Love Thy Neighbour

Alright, let's shake things up a little bit - shall we? We can observe my favourite athletes of all time (see: McNair), my favourite current athletes (see: Lowry) and even my favourite pro wrestlers (see: Storm), and not a single surprise will pop up at any point. Maybe, then, we should cast a broader net, and go beyond the boundaries of teams that I support. Let us look, then, at players who play for other teams - who among them do I support?

So here's my favourite players who currently play for other teams! ...Somehow, I think it won't be that surprising again.

NFL: Alterraun Verner (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

It may seem curious that a man who ranked lower on my top Titans list than Cortland Finnegan somehow managed to leapfrog him on my overall preference, but Finny did more for Tennessee over a longer span of time, whereas Verner is just one of the coolest dudes in football. Really awesome guy, has responded to me on Twitter multiple times, is well educated and well read, and always insightful and committed. He's one of those guys you don't have to worry about when he retires; he'll find a lucrative career in whatever he pursues after football.

Until then, Verner remains a clinical, exciting defender. He's dropped off the radar since leaving for Tampa, struggling initially and suffering the indignity of wearing the worst jersey in all of football, but I'm confident that he'll regain his footing, whether with the Bucs or somewhere else.

NHL: Jarome Iginla (Colorado Avalanche)
We all know that, as a native of Vancouver Island, I was always destined to be a Canucks fan. When there's a team in town, you're rarely afforded the luxury of choice: you naturally back the home squad, a galvanising force that unites the surrounding area. Were I to have chosen a team, however, there's a strong chance I might have been a Calgary Flames guy. Which sounds like sacrilege, I know, but when I first started actively watching hockey in 2004, the Flames were Canada's most interesting teams, led admirably by Jarome Iginla.

I dig Iggy's hard nosed style, man. He's the kind of guy who rallies the troops, leads the charge and kicks ass. When he plays for the Olympic side, it's nice to finally cheer the guy while he's actually playing for my time. In fact, Iggy's 2010 garb is the only hockey jersey I own. Fun fact!

NBA: Andrew Wiggins (Minnesota Timberwolves)

It'll be funny when people read this entry years down the track, and Wiggins has since become the greatest Toronto Raptor of all time, leading the team to a threepeat and shattering almost every single-season record. *wink wink, nudge nudge*

Until such time, Wiggins plies his trade in Minnesota, where it's almost like an extension of his time at Kansas. He's not playing for us, indeed sometimes he's pitted against us, but we all know he's just biding his time until he comes home. As one of the people who has been following his young career all the way back to high school, I've become really good at remaining patient for Wiggins to finally become a Raptor. In the meantime, he has a tall task ahead of him, as a crucial cog in the Canadian team trying desperately to salvage their Olympic hopes. Go get 'em, Wiggy.

MLB: Munenori Kawasaki (Chicago Cubs)

This one feels wrong. It feels painful. It feels like an alternate universe; a cruel existence where the sky has collapsed, monsters roam the plains and Kawasaki-sama does not play for the Toronto Blue Jays.

It's always sad when your team shows championship potential and falls short, but last year's Jays leave me particularly sour, considering the amount of players they wielded who I really, really like. Kawasaki and Price are now gone. Bautista and Encarnacion are floating through the contract ether. Thank goodness for Stroman, otherwise I would be throwing a fit. Though I will enjoy watching Mune's antics regardless, I would have loved incredibly for him to have been an eternal part of Blue Jays history.