I still enjoy the EPL as a neutral because I am still partial in most of the games I watch. I always root against the Big 4, for whoever is in 5th or 6th (with the hope that someone new finally breaks into the big 4), the promoted teams (come on Hull), whoever has a cool stadium (come on Fullham) or lots of Americans (come on Fullham). That criteria gets me a team and a game to watch most weekends. I also always root against Chelsea, and against or for certain personalities etc…

As I said before, its only entertainment…. unless England or the U.S. plays- then it is life or death!

You’re welcome, Lonnie.

Once I became interested in the EPL the big teams were easier to follow and of the big teams I tend to like, not love, Man U. over the rest of the big 4. After that I like following the teams with the American players, like Everton and Fulham. I get especially interested if their are local players from my hometown, such as Brian McBride when he was at Fulham. My Epl interests can easily change, so I guess that answers the question for me, unless you are born into it, it’s easy to change teams and whom you support, since it lacks the emotion and birth right!

My American Soccer Show co-host on CSRN, Dave Denholm has pointed out that he cannot get into individual teams in Europe because he lacks the emotional connection to them. He saves his emotion for the US National Team and the Galaxy while enjoying the Brazilian, French, German leagues, etc as a neutral.

Americans tend to pull for underdogs which is why I am the way I am. I went to UF many moons ago but have been shaped by life experiences since to not really care for my alma matar.

So I hardly ever root for the big bloated sports budget, Gators any longer and find myself pulling for Mississippi State in SEC Football. I am a U of Miami Hurricanes season ticket holder for Basketball and root for them in the ACC, but like Baylor in the Big XII, etc.

I don’t like front runners quite frankly. I’m surprised so many Americans have adopted “Big Four” teams rather than the likes of Boro, Villa, and City. It in many ways to me demonstrates a lack of understand of the American psyche and that in many ways European Football remains an elite sport in this country.

I was in London for the US-England game, and being American the ticket seller at Paddington station when he saw my USA shirt assumed I must root for Man U because “everyone in the US is for United or Chelsea.” When I told him I was a City supporter he opened up and we had a splendid conversation. He told me he went to NYC and as a QPR fan he was laughed at, by anyone who supported the sport because they were all for one of two clubs, ironically the top two clubs in the PL the last four seasons!

My ticket taker was a Fulham fan but had the same impression of Americans that day. He told me he saw an MLS match on TV (and he was curious about MLS and wanted to talk about the league which I did with him until my train arrived) and was shocked by the number of people wearing AIG Man U jerseys in the stands.

He told me that United, Chelsea and the PL in general were becoming less and less popular in the England thanks to the Big four hegemony. And actually I had already heard that from like 50 people at Wembley. At Wembley itself people were more interested in chatting with me about the exploits of Tony Caig, Rohan Ricketts or Terry Cooke in MLS than the Champions League final.

This has been a long rant, but you probably all get my point or stopped reading by now.