I've met so many people (especially in corporate America) that are the biggest baseball, NFL football, college football, college basketball, golf, and even professional tennis fans...yet hardly any of them follow NBA basketball. It's not like they don't like sports in general, or basketball in particular (huge NCAA basketball fans). I don't buy the crap about people thinking NBA players are overpaid...if that's the case, no one would follow golf, or any professional sport for that matter. I don't get it. Why is this?
Today's NBA is far different from the one we had 25 years ago. I think this generation doesn't have an identifiable superstar. In the 80's you had the Lakers and Celtics with Magic, Bird, etc. Then in the 90's everyone tuned in to watch Jordan. Now you've got a group of tatted up guys with cornrows who corporate America doesn't really identify with. There's no real dominant team, and no star to get behind. Add to that the terrible marketing campaign by Stern and co, and it's a disaster. Meanwhile, you have the NFL which is a freaking blast. Great gameday experience, hard hitting, tailgating, and all that good stuff. And then, of course, college sports fans like myself are diehard fans of their alma mater and prefer the atmosphere.
I guess that makes sense. After all, this board is filled with old school basketball fans, YOFs, and Asians.
I like the NFL. A lot. I could watch any game and be entertained the whole 60 minutes. If it's the NBA, it's gotta be the Rockets - or a game that somehow affects the Rockets. I can't stand Lebron or Kobe, so that rules out ESPN games 90% of the time in the first place. I love to play basketball, watch my team...but if I'm not invested in the game, I just don't care all that much. (Unless, of course, the game is ultra-close and there could be an upset. See Celts-Bulls. I'm glad I watched that whole Game 1). I find all other sports pretty boring. Although, again, I can get into anything if there's 3 minutes left and it's a close game.
If you are in Texas It goes like this... 1.) HS Football 2.) College Football 3.) NFL 4.) MLB everything else is insignificant.
Is it wrong that I almost lose a little bit of respect for a guy if I find out he doesn't follow sports at all?
You're probably right, but I would move #1 on that list to the insignificant bucket for any city with a population greater than 20,000.
I've heard that ignorance is bliss. Guess we have a lot of happy people running around who don't know what they're missing.
people like football most because it's the easiest to follow. games only once a week. SIMPLE. Baseball is american and it's the only summer sport. (notice how almost no one follows it when football starts) problem with NBA is talent is too thin and there are too many games. playoffs are what 2 months? ridiculous. NBA promotes individual's and not teams. but probably the biggest turnoff in the past decade has been the TERRIBLE and INCONSISTENT OFFICIATING.
Honestly, it's damned hard to be an NBA fan. Think about it... you have the draft in late June. After that you have a short break and in July/August if you are really dedicated you watch the Summer league games. Then there is a few months of trades and really the only break of the year until September when training camp starts. Then you have the regular season, which is hella long and forces you to watch up to 4 games a week. Then finally the playoffs start and you have from April until June - if your team is lucky to start it all over again. Football fans - 16 games a season, one day a week. Baseball fans - lots of games, but only lasts from spring training (early March) to the playoffs (October) and does anyone even listen to or watch spring training.. so really it's early April until Sept for most - and I find it hard to believe anyone watches every MLB game thier team plays. NCAA basketball - short season 30+ games with only two a week Golf - most only watch the last day of any tournament and then only if a big name is in a big name tournament. It's just a lot easier to be a fan of other sports - not as much time and dedication needed.
Why do so many sports fans not follow figure skating? That's a sport, too! Yet I see no discussion of it from you guys whatsoever. Good point about football; you know to set aside Saturday or Sunday for watching it, depending on which type you prefer. (or Friday night if in a small Texas town...) The NBA is so random that I always forget to watch games that I mean to, up to and including last night's.
I am leaning towards what Moes was getting at. It seems to be a regional thing. Some cities/states are more inclined towards basketball.
I live in Chicago, a city I thought would be a huge basketball town (and baseball and football too, of course).
Larry Bird said the NBA needed another White superstar to generate more interest. It may have not been the "pc" thing to say, but he was sadly right.
