This morning a friend of mine on Facebook said, "it's good to be a Jazz fan." So, naturally, I had to post the snarky remark, "but not in June, right?" when championships are won and lost. I was just teasing him, but then he came out with fists flying, talking about how the Lakers spend so much money, and how he prefers liking a team that takes its bumps and bruises and doesn't get favorable calls from the officials blah blah blah. Not being meek enough to just let it go I had to retort with how anyone would love it to be the favored team, no matter how they got there, and then I pointed to his beloved Utes as an example.
This is mostly what I wanted to rant about - what is it with fans being so self-righteous anyway? Because I happened to grow up in Southern California and therefore follow all teams from that area and now some of them are winning a lot, that somehow makes me a lesser fan than someone that grew up in a sports-poor area that has a small market team to follow? Newsflash: it doesn't make you more noble to be a fan of some team that loses year after year than someone that happens to follow a winning team. (Although it does matter somewhat whether you just happen to jump on the bandwagon because that's annoying to pretty much everyone.) But this is the thing about sports, and it's just like I mentioned to my friend, when it's your team that's suddenly in it until the end and all sorts of competitive, you're really not going to care too much about how they got there, just that they're there, so stop complaining when other guys are doing well.
Last year I was at a Halloween get together and a guy I know was going on and on about how much he hates Kobe and wouldn't even want him to come play for the Jazz. I held my tongue that time, but I thought to myself, then what kind of fan are you anyway? Why wouldn't you want one of the top-3 players in the NBA right now, and one of the 10-15 best all time? Why wouldn't you want a guy that can make your team an instant contender? It's not like Deron Williams is a saint but you still seem to like to pretend that he's in the running for humanitarian of the year. I can understand hating a team just because you see them as an obstacle to your success, but I just hate the false magnanimity that some people put on like they're somehow nobler because they stick with their team through thick and thin.
Incidentally, it's a good season for me. The baseball offseason is here which is great if you're an Angels fan because Arte Moreno has already vowed to try and get us back into contention, plus our division rival fell apart in the World Series. The Lakers are somehow a kind of quiet 8-0, and some people are talking about how they may be 15-0 before their mettle gets really tested. And this is the most surprising of all...the Raiders are on a three game winning streak. If you want to have a pissing contest about following your team through thick and thin, try being a Raiders fan in this millenium. Although it was good when this past decade started, they have set the mark for NFL futility the last seven years. The craziest thing is that I read the other day about how they could potentially get to the AFC championship game with this group that they currently have. It's still kind of insane that people are even considering that when we're only one game over .500, but it's nice to know that there is some reason to feel optimistic. Even BYU isn't looking nearly as terrible as they did to start the season.
In any case, your Jazz still stink, and they'll lose again to the Lakers in the playoffs just like they have for the last three seasons. Sorry.
6 comments:
emotions people get from sports has always been such a crazy phenomena to me. we get so upset, elated, etc for something that we can't control at all and doesn't personally effect us at all in our lives. don't get me wrong, i love it, but it is a funny thing. whenever the lakers win and matt is super excited i always tell him what a great job he did and how proud i am of him and how he cheered so well. because, you know, it is funny.
Now since I could care less about basketball, I've somewhat been forced to follow the Jazz. I think there is more consistant talent on the Lakers but considering where some of the players on the Jazz started, the team is doing quite well. Any sports program with more money will always recruit better players. There, that is my two cents about the Jazz and Lakers.
So you could care less about basketball?
So you care a lot about it.
Also, on an unrelated note, Kira, your transformation into full Utahdom is almost complete. Home in Utah? Check. Follow the Jazz? Check. Utah Drivers license? Unknown. Poofy platinum hair? Who knows what the future holds.
Sorry to take up space on this Chris, I need to defend myself.
1. I do own a home but I'm pretty sure that my morgage is less than your monthly payment. Hahah I'm just saving to take US ALL to Cancoon. So you should be thanking me for this sacrifice.
2. Sure I like the Jazz. I never really cared for basketball, college football should be year-round.
3. No Utah's driver's license.
4. No platinum hair.. I just went dark.
*cancun
Go Lakers! And yes, Utah sucks and yes, Utah will lose to the Lakers, like they do every year. Keep hating us, people. It just makes this year's three-peat that much better.
Zing.
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