Nice Whats the point of routing for a team that doesn't win? (assuming you said doesnt win champs) Its fine going thru slump years only to get better later though.
If I may get on a soapbox for a second, I think we sometimes forget what sports is all about, and why it originated. It's for entertainment, sportsmanship, and comraderie (sp?). America has such a rich past time of sports because of what sports represent. Our modern generation would rather turn it into a cocky, attention seeking, money-glorying show, but I think that's straying from the roots of sports. That being said, good guys any day. Sorry if I sound like an old man.
Scrappy by default implies competition. I enjoy watching the Rockets play much more than I enjoy watching the Lakers. Why? Because 90% of the Lakers team I wouldn't bother with on a personal level... they are cocky and most of them think they deserve special treatment. At least that is the image they portray. I don't want my kids, if I should have any one day, to think that they are entitled to anything that they haven't worked for. As athletes they are idolized, at any level, they are looked up to by those who are on the same path behind them. It is more entertaining for me to watch a group of people work together to complete a task and win a game then to see one person try to do it all themselves or whine after every play for 82 games. The team that win the championship, like the Lakers, don't give a flying hoot during the season.. they go through the motions giving just enough effort to win the games they have to... and relying on one guy to pull them through. The Cinderella teams are the one that everyone gets behind, so that even if they don't win in the end, the path to getting there is just as exciting and entertaining.
@ everyone who's picking good guys It's not like there weren't any D-bags on the 94' and 95' championship teams. The thing is when ur team is playing as an elite unit and wins championships you can absolutely forgive them for being douchebags.
Here's the thing... the question wasn't if all championship teams have d-bags... the question was which do you enjoy more... a team you can root for and is likeable or a team that you can't stand but wins you a championship There isn't a right or wrong answer It's personal preference.
Fine. But I'd still pick the champions. Championships are everything in this league. Imagine a Houston Rockets franchise without their 94' and 95' chips. *shudder*
Why? A championship on its own isn't that important to me. The only satisfaction I'd get from it is if I felt they got there playing the right way, and they earned the respect and admiration of their supporters and opponents. That's something I can be proud of. If its just a bunch of unlikeable jerks that won a championship, and they didn't do it in a manner I can respect, it doesn't mean much to me.
Speaking as a proud Steelers fan, I can 100% assure you that Big Ben is one of the biggest dicks you will ever meet off the field and when the cameras aren't running. Hell, pretty much everybody knows he's a tool. Do I care? Of course not because I love this team too much to not support them and relish in the fact that he brought me two championships. Conversely, even if he wasn't winning I'd still support him and the team. Winning championships is what being a fan is all about though, so as long as he's doing that I can tolerate pretty much anything.
Knuckle heads don't win championships,but the bottom line is to win one. It doesn't matter if they are nice or not. Lots of guys hated Vernon,and it's true he was responsible for his own dismissal from the team,no matter who provoked him.However no one can deny that he deserved an NBA championship,and that we couldn't have won without him playing a big role on a team that believed it could win.
I'm not saying that all the players on the team have to be angels. But if none of them have any redeeming qualities character-wise, they've lost me emotionally.
this. glad the majority of clutchfans who voted got it "right". any portland fans here? do you enjoy your current team more or is it the one 6-7 years ago (i.e. the jail blazers)? really want to know.
this would make a good thread. 1. derrick fisher 2. derrick fisher 3. carlos boozer 4. kevin garnett 5. andrew bynum (the fake AB) coach mike brown
A championship team, for the most part, will play the 'right' way. They're a beauty to watch, offensively and defensively. Who cares if they are douchebags off the court, or even douchebags on the court (maybe just competitiveness?). Fans pay good money to see their team win, not be angels. The only way a player earns my respect and admiration is by their performance on the court, showing their desire to win, showing how competitive they are and how they are willing to do anything for their team to win, not how much of a good guy they are. That would just be an added bonus. This is basically a 'do ends justify means?' issue and i say for a NBA championship the ends do justify the means. Final point: The majority of the winners in this league are all sort of douchebags in some way or some form. (MJ, Pippen, Kobe, Shaq, KG) Yet thousands of people love them for being winners and being champions. Its hard to find an ultra competitive person who also isn't somewhat of a douchebag.
Anyway, Northside Storm got it right. I guarantee you Utah Jazz fans love and respect their team, they especially love Sloan and his pushing/flopping/cheating style of basketball. We love Scola but I've heard from a few fans of other teams that they think he's one of the dirtiest players in the game, Jazz level dirty. I learned a long time ago not to judge someone based on what you hear. So, when it comes to topics like character, i find the discussion irrelevant. I don't think any of us have sufficient evidence to support a claim on the majority of athletes' character. So, it's not that I would really like the championship team players better. I don't like any players, personality wise. I would watch artificially intelligent robots play basketball if it were entertaining. I love this team as whole, as an organization, as a Houston team and that will NEVER change. I think that's about as far away from bandwagoning you can get. EDIT: I think we can use our team as a reference for the scrappy team. Can anyone name a championship team that they would not have supported had they previously been a fan of the team?
