Like I mentioned in the first post, I am a diehard San Jose Sharks fan, and I have supported them ever since I could remember. My first exposure to this team was when I was a kid in elementary school and I would see my dad watch their games on TV on some nights during the week. My interest in the team only grew from there. Over the next several years, I would watch more games as a teenager, and there eventually came a point where I realized that the mainstream sports media where I lived wasn't covering the Sharks and the NHL anywhere near as much as other sports. I previously attended one Sharks game with my dad and had an absolute blast at that game, and once I started conducting research on the Sharks and looking to YouTube and other social media for more NHL content, I got hooked on the Sharks and the sport of hockey and never looked back.
Many people wonder why I am a Sharks fan, and it goes further beyond the fact that Team Teal is the nearest NHL team to where I live. In this post, I will explain each reason why the Sharks have been and will always be my favorite NHL team.
First, I was born in San Jose and spent my early childhood there. Despite its high cost of living, San Jose is one of my favorite cities and has a special place in my heart. It has several amenities and things to do, a mild climate, and friendly residents. In addition, San Jose has an underrated car scene, is relatively spread out, and is almost always thriving since the tech industry is located in and around Silicon Valley. This is also one of the main reasons why I am a fan of other Bay Area teams, specifically the San Francisco Giants, San Francisco 49ers, and Golden State Warriors.
Second, ever since their introduction to the NHL in 1991, the Sharks have become one of the most successful franchises in the NHL. They are a well-run franchise that flies under the radar compared to other NHL teams with little to no drama surrounding them. Team Teal is a consistent playoff contender in most years, having made the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 21 of their 29 seasons in the NHL. In addition, the Sharks have won six Pacific Division titles, one President's Trophy, and one Western Conference title. The only accomplishment the Sharks are missing is a Stanley Cup; the closest they got to winning a Stanley Cup was in the 2015-16 season, in which they lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games in Team Teal's only Cup Final appearance so far. I grew up watching future hall-of-famers Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, and Evgeni Nabokov on the Sharks; other notable Sharks players I remember from my childhood are Dan Boyle, Ryane Clowe, Dany Heatley, Devin Setoguchi, Martin Havlat, Scott Hannan, and early renditions of Joe Pavelski, Logan Couture, Marc-Eduoard Vlasic, and Brent Burns. When I was a kid, I remember Todd McLellan was the Sharks' head coach at the time. The more recent Sharks teams have had strong defense pairings, solid goaltending (up until this past season), great power play and penalty kill units (for the most part), and could roll four lines on any given night.
The third reason consists of many of the Sharks' team attributes. I may be biased, but the Sharks have the best logo in the NHL and one of the best logos in all of professional sports. This doesn't apply to just their current primary logo but their entire logo history as well. Their colors make them distinct from other pro sports teams, as not many other teams use teal in their color combinations. Team Teal has had a great jersey history as well, producing some absolutely beautiful jerseys. The Sharks mascot, S.J. Sharkie, is one of the best and coolest mascots in the NHL and all of sports, especially when he zips down to the ice from the ceiling of SAP Center. The Shark Head inside SAP Center is the coolest entrance in the NHL and possibly all of sports. The Sharks' overall video production quality is top notch, and very few sports teams are able to match it. Its broadcast team is one of the best in sports, consisting of Randy Hahn as the TV play-by-play announcer, Bret Hedican as a color commentator, Dan Rusanowsky as the radio play-by-play announcer, and Brodie Brazil as the host of Sharks Pregame, Intermission, and Postgame Live on NBC Sports California (Jamie Baker's replacement as color commentator has yet to be determined).
The fourth reason has to do with many of the Sharks' traditions. Their pregame shows during the Stanley Cup Playoffs look amazing and get my blood pumping. When the Sharks go on the power play, the Jaws theme starts to play and fans in the Tank make chomping motions with their arms, which I really enjoy. They also hold several fundraisers and charity events every year to give back to the less fortunate and improve the communities of Silicon Valley and nearby Santa Cruz.
I could go on and on about the Sharks, but they have always been and always will be my favorite NHL team, and nothing will ever change that. Lastly, I hope the San Jose Sharks remain consistent and successful for many years to come and eventually win a Stanley Cup someday.
I've included a few photos of some of my Sharks memorabilia to spice up this post.
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