Purple and Gold.. NOT
I know I'll burn bridges with this blog but let me just vent it out like any cocky athlete would do:
I HATE THE LOS ANGELES LAKERS.
I don't really know why I hate them exactly. Maybe it's because 3/4 of the people in my life like them. Then again, why did they like the Lakers first of all? Because of Shaq? Kobe? No, because they started winning, being dominant. I've come to realize many people love the Lakers because they have been one of the most successful NBA franchises as of late. It's pretty much how people loved the Chicago Bulls when they were the dominant franchise. Let's get real here.. how many Chicago fans back then STILL root for the Bulls now? Maybe if you live in Chicago, you still do, right? But after six losing years, how many others have still clung on, believing, hoping, like any real fan would do?
When the Lakers's ship begins to sink, and this is definitely going to happen in the near future, will every Laker fan I know still root for the Lakers? No. They'll start rooting for the next dominant team.
This is an opinion I share with some really good sports minds here in America (Bob Ryan, Mike Lupica, Mitch Albom, and Michael Wilbon) -- a great majority of the people who root for the Lakers are basically transplants, going to the Staples Center to be seen (unless your name is Jack Nicholson or Dyan Cannon). When you're a Lakers fan, chances are you never grew up with the team. Chances are that you never felt the agony of losing under a coach named Randy Pfund. You're there because they have Shaq, Kobe, Phil Jackson, and the championships. You root for them because they started to win, and win, and win.
Lupica noted how many Lakers fans lack the general basketball IQ that a true-blooded supporter would have. They're there because the Lakers are a winning team. They never stuck with the losing years and will not stick with a sinking ship.
This makes Lakers fans different from Boston fans, or Chicago fans, or Detroit fans. There are hardly any Boston natives who stopped rooting for the Red Sox just because they haven't won the title since 1918. People stuck with the Red Sox for most of their lifetime, enduring what they call "The Curse of the Bambino," falling short to the New York Yankees year after year. They grew up with the Red Sox, breathed the Red Sox, lived the Red Sox. This is why we have the Red Sox Nation. Same goes with Chicago fans and the Cubs, who have a fate much worse than the Red Sox. Everybody loves the Cubs win or lose. They get more fans year after year despite always losing.
So I say this, most of Laker nation are basically just there for the ride.
I HATE THE LOS ANGELES LAKERS.
I don't really know why I hate them exactly. Maybe it's because 3/4 of the people in my life like them. Then again, why did they like the Lakers first of all? Because of Shaq? Kobe? No, because they started winning, being dominant. I've come to realize many people love the Lakers because they have been one of the most successful NBA franchises as of late. It's pretty much how people loved the Chicago Bulls when they were the dominant franchise. Let's get real here.. how many Chicago fans back then STILL root for the Bulls now? Maybe if you live in Chicago, you still do, right? But after six losing years, how many others have still clung on, believing, hoping, like any real fan would do?
When the Lakers's ship begins to sink, and this is definitely going to happen in the near future, will every Laker fan I know still root for the Lakers? No. They'll start rooting for the next dominant team.
This is an opinion I share with some really good sports minds here in America (Bob Ryan, Mike Lupica, Mitch Albom, and Michael Wilbon) -- a great majority of the people who root for the Lakers are basically transplants, going to the Staples Center to be seen (unless your name is Jack Nicholson or Dyan Cannon). When you're a Lakers fan, chances are you never grew up with the team. Chances are that you never felt the agony of losing under a coach named Randy Pfund. You're there because they have Shaq, Kobe, Phil Jackson, and the championships. You root for them because they started to win, and win, and win.
Lupica noted how many Lakers fans lack the general basketball IQ that a true-blooded supporter would have. They're there because the Lakers are a winning team. They never stuck with the losing years and will not stick with a sinking ship.
This makes Lakers fans different from Boston fans, or Chicago fans, or Detroit fans. There are hardly any Boston natives who stopped rooting for the Red Sox just because they haven't won the title since 1918. People stuck with the Red Sox for most of their lifetime, enduring what they call "The Curse of the Bambino," falling short to the New York Yankees year after year. They grew up with the Red Sox, breathed the Red Sox, lived the Red Sox. This is why we have the Red Sox Nation. Same goes with Chicago fans and the Cubs, who have a fate much worse than the Red Sox. Everybody loves the Cubs win or lose. They get more fans year after year despite always losing.
So I say this, most of Laker nation are basically just there for the ride.