I read an interesting article on Lebron James, one of the premier Basketball players who plays for the Cleveland Cavs – and how he supported different teams growing up. From the Bulls (from Chicago) the Yankees (from New York) and the Cowboys (from Dallas), not sure who he supported in the NHL but as Cleveland’s never had a team it’s a non starter.
I started wondering about whether you need to support local teams when you play for a local team. Tom Brady was spotted wearing a New York cap while he played for New England (Karma may have gotten to him with his recent injury). Michael Jordan tried out for the White Sox while on a hiatus from the Bulls, but if he had played for the Dodgers or the Tigers would Chicago Basketball fans have been less welcoming when he came back to the Bulls? I find Cleveland fans attention and venom towards LBJ amusing, if he takes a franchise from nowhere to the NBA finals in two years my take is let him do what he wants.
But I also started thinking about the similarities between this and when you work for one company and use products from a rival. If you work for Nissan and drive a Toyota, if you work for Microsoft and use a Mac, or, heaven forbid, if you work for Yahoo and use Google, does this make you disloyal?
Personally, I think its okay for an individual to use a rival product. With the caveat that you’re using something because it’s better and meets your needs better (whether in terms of cost or design or some other important feature) and that you use your own products to a point where you know what the market needs are and work to your best to improve the company you work for.
