start this team started winning. And soon I found myself watching games gaining interest. I remember a game against chicago I belive it was the last of a weird 3 games in a row schedeul quirk and the sharks had beaten D Sutter desent blackhawk team already 2 games prior. A tough game but R Whitney netted the game winner late in the 3rd. I was going beserk and it just dawned on me; this game freaking rocks. THe playoffs obviously took my fandom to the next level. I was at my hightest at game 4 Vs Det, sharks even the series 2-2 on amazine 3rd per comeback. I was hooked, and even when the sharks were elimnated ( shoot Ozo!) i watched the playoffs, the 94 rangers/devils series was to this day one of the best I ever saw.

from there the SHarks and the NHL are my favorites, even so much as to putting on skates and learning how to play myself. I can't stand basketball now and even participte in fantasy hockey.

I see we've got some new posters, so I'm bringing this badboy back up. Maybe we can get a sticky, Pat?

Grew up watching some Oakland/California Golden Seals games (from what I've seen so far in this thread I doubt most of you even knew there was an NHL team here before the Sharks). I always have been loyal to the local teams and have always lived in the Bay Area. Got season tix for the Sharks when they first started here and have kept them ever since.

Hockey has been my favorite sport since around 1980. Didn't have too much interest in the Seals back in the early 70's (I was too young and they were a terrible team). Gretzky is the one who really got me interested in watching. The "Miracle on Ice" 1980 gold medal sparked some interest too. Have been hooked ever since.

Grew up watching some Oakland/California Golden Seals games (from what I've seen so far in this thread I doubt most of you even knew there was an NHL team here before the Sharks).
You are wrong in your assumption. I'm almost positive everyone on this forum knows about the Bay Area's hockey/NHL history. Most of were just too young to have experienced it.

My mom had me watching video of them. How sad! So many high picks, and so little talent.

Technically, they changed name many times, and more than once in a year. Ironically, it was the former Oakland Seals that merged with a Minnesota team and became the North Stars, which moved to Dallas and stole Belfour. Strange how rivalries work, I find. Then SJ acquired Mush, and...

~Crazed.

I didn't become a Sharks/hockey fan untill 2000, before then I had never even heared of a game called hockey. All those wasted years...

My parents knew some one who worked for the Sharks and the friend gave us free tickets to a Sharks -vs- Ducks game on what I belive was Dec. 28. Ever since then I haven't looked back. My parents friend still works for the Sharks in Broadcasting, and she is in the same room ('bout 8 cubicles) as Randy, Drew, Pete, and Dan!

Inetesting side note: For a school term paper on careers, I chose the CEO career. Also I needed a interveiw, and my interveiw was with Greg Jamison! He was really nice. The surprising part was the end of the interveiw when he asked if he could see my final paper :eek:

Let's see, I became a fan during the 99-00 season, saw my first game that December when I went to have dinner at a friend's and everyone was watching the game. I had never been into sports but for some reason found understanding hockey to be a challenge that I had to tackle. So, I started watching on my own at home and went to my first game in February, my friends' annual glass seats pilgrimage. Went to two playoff games that postseason, as well. The next season I got a Shark pack and have had one ever since.

how old where you when dahlen and iafrate when they played with sharks...no offense but im 20 i cant remember players that far back, sorry if i am coming across as ***** but it just seems alittle odd

Well, I was about 9 years old at that time. I've always been a huge fan of videogames and I didnt see many stats of the guys when i was young, so if you were good in the game ...you were good with me lol, So I gave guys like Iafrate props for being goood Sharks even though there best days were long gone.

Being slowly converted by locals who didn't know hockey existed 10 years ago. Although I'll never give up my Avs and Leafs fandom, I might add the Sharks. Especially if I get myself some Center Ice !

You are wrong in your assumption. I'm almost positive everyone on this forum knows about the Bay Area's hockey/NHL history. Most of were just too young to have experienced it.
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Maybe we should take a poll on this. Considering all the young and new-to-hockey fans in here I still bet there are many who never heard of the Seals. I'm curious to find out.

My mom had me watching video of them. How sad! So many high picks, and so little talent.

Technically, they changed name many times, and more than once in a year. Ironically, it was the former Oakland Seals that merged with a Minnesota team and became the North Stars, which moved to Dallas and stole Belfour. Strange how rivalries work, I find. Then SJ acquired Mush, and...

~Crazed.
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Yes, they were a mess and made many terrible trades. Mismanaged from the top. Then again, look at what Finley did to the A's too.

I almost said something about that, actually. ...and there was an HBO piece about them and the Raiders that would have backed me up. (Did anybody else see that?)

That's what happens when money gets involved in running sports teams. Sadly, that's the way things are going these days.

~Crazed.

I almost said something about that, actually. ...and there was an HBO piece about them and the Raiders that would have backed me up. (Did anybody else see that?)

That's what happens when money gets involved in running sports teams. Sadly, that's the way things are going these days.

~Crazed.
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I'd be interested in seeing that HBO show. What was it called? Will it be on again?

Pocklington sold off the great Oilers team. Another example of someone bleeding a team dry to make up for bad finances.

Honestly, I don't remember. I only flipped through on my way from my sis's TV (Trading Spaces, While You Were Out, etc.) to mine (HOCKEY!). I generally flip through the movie channels to see if there's anything to watch there (almost never), and the sports channels for college hockey before hitting the NHL stuff on the 60" TV. It had something to do with the fans of the city of Oakland, the Raiders, and the A's. I flipped through as they talked about Finely's talks during arbitration hearings.

Looking online, it was called "Rebels of Oakland," and here is the schedule information:
Date, time, channel, title, rating, and minutes.

12/21 9:00 AM HBO - EAST REBELS OF OAKLAND: THE A'S, THE RAIDERS, THE 70'S - 12/16/03 TVPG 55
12/21 9:00 AM HBO LATINO - EAST REBELS OF OAKLAND: THE A'S, THE RAIDERS, THE 70'S - 12/16/03 TVPG 55
12/21 9:00 AM HBO High Definition - EAST REBELS OF OAKLAND: THE A'S, THE RAIDERS, THE 70'S - 12/16/03 TVPG 55
12/21 11:45 PM HBO - EAST REBELS OF OAKLAND: THE A'S, THE RAIDERS, THE 70'S - 12/16/03 TVPG 55
12/21 11:45 PM HBO High Definition - EAST REBELS OF OAKLAND: THE A'S, THE RAIDERS, THE 70'S - 12/16/03 TVPG 55
12/24 4:30 PM HBO - EAST REBELS OF OAKLAND: THE A'S, THE RAIDERS, THE 70'S - 12/16/03 TVPG 55
12/24 4:30 PM HBO LATINO - EAST REBELS OF OAKLAND: THE A'S, THE RAIDERS, THE 70'S - 12/16/03 TVPG 55
12/24 4:30 PM HBO High Definition - EAST REBELS OF OAKLAND: THE A'S, THE RAIDERS, THE 70'S - 12/16/03 TVPG 55
12/28 11:30 AM HBO2 - EAST REBELS OF OAKLAND: THE A'S, THE RAIDERS, THE 70'S - 12/16/03 TVPG 55
12/30 11:00 AM HBO - EAST REBELS OF OAKLAND: THE A'S, THE RAIDERS, THE 70'S - 12/16/03 TVPG 55
12/30 11:00 AM HBO LATINO - EAST REBELS OF OAKLAND: THE A'S, THE RAIDERS, THE 70'S - 12/16/03 TVPG 55
12/30 11:00 AM HBO High Definition - EAST REBELS OF OAKLAND: THE A'S, THE RAIDERS, THE 70'S - 12/16/03 TVPG 55

See HBO.com for details.

Happy hunting!
~J.

The 1st hockey game I saw was an exhibition game between Stevie Y's wings and Gretzky's Kings--It was before the sharks came to be. I was Hooked, no pun intended, and all that had to happen was SJ to get a franchise from there.

I didn't become a sharks fan :handclap:

My crazy friend (he was crazy, seriously) just got me into it, he loved it. He was my best friend. So i got into it. Later on i found out he didnt follow the sport too well but it was too late, i was hooked. ON top of that i saw some roller hockey in the bay area. WHat team did we have? Some stupid rhino or spider thing, i forget. Anyways it was cool, i had glass row seats. Ever since then i realized i liked the sport more then any i played. I started playing hockey myself eventually. Turns out if you are really good at soccer the transition isnt TOO hard. The sports are very similar in a weird way, whether anyone will admit it or not. So thats what happened, and thats how i came to be a sharks fan. Ive also converted about 12 people into huge fans. 8 of them girls. So if you find some girl from oakland whos a huge sharks fan you can thank me for it :P


The end.

I've been curious as to how some of you became Sharks fans. I'm from St. Louis, and an avid Blues fan, and I watched the Sharks vs Blues rivalry build over the last few years, from nothing into something pretty special - at least from St. Louis's point of view, I'm not sure how you guys view it... The Sharks amazed me with the intensity and hard work they displayed, I absolutely loved it when they played each other, it was always a great and intense game, hardfought and physical usually too. The great growing rivalry that developed sort of grew on me, until I became an avid fan of the Sharks. Now when they play I root for both sides, and I am as big a fan of the Sharks now as I am the Blues, maybe even more so!
:handclap: :yo: :bow: :rolly: