If you had read my post, the 3rd sentence addressed the Rockets rich fans who don't make noise. Those Heat-Knicks years were full of tough, physical, playoff games. It's not like the Heat never won a series. And when they started sucking, bam, the fans left. You remember when the AAC first opened? Empty seats everywhere. Now maybe they have the same problem as Htown, where the lower bowl is all corporate with only a few real fans scattered down there with most of them being up top? I don't know. You tell me, since you're a Heat fan. Hey man, I like your team. I liked your old teams, with Glen Rice, and then those Riley teams with Zo and CSpoon. I liked Anthony Carter too. The fact still remains that Shaq brought a whole new crowd to Miami bball. I'm not talking about you. Since you were a fan from the yesteryears, you have paid your dues. I'm talking about the South Beach posers, the East Coast LA, the crowd that's there to be seen and not know crap about bball. Miami became temporary bball Mecca this year and call me a hater, but as much as I like Shaq, I hated how he became Mr. Good Guy of bball and made Miami bball town. Man. Miami! Other than Udonis Hasleem, who grows up playing bball in Miami? (I know people do, but you get the point) It's freakin Miami. Dolphins, Latino babes, beaches, etc. Not bball! And definitely not the bball favorites of the NBA Well, as I said, a lot of those new fans were getting too much success handed to them. Are they any worse than many fans of other towns? No. And I wish upon all bandwagoners the same misery of heart break before your team wins a championship. That's NBA justice. (except for LA. damn those fans are so spoiled. I hope they don't make the playoffs for the next decade) And Zo is not "risking his life" on the court. He's recovered, playing well, and flexing his muscles. I don't hate Zo, but that doesn't mean he isn't a bandwagon player. He caught no flack from the media at all for doing the same thing Vince Carter and Jim Jackson did. And the Steve Smith "trade": Bernie Bickerstaff said "we promised Steve if an opportunity arose that we would accomodate him" Steve Smith asked out. Does that make him a bad guy? No. I like him. He used to be awesome. But he's still a bandwagoning player. link to quote here: Steve Smith Trade And imagineif the Lakers won last year, and Miami won this year? Jeebus. Then you'd see Stockton come out of retirement to play on the Heat...I know that won't happen but man, thank you Pistons. Seriously, as a Rockets fan (are you one too), one should hope that the Rockets are the ones that get all the washed-up-stars-turned-role-players, well at least have them knocking on the Rockets doors.
I am not disputing that. When the Heat were atop the East with ZO at his prime the fans were still not very great, there were lots of empty seats but I am sure they have their die-hard fans just like you and I who are die-hard rockets fans and stick with the team no matter what. There were alot of bandwagon fans this season but every city has that. Alot of those celebrities weren't around a few years back but most of them are probably Shaq fans, not necessarily Heat fans. Personally I am a ZO fan. I stopped following them closely once Zo left for the Nets but started routing for them once he returned. I like the team but to me I had more attachment to those mid to late 90's Heat teams because I followed them as much as I followed the Rockets. I think to say that the Heat fans deserved to be dissappointed b/c they haven't experienced heartache is unfair b/c they have been heartbroken for 4-5 years straight with tough losses. Every city has bandwagoners (Look at the Astros last season...you telling me the entire city had astros fever when it looked like they weren't going to make the playoffs? I know they didn't) People get caught up in the excitement when a deep post season run is happening but there are always a core of loyal fans (like you and I and most on this BBS) who "live and die" with every win/loss no matter if it is the first game of the season or game 7 of the finals. The bandwagoners are just part of human nature. People like routing for a winner. You haven't been paying attention to ESPN and online articles then. When everything was going on with the Nets and even up to this point there have been and are articles bashing ZO for not being loyal to the nets and for robbing them and toronto of millions. If anything they have been more critical on him that Jim Jackson. PTI discussed it, Dan lebatard had an article in ESPN the magazine last month bashing ZO, and countless other NY articles were written about him when everything was going on. In the end it is all a business and you have to do what is best for you, most sports owners could care less what happens to you once they have no more need for you. Why should the player show loyalty when none is guaranteed to you?
