Disclaimers: The following does not have as much to do with me meeting and speaking to most of the team a couple weeks ago as you think. (Rubbing it in the faces of those who would have appreciated it far more is more enjoyable). The following is also a gradual process that has been on my mind for quite a while now, so it is not some quick blasphemous about face.
Via True Hoop:
Josh Tucker of Hardwood Paroxysm: "Look, I get that you hate the Lakers. I really do. But going off like a ticking time bomb every time the Lakers get a break, and then looking the other way when they get a raw deal, doesn't make you clever, witty, or insightful. It makes you boring, predictable, and tired, not to mention completely unoriginal.
While we're at it, so does criticizing Lakers fans for being 'bandwagon fans,' or for being arrogant, smug, or condescending. Your anti-Lakers bandwagon is just as cliché, and your self-righteous attitude toward Lakers fans is just as arrogant, smug, and condescending."
Hmm. I have to say I agree. For years, my rationale towards the Lakers had a lot to do with their annoying fans who knew nothing about basketball, rarely followed or watched the sport enough to justify their irrational passion, and only proclaimed their love for the team when they were winning. But now, my old maverick way of thinking has become the norm amongst Laker Haters. The hatred of the bandwagon is...well, bandwagon I often find it painfully difficult to hold a conversation with Laker fans. They are just too irrational and ignorant to debate intelligently and learn from each other.
However, as I have aged and matured so have my peers. Working in the front office of an NBA team full of knowledgeable and experienced professionals, I am beginning to appreciate the wisdom of SOME Laker fans. Before you dismiss me as a traitor, understand that I have always had an appreciation for the Lakers tradition and legacy, and I have always followed the team. Anyway, this is just so you all know where I stand.
That being said, I still look forward to the Lakers crushing their fans when they lose to Boston/Cleveland/Orlando in The Finals.
Via True Hoop:
Josh Tucker of Hardwood Paroxysm: "Look, I get that you hate the Lakers. I really do. But going off like a ticking time bomb every time the Lakers get a break, and then looking the other way when they get a raw deal, doesn't make you clever, witty, or insightful. It makes you boring, predictable, and tired, not to mention completely unoriginal.
While we're at it, so does criticizing Lakers fans for being 'bandwagon fans,' or for being arrogant, smug, or condescending. Your anti-Lakers bandwagon is just as cliché, and your self-righteous attitude toward Lakers fans is just as arrogant, smug, and condescending."
Hmm. I have to say I agree. For years, my rationale towards the Lakers had a lot to do with their annoying fans who knew nothing about basketball, rarely followed or watched the sport enough to justify their irrational passion, and only proclaimed their love for the team when they were winning. But now, my old maverick way of thinking has become the norm amongst Laker Haters. The hatred of the bandwagon is...well, bandwagon I often find it painfully difficult to hold a conversation with Laker fans. They are just too irrational and ignorant to debate intelligently and learn from each other.
However, as I have aged and matured so have my peers. Working in the front office of an NBA team full of knowledgeable and experienced professionals, I am beginning to appreciate the wisdom of SOME Laker fans. Before you dismiss me as a traitor, understand that I have always had an appreciation for the Lakers tradition and legacy, and I have always followed the team. Anyway, this is just so you all know where I stand.
That being said, I still look forward to the Lakers crushing their fans when they lose to Boston/Cleveland/Orlando in The Finals.
