In today's sports, players don't spend their whole careers with one team. Free agency has greatly altered that and even certain players are not prone to being traded. A lot of people wear their favorite player's jersey. Are we showing fan loyalty to the team or to the player or both? Some people do follow certain players and may wear their jersey or collect their card. For me, it depends on how that player left the team. The team may want them but the player chooses to go elsewhere. The team may choose not to sign them and the player goes elsewhere. The team may also just trade the player away. I have always put team above the player. No one player is greater than the team. If a player hits free agency and turns down the current teams offer for a better deal, I consider them a traitor and they are "dead" to me. With that said if my team signs a player from the outside, I welcome them with open arms even if if is from a rival.
For me it depends on the circumstances but ultimately my team is always first for me and I never abandon them no matter who they let go.
