If you don't have time, here are some of the more choice quotes from it:
The Lakers have become the most hated team in basketball, especially for real hoops fans. The Lakers remain the overwhelming favorite for casual fans, because they're a glamorous team in a glamorous city led by a glamorous star. On the other hand, no current team is the object of as much bile and venom -- again, especially from real fans who actually care about the NBA -- as L.A.
It's the truth. Lakers fans are simply a different breed of fan. Their fandom is as fair-weathered as the sunny city the franchise calls home. I conducted an informal poll on the UCDavis campus (located a mere 500 miles from LA! Lakers central, obviously) where I counted the number of Kobe jerseys and the number of Lakers jerseys. Intuitively, you'd think that, at the very extreme, Kobe and Laker jerseys would be the same number. Was this the case? Nope! The result was shocking: 7 total Kobe jerseys and 6 total Laker jerseys. Every single jersey I saw a Laker "fan" wearing had Bryant stamped on the back. And that 7th Bryant jersey?
His Team USA uniform, of course.
Go back to Italy, ya punk.Ask any of these fans, fans who weren't wearing this stuff even a month ago, mind you, to explain how the Lakers acquired Pau Gasol, who DJ Mbenga is, or what constitutes running the Triangle Offense. Or better yet, just ask them to name any Laker that comes off the bench. Sit back and watch hilarity ensue as they try to navigate through these oh-so-difficult questions.
Here's another excerpt:
2002 -- Lakers conspiracy theories in full effect: With L.A. down 3-2 to the Sacramento Kings in the Western Conference finals, the Lakers shot 27 free throws in the fourth quarter, leading many Lakers haters (and neutral fans) to wonder whether the league and its referees wanted to ensure a Game 7. It's easy to hate league darlings. The Lakers won Game 7, then beat New Jersey for the three-peat. By this point, the Lakers' bandwagon was outrageous and full of fair-weather yet rabid fans across America -- many of whom were/are every bit as obnoxious as the stereotypes of their Cowboys and Yankees counterparts. To some extent, Lakers haters hate Lakers fans as much as the team itself.
This one really goes without saying. Kobe only has 3 rings. Yup, give the other one to the officiating crew that faithful night in May of 2002. And don't tell Kings fans to "get over it." We'll get over it as soon as you stop trumpeting around all the rings Kobe has like it's some kind of accomplishment. Getting help from the referees and obtaining Pau Gasol for free is not an impressive way to amass championships.
Ok, I need to stop now, before I get so mad it'll render all my studying for finals useless. Carry on as you were.
My hate for particular players has faded, but you identify the problem with the fan base well. It's indicative of the "Whatever"-ization of American culture: your team wins, you celebrate as obnoxiously as possible; your team loses, "whatever."
ReplyDeleteI'm interested in Wilt Chamberlain and his legacy, so I was very interested in how people found new ways to piss on that legacy after Kobe's 81 point game. Perhaps that also said something about the problem with Lakers fans specifically and the problem with bad fans in general.