If the Rockets have become the new most marketable team in the league, will we now be hated by more people? Everyone outside of LA hated the "LakeShow" Lakers, etc. will we now take their place? The Championship Rockets of 10 years ago earned a lot of respect, like the Pistons did last year, but they were not very marketable outside of Houston. But they were great, gritty, underrated teams with a "heart of a champion" that brought their city together, and earned respect from fans nationwide. So which would you rather have? A down-to-earth respectable champion, or a flashy, showy, highlight-reel conference winner, or both?
Even without Shaq, I think everyone will still hate the Lakers. They still have Kobe and their obnoxious celebrity fans.
I think the hate will be mitigated by the fact that T-Mac and Yao are both dynamic and likeable guys.
I think the hatred has to do more with the players on the team, not the team itself. At least that's the way I look . Yao and T-Mac are both fan favorites so I don't see that happening here.
what i will personally hate is the bandwagoner fans that will follow this season, if not this season then next season. the thing i hate about bandwagoners, for any team, is they cheapen the meaning of the word 'fan' i know plenty of people who were bulls then laker fans while claiming to have liked both teams all along. not sure if this particular forum has closed membership which i hope so we dont get the huge influx of posters (like on espn) that are plain idiots and all. for the most part even after the large contigency of yofs that joined (nothing against you folks), the avg topic/poster here is still pretty mature which makes this forum the best one I've ever been one for any thing. i think more people, like myself, will hate the new rocket 'fans' rather than the team itself. i mean its ridiculous to criticize a team for going out and getting good players to win a ring. its the job of the team. and since this is just going to be year 1, i doubt many people will be looking for the rockets to lose. you have to win first before people want you to lose. if in 5 years we have 2rings+ ) ) yeah then you'll see the pitchforks and torches come out
As long as the Lakers have Kobe, they'll be hated. We're not gonna be hated until we win a championship. If we lose, we'll be talked about just like Dallas. A team that should win but can't. On the bright everybody will want to play with the Rockets on NBA LIVE 05'.
True Rocket fans will always support the team. Winning and getting better is more important than overall popularity.
I'm all for being hated, as long as it's for the right reasons.. If the Rockets dominate the league for 5 years, and everybody hates them for it, fine. If people hated the Rockets because they were being marketed like crazy but not winning, that's not so good.
As long as we are winning, I couldn't care less what other people thing. The reason why the Lake-Show was hated so much, becuase they became a bunch of whiney babies, and everyone noticed it. 1. Shaq/Kobe had their annual "who should get the ball" routine. 2. The Lakers got ALL the calls and b****ed when they didn't get one. 3. DFish became the premier flopper in the league, along w/ Vlade (who they got this summer). 4. Adding Malone just added fuel to the fire, especially for Rocket fans. 5. GP was still a good player when he joined the Lakers, but just became another whiney baby.
We will never be hated like the Lakers but we will never be loved like them either. The Lakers maybe the countries most hated team but they are also the countries most loved team. Travel around the country and you will spot laker jersey's everywhere. Go to one of their message boards and they have visitors at least 5 to 1 to Clutchfans.... they have at least 3 serious message boards as well... People love to hate the Lakers but they also love to love them. So we will never be hated as much, even if we become a dynasty with tons of bandwagoners. Also we have Yao probably the most likeable NBA player in the World. That being said as long as we win championships I don't care what people think... that's probably the way the Lakers felt as well.
Probably, they will be hated only if they win a lot of games. But even if the Lakers don't win, I personally still hate them. And i don't think this is the wrong forum. but what do i know, i've only been visiting this site for like three years.
Well, here is how I see it: 1. Shaq is gone. So that "annual" routine is no longer there. 2. Becasue of all the complaints that the Lakers "got all the calls" the referrees collectively try to change that, which causes a lot of bad calls against the Lakers. 3. DFisher is a Worrior now. 4. Malone will retire. 5. GP has been traded to the Celtics.
What are you talking about? No other sports team has a fan forum this big. If new membership was still open, we would have 20,000+ members after this T-Mac trade.
