The Slice: Rooting for the home team isn’t that easy

Does it make sense for people in our area to root for Seattle sports teams?

Many will say “Of course.”

Please note, though, that a fair number of those folks once resided on the West Side. What if you never lived over there and have not been infected with Mariners fever or Seahawks sepsis from direct contact?

OK, you still might be a fan. Seattle is, after all, the Northwest’s biggest metropolitan area. The teams’ games are on TV over here. It’s a natural enough association, I guess.

But have you ever heard how people in the Seattle area talk about Spokane?

Have you tracked the state legislature’s spending decisions over the years?

And you still want to root for teams from Seattle?

Well, be my guest. You can even pretend that the team owners have souls and the players have an abiding connection to our region. Or that driving five hours to see a “home” game makes sense.

But let’s say you don’t want to cheer for teams representing Spokane’s snobbish rival. Nevertheless, you are still interested in pro sports. What to do?

Well, you can root for teams from another city. But which one?

Let’s consider.

Those who remember AAA baseball and the Spokane team’s affiliation with the Dodgers could make a case for rooting for Los Angeles. Of course, cheering for a team whose California fans are probably plotting to steal our water might not be the perfect solution.

How about pulling for Denver teams? They’re in the West and people there make fun of Colorado Springs and Fort Collins, not Spokane.

Rooting for Minnesota-based franchises seems reasonable. Quite a few families in our area have relatives in the Twin Cities. And Minnesotans can talk about “the lake” with the best of them.

You could cheer for teams from Texas or Florida. I wouldn’t. But you could.

Pittsburgh or Philadelphia? Yeah, maybe.

How about getting behind Chicago teams? You would probably have to go with a pick-and-choose approach. Your feelings about the president could influence your attitude about his beloved White Sox. And your weariness with the Cubs’ never-ending storyline might have made you sick of that team. But the Blackhawks, Bears and Bulls are ready and waiting for your support.

If your self-esteem is stable and you don’t require the routine winning that comes with big-payroll powerhouses, you could pick teams from smaller markets like Milwaukee, Nashville or Charlotte.

Or if you really want to do the right thing, you could cheer for teams from Detroit. A few sports victories won’t fix Michigan’s ills. Still, you could think of rooting for the Red Wings or Tigers as being like sending a get-well card.

•Today’s Slice question (for those who seldom go to movie theaters anymore): When you read about a new film that sounds interesting, do you worry that you will forget about it by the time it comes out on DVD or pay-per-view?