Blazers fans!?!?!

[Weav]

I've heard so many 'fans' on The Game say "we're not excited about a win in Miami because this team will let us down", "Our upcoming schedule is too tough, we'll be lucky to get into the eighth spot", "Greg will NEVER play any meaningingful time EVER again, cut him", "Roy's knees are shot, trade him for Darren Williams" and "There is no way we win a first round series at all, we got lucky against the Spurs and Heat"...I just don't get it! The human experience is about experiencing highs and lows, so roll with it. I love the high I'm on now from this game and yeah, I think we can beat the world right now. Also, I expect some lows and they come and go. Basically, an optimistic fan always has hope, and I like hope!!! Roy will return to > 80% of his former self, LA will be an MVP (someday) and Greg will be an all-star! Ride the Blazer wave!

A pessimistic fan thinks the sky is falling and assumes the worst will always happen. What kind of miserable fuck just waits for his 'favorite' team to fail just so they can call a sports talk station to tell them "I knew this would happen..." pathetic. Ride the wave, Blazer fans...love the highs, hate the lows and don't think about it too much.

RIP CITY!

 

[PtldPlatypus]

Repped. Couldn't have said it better myself.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

i will only finally "celebrate" a championship. I've been screwed over too many times. Until then, I try not to keep my hopes up too high.

 

[mgb]

I've heard so many 'fans' on The Game say "we're not excited about a win in Miami because this team will let us down", "Our upcoming schedule is too tough, we'll be lucky to get into the eighth spot", "Greg will NEVER play any meaningingful time EVER again, cut him", "Roy's knees are shot, trade him for Darren Williams" and "There is no way we win a first round series at all, we got lucky against the Spurs and Heat"...I just don't get it! The human experience is about experiencing highs and lows, so roll with it. I love the high I'm on now from this game and yeah, I think we can beat the world right now. Also, I expect some lows and they come and go. Basically, an optimistic fan always has hope, and I like hope!!! Roy will return to > 80% of his former self, LA will be an MVP (someday) and Greg will be an all-star! Ride the Blazer wave!

A pessimistic fan thinks the sky is falling and assumes the worst will always happen. What kind of miserable fuck just waits for his 'favorite' team to fail just so they can call a sports talk station to tell them "I knew this would happen..." pathetic. Ride the wave, Blazer fans...love the highs, hate the lows and don't think about it too much.

RIP CITY!

I agree except I think Oden will be MVP and LA all-star.

 

[THE HCP]

Repped. Couldn't have said it better myself.

I could have....... I'm just too tired!

 

[HailBlazers]

i will only "celebrate" a championship. I've been screwed over too many times. Until then, I try not to keep my hopes up too high.

are you serious? or was that supposed to be green. If not, sucks to be you man.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

keep expectations low = sweeter victories!

 

[HailBlazers]

keep expectations low = sweeter victories!

hahaha I hope you don't apply that to picking up chicks!

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

unfortunately i do. haha.

 

[Nikolokolus]

As we all know the only valid form of fandom is to be an uncritical, unthinking, sunshine pumper.

I think the key is to be balanced: It's fine to be critical when the situation calls for it and it's great to get excited when the situation calls for it ... the trick is knowing which time is which.

 

[STOMP]

a Roy for D.Williams trade? I wouldn't waste much time worrying about some sports talk show caller who thinks thats remotely possible.

Does that make me a pessimistic Blazer fan?

STOMP

 

[hasoos]

Did Mike Barrett log on with another pseudo account again?

 

[BlazerCaravan]

As we all know the only valid form of fandom is to be an uncritical, unthinking, sunshine pumper.

I think the key is to be balanced: It's fine to be critical when the situation calls for it and it's great to get excited when the situation calls for it ... the trick is knowing which time is which.

And as we all know, being the least bit happy about anything regarding our favorite team makes us a sunshine pumper with no perspective.

 

[Pinwheel1]

One NBA champ each year and fans of 29 teams bitching. College basketball even has more .

Say what you will about College football and the lack of a play off system, you tend to get a more content fan base. Even if it is from a meaningless bowl victory.

 

[BLAZINGGIANTS]

So you're saying Mixum spends his entire day calling into The Game?

 

[STOMP]

As we all know the only valid form of fandom is to be an uncritical, unthinking, sunshine pumper.

I think the key is to be balanced: It's fine to be critical when the situation calls for it and it's great to get excited when the situation calls for it ... the trick is knowing which time is which.

haven't you been the perpetual glass half full & needs to be poured out and refilled guy? I sure wouldn't accuse you of being the voice of this balance you're speaking of. Any sort of fandom is valid even uncritical, unthinking, negative nancy's... but being a critical thinker doesn't really have much to do with how positive or negative one is as a fan, it's more about how you analyze things

my optimism for the team stems from liking most every key player on the roster before they became Blazers. I prefer long athletic defenders along the front line. On offense I want a share the ball attack with a single low post threat, a couple guys who can shoot/create off the dribble and lots of outside shooting. Because the Blazer roster fits the mold of what I think produces winning hoops, I've been predicting sunny skies if and when the roster returns to health for some time. Can't say I'm surprised at the forecast now that this seems to be the case.

STOMP

 

[anonymous gambler]

I'd say the only valid, or useful, form of fandom is to enjoy your team. If you enjoy seeing doom and gloom, more power to you. I like to analyze my team with slightly rose colored glasses. And I love how the team is rebounding- good example for the rest of us.

 

[HailBlazers]

And as we all know, being the least bit happy about anything regarding our favorite team makes us a sunshine pumper with no perspective.

I create sunshine wherever I go! People are just jealous. After all perspective is Reality, believe it or not your in control of it.

I'd say the only valid, or useful, form of fandom is to enjoy your team.

Exactly. Life is what you make it, why not make it enjoyable.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

Life is what you make it, why not make it enjoyable.

 

[tlongII]

Repped.

 

[Minstrel]

[video=youtube;iPUmE-tne5U]

 

[Weav]

i will only finally "celebrate" a championship. I've been screwed over too many times. Until then, I try not to keep my hopes up too high.

Why not? So you get your fan heart broke...big deal! The highs aren't as high if you don't experience the lows, and the human experience has both.

 

[Minstrel]

Why not? So you get your fan heart broke...big deal! The highs aren't as high if you don't experience the lows, and the human experience has both.

I can understand people approaching fandom that way, but I don't. For me, sports watching is for relaxation and entertainment, not anything as serious and exhausting as another experience of the human condition. I'll leave that to relationships and personal endeavors. I just want to enjoy watching basketball. So I don't live and die, emotionally, with how my favourite teams do. I'm sure that means I don't get as much out of wins, but that's okay with me. I'm not looking for that out of sports. I'm just looking for constant enjoyment, not big highs and lows.

 

[magnifier661]

Great post man! I think the same way! I am hoping for the best always and will always cheer this bad ass team until I die!

 

[oldmangrouch]

Look, I get why people want to look on the bright side, but that isn't the only way to approach things.

http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/26162/the-extra-2-and-the-nba

Sometimes, you have to admit there is a problem, and be willing to take a step back in order to move forward. As the article explains, Tampa Bay over-came some serious handicaps to build a competitive team. They probably cost themselves a few wins 4-5 years ago, in order to have a play-off team today.

Anyone who follows baseball can see the analogy to the Blazers. They are at risk of becoming one of those middle-of-the-pack teams that waste their resources on over-paid and/or injury-prone players, never take a major step forward, and spend their time making excuses instead of meaningful changes.

 

[Nikolokolus]

Look, I get why people want to look on the bright side, but that isn't the only way to approach things.

http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/26162/the-extra-2-and-the-nba

Sometimes, you have to admit there is a problem, and be willing to take a step back in order to move forward. As the article explains, Tampa Bay over-came some serious handicaps to build a competitive team. They probably cost themselves a few wins 4-5 years ago, in order to have a play-off team today.

Anyone who follows baseball can see the analogy to the Blazers. They are at risk of becoming one of those middle-of-the-pack teams that waste their resources on over-paid and/or injury-prone players, never take a major step forward, and spend their time making excuses instead of meaningful changes.

Hater

 

[Weav]

What I am saying is this: you have a choice to look at this team positively or negatively. Enough bad stuff will happen on its own, so hold off the negativity until then. Embrace these good times because they signal hope. Hope is the gasoline of fandom, it keeps the vehicle moving. Hell, Blake Griffon has even give Clipper fans hope so let's enbrace it whenever we can. Or we can be pissy bitches who claim to follow a team but can't stand any adversity. This is why fair weather fandom is so common.

 

[Minstrel]

Look, I get why people want to look on the bright side, but that isn't the only way to approach things.

http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/26162/the-extra-2-and-the-nba

Sometimes, you have to admit there is a problem, and be willing to take a step back in order to move forward. As the article explains, Tampa Bay over-came some serious handicaps to build a competitive team. They probably cost themselves a few wins 4-5 years ago, in order to have a play-off team today.

Anyone who follows baseball can see the analogy to the Blazers. They are at risk of becoming one of those middle-of-the-pack teams that waste their resources on over-paid and/or injury-prone players, never take a major step forward, and spend their time making excuses instead of meaningful changes.

I think it's perfectly cool to want and hope for certain changes. That's the analytical part of being a fan...trying to understand where the team is and where it can improve.

But I think where this goes wrong is that you are not actually the franchise or the front office. None of us are. We can't make those changes. So we can analyze and provide our opinions on what should change...after that, why not just relax and enjoy watching basketball and discussing basketball?

I'm not saying that you, specifically, do or don't. I just get a sense that some fans feel it's almost incumbent upon them to not enjoy things to show that they understand that only championships matter. I don't really understand that mentality. I think, as a strategy, a team should do whatever it can to maximize the chances for winning a title (which generally means erring on the side of taking greater risks for greater upside), but I just want to enjoy watching games. Because I'm not the one who can make the decisions.

In the Nash/Patterson years, I was pretty harshly critical of the team. Because I thought they made terrible decisions. But I still enjoyed watching the games. You can do both. And, to be honest, the actual records of the team the last few years don't justify "harsh criticism." Some criticism? Sure. They've been far from perfect. But there's been more to enjoy in the watching than not, and much much more to enjoy than during the Nash/Patterson years.

 

[HailBlazers]

Because I'm not the one who can make the decisions.

Nor are you the one equipped with the inside information to make them. No offense

 

[Minstrel]

Nor are you the one equipped with the inside information to make them. No offense

Hmm? I wasn't saying I should make them. I was saying that I'm not in charge, so I'm not going to stress out as if it were my job.