ESPN

Three boys at a Kansas grade school are arguing about their favorite NFL teams in the early 1980s.

Informed by the successful teams of the era as observed on the two channels their TV antennas pull in on a good Sunday and their natural sense of competition and one-upmanship, they engage in a pre-message board skirmish.

"My Redskins will shoot you with their arrows," says the Washington fan, leading the way with a bruising, John Riggins-style argument.

"Well, my Cowboys will shoot you with their guns," says the Danny White fan, not realizing how close No. 11 will get to a title without actually winning one.

"The Steelers will take your bows and arrows and guns and shoot you both," comes the four-ringed smackdown.

All three eventually overcame first-grade logic and recognized their geographic affiliation as frustrated Chiefs fans (although they still remain divided between Jayhawks and Wildcats on the college level).

Some of us are born to teams, nurtured in cheers, jerseys and traditions by dads, uncles and older siblings (ctfivula gets 'em started right in the photo above). Others, lacking family football mentors or having moved to multiple towns as a kid, have to explore.

Why do you follow your team? Leave a comment below or a link to your blog if the story won't fit in the comments.

Page 2 will feature the best stories about college fandom Aug. 31-Sept. 4 and the best stories of NFL fans Sept. 7-11.