He gives the standard reasons: Nate McMillan, Paul Allen, Brandon Roy, Martell Webster, proximity of city, excitement level of roster, and so forth. And while he touches on the pain and betrayal he feels in becoming a fan of the team he used to hate, I have to say he's not as anguished about his decision as I would be.
Personally, if I were to root for any team this season it would be Golden State. Even with The Baron down in LA, I'm still partial to the madcap antics of the Warriors, from their exhuberant fans to their frenetic style of play. Yes, the Warriors would definitely be my team in a Sonic-less universe. To root for the Blazers, personally, would be like cheering for the Oakland A's if the Mariners left town, and I hate the A's (okay, I like Billy Beane, but I hate the franchise).
And besides, what happens if the Sonics eventually return to Seattle? Will those who cheered for the Blazers in the interim feel a little bit guilty for abadoning their city? Won't you feel like a hypocrite booing the Blazers when the year previous you were wearing their jersey?
It begs the obvious question: Why do I have to pick another team for which to cheer? Is abstention only available to priests now? By cheering for any NBA team, am I not giving tacit approval to the disgraceful shenanigans of David Stern, Clay Bennett, and the other 27 owners who voted for relocation?
At this point, while I am somewhat inclined to cheer for Golden State, I am more inclined not to root at all. And, I believe, that's the position of a large portion of Sonic fans.
Which leads me to ask this: Which team will you support this year, if any? Have you gone cold turkey on the NBA?
18 comments:
I'm not down with the Blazers, either. All those years of rooting for them to fail, all those years of listening to Blazermaniacs go on and on about how underrated Jerome Kersey was - am I supposed to ignore all of that and say, "Go Blazers?" No f-ing way, man.
I'm rooting for the Huskies in basketball this season. I can do that for a couple of years and then hope something falls into place for the NBA here.
I'm gonna try to go cold turkey, but it'll be difficult. I'm a huge NBA fan. Clay and Stern has sucked a lot of the life out of my love for basketball. I like the pro game a lot more...so it would be hard to become a strictly college fan. But the betrayal I feel, from Clay to Stern to Nickels and beyond, will make it difficult to enjoy the NBA ever again.
Cold turkey, man. I'm abstaining from the NBA, their video games, their Sprite, and heck, even ESPN/TNT and the sports page.
If I was going to follow any team, I might peek in on the Miami Heat. Their new head coach is part Filipino. Yes, this is what it's come down to for me. So. bitter.
I don't hate the Blazers like the old days. It does irk me a bit that some local dudes are tearing it up down there. My faint, somewhat petty hope is that there is a new Sonics team in town right around the time B-Roy is a free agent...
Not holding my breath though.
Will those who cheered for the Blazers in the interim feel a little bit guilty for abadoning their city?
Correction, our city abandoned us. What do I have left to abandon?
The Blazers are now the closest thing to a home team. Following them will be like Portland folks following the Seahawks or Mariners. If a new team came to town, they'd push the Blazers to the side. Pro Sports teams have no loyalty to their fans, so why should I feel guilty or hypocritical about being fickle with my loyalty?
I would argue that the team abandoned the city, not the other way around. You can't blame the city for not bending over for the NBA and Clay Bennett. While I think their money-grab at the trial was shameful, I'm proud that Seattle stood up to the league in the first place.
Regardless, I'm not rooting for the Blazers. Maybe I'll root for the Grizzlies, since they seem to be the most likely team to pick up stakes and move next. Hopefully, this O.J. from USC turns out better than the last one.
I am pulling for the Bucks. No way would I ever pull for the Blazers.
I would argue that the team abandoned the city, not the other way around.
I would argue that they both abandoned us.
You can't blame the city for not bending over for the NBA and Clay Bennett.
Sure I can. Price of doing business.
While I think their money-grab at the trial was shameful, I'm proud that Seattle stood up to the league in the first place.
Would you be proud if the Mariners were in Tampa Bay, the Seahawks in Oakland or LA, and the Kingdome only being occupied by home & boat shows?
"Both abadoned us"
Fair enough, I'm not going to argue with that.
We part ways when you say - in essence - that the city must do whatever it takes to keep the teams here. I'm not interested in subsidizing Clay Bennett's wallet with tax dollars, not unless he's willing to put some of his own money into the pot. For the city to take all the responsibility for the arena while Bennett takes none is a non-starter for me.
More importantly, though, I hate the Blazers. I'm thinking of making that might new sign-off now in emails, instead of "Regards" or "Bye". From now on, it'll be
Hates the Blazers,
Warren
Currently, I'm rooting for the Portland Trail Blazers.
Anyway, with regards to the team formerly known as the Seattle SuperSonics, Kevin Durant played like crap tonight against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Durant's 3-13 shooting indicates how much of a defensively inept, me-first chucker he is at times. Hell, I still stand by the opinion that Durant is incapable of leading a championship contender due to his vast weaknesses.
Oh well, the overrated Durant is no longer my problem.
Rofl at the O.J. comment.
We part ways when you say - in essence - that the city must do whatever it takes to keep the teams here.
Well, for two of our three teams we did. The one we didn't left. So I don't see what there is to argue about there.
I'm not interested in subsidizing Clay Bennett's wallet with tax dollars
I happen to agree with you there. I'm a firm believer that stadiums should be 100% privately financed. Unfortunately, my ideals have been squashed by the reality that there will always be another city willing to bend over to do whatever it takes to land (or keep) a team. My "price of doing business" comment is a resignation, not a personal ideal.
NBA? What's that? The NBA is dead to me, and I hope this recessionary economy hits them harder than "joe sixpack." The Dub, Zags and WAZZU are where my hoops fixings will come from. (As a CWU grad I can root for all 3 without compromising my principles.)
In fact, my personal hope is that the league goes bankrupt, David Stern dies a slow painful death to testicular cancer. Preferably while giving smug press conferences dishonestly updating his condition.
As for the OK City owners? I hope Clay gets caught cheating on his gravy train with a meth-selling gay prostitute-- who it later comes out is a Texas fan.
And Aubrey? I'm hoping white collar prison here, for stealing 401k's or something.
As for the "Thunder" fans? I wish you a decade of 30 win or fewer teams, good talent drains outward to other places, and risky bad free agent signings.
Go to hell, all of you. And Seattle/Washington politicians as well. Nobody is clean in this, nobody!
I guess I'm naive enough to believe that eventually the NBA will run out of sucker cities. I can see why you think the opposite, though, considering it hasn't happened yet.
The current economic crunch is certainly going to throw a big ol' wrench in the plans of the league to keep sticking it to cities, though.
If I were to pick another team it may as well be Portland, but I will never watch another nba game again.
Whiskeychainsaw, how did you sneak a peek at my letter to Santa Claus?!
It's pretty ridiculous that you guys are choosing to either hate the Blazers or pick some obscure NBA team to follow. We have loved your Seahawks and Mariners for years and this is how you act when it's time to embrace Portland? I think it's childish and stubborn. We have an outstanding team, fanbase, & city. Many of these guys played in, or are from the Seattle area. Maybe someday you will come around and appreciate it and not be so hostile. it is just basketball and we all should enjoy it. I understand that you're still in the grieving period so if it's more time you need, so be it.
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