When one thinks of the NFL, the location of Hawaii may not be the first thing that comes to mind. That’s because Hawaii has never really been known as a football hot spot. So, what NFL team does Hawaii root for? Well, the answer is none, but that doesn’t mean Hawaiian football fans don’t have their favorites.
Growing up in Hawaii, it was hard to be a football fan. I knew about the NFL and the Dallas Cowboys, the New England Patriots and the Green Bay Packers, but none of them ever held a real spot in my heart. Sure, it was fun watching a game and seeing how the teams stacked up against each other, but I never really developed an attachment to any one team.
When I eventually moved away from the islands and to the mainland, I was finally able to experience NFL fandom. I cheered for a few teams here and there, but nothing ever really stuck. And then one day I did something I never thought I’d do: I rooted for the San Francisco 49ers.
From then on, I was hooked on the 49ers. I followed them through their wild victories and heart-breaking defeats. I celebrated their wins and commiserated their losses. Most importantly, I finally had an NFL team of my own to root for.
But why the San Francisco 49ers of all teams? I suppose it was because of their style of play. The 49ers had an exciting, up-tempo offense that reminded me of the quick-strike, open-field running found in traditional Hawaiian football. Plus, they consistently put a competitive product on the field and had a great quarterback in Steve Young.
My family and friends didn’t quite understand my newfound NFL allegiance, but that was OK. I was now a part of the San Francisco 49ers family, and it felt good.
For the first time ever, Hawaii had an NFL team to root for. Unfortunately, being thousands of miles away meant that I wasn’t able to attend any live games. But I made up for it by throwing Super Bowl parties and cheering as loud as I could whenever the 49ers were playing.
It never really mattered to me that the 49ers were located all the way across the country. In my eyes, they were Hawaii’s team. I had a team to rally behind and share in the joys of victory and the agony of defeat. It was a feeling I had never experienced before, and it was absolutely amazing.