Things are getting ugly between basketball fans in Seattle and Sacramento.
After the
latest fold in the Kings Drama last week, my Twitter feed was filled with one common hashtag: #eatshitseattle .
Oooooookay? I know this sort of situation brings out the worst in sports fans, but the Über trolls on both sides have smelled blood and are engaged in a battle to the virtual death, bringing back painful memories of 2008 and the horde of OKC enthusiasts who came out in droves to piss on Seattle's basketball grave.
The irony, of course, is that fans have zero influence on the outcome of these sorts of dilemas, so while we bludgeon each other with zingers and hashtags, the NBA fatcats count their money and enjoy the show.
Instead of fighting each other, we should acknowledge that both cities have incredibly enthusiastic fans and, more importantly,
incredibly rich investors begging to give the NBA boatloads of money. So why should either city be left out in the cold? Why not keep the Kings in Sacramento and award an expansion team to Seattle?
People will argue that expansion will dilute the league, but with the explosion of international basketball over the past two decades, there has never been a bigger pool for talent. Naysayers also protest the idea of the NBA having an uneven amount of teams, but as
Tom Ziller brilliantly pointed out in detail back in January, the league has often operated that way and somehow survived.
The only reason the NBA hasn't fixed this mess is they
love drama. It drives ratings, ticket sales and fan interest. And as we fight online crusades against imaginary foes from other cities, it's clear this whole kerfuffle is as authentic as the WWE, with the Board of Governors Meeting on April 18th being our Wrestlemania.
Basketball fans on both sides need to stop fighting each other and acknowledge we are
all being exploited. The NBA could end this right now by awarding Seattle an expansion team. The only question is whether David Stern wants to play the hero or the heel.
