Properly Choosing A Sports Team To Root For

We all have various and often unorthodox reasons why we root for the sports teams that we do. It could be family related,  the local team,  your favorite athlete,  or you simply like their colors and logo.

Now if you're confused on which team to root for in any sport,  no worries. I'm here to help you with unbiased pointers.

1. Don't jump on the bandwagon. 

If you go for the teams that are winning right now, you may be sorely disappointed.  Every team has a down year, or decade. It seems exciting and popular to root for the hot team and to rock that gear, but believe me, a true fan it will not make.

2. Look outside your area code and zip code

Don't feel obligated to cheer for the local team. Find a team that fits your needs, persona, and you will want to stick with long term. This should be a team that will make you love the sport more. 

3. Evaluate your requirements for a team

Yes you should have these. Here are some sample ones. They should be a consistent winner,  not necessarily a consistent champion (although that is nice). Your squad should be a tough,  gritty and rebellious one. The team should be one that defies all odds to overcome and win. They have a strong, loyal fan base for years. A rich history is nice and important.  Also, a good sports town (not necessarily a major media market) can be key. Either way,  know what you want and like to see, and go with that.

4. Don't feel the pressure of family and friends

They can have you all twisted up like "we've all been Cowboys and Lakers fans for decades". Go against the grain, and be the black sheep by choosing the team that no one else you know cheers for. Think of this: ten years ago, how many Clippers fans were there? Given all of the recent controversy, they are no longer team B in Los Angeles. 

5. Be true to your school

If it's a college team or a pro team with many players that went to your alma mater, this is an easier decision.  Therefore, be a proud alumnus and root for your school. This also eliminates having to root for different schools in different sports.

Why did you choose to root for your favorite sports teams? Do you consider yourself a bandwagoner? How do you feel about your local team?

Top NBA Big Men In The Eastern Conference

The Eastern Conference in the NBA isn't known for big men, let along true centers. Mostly power forwards and swingmen permeate the East. The West, meanwhile, has household names such as Tim Duncan, Dwight Howard,  Zack Randolph, Kevin Love and Anthony Davis.  Here are five notable bigs out of the East. 

1. Andre Drummond.

This dude is a beast, plain and simple. He scores,  rebounds and blocks. Guys find it difficult in the paint against him. The Pistons will either need to build around him, or risk losing him to another team needing that center spot to complete their roster.

2. Roy Hibbert

I mention him next because despite his youth and at times lack of aggressive play, he is still a true center. He is more known for blocking shots with his seven foot frame. His rebounding leaves much to be desired, but is slowly coming along. He is surrounded with other great players in the paint such as David West and Paul George. All of them have a blue collar work ethic and now the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference. Hibbert will continue to prove he's more than a one-trick pony.

3. Al Jefferson. 

After further investigation and years of watching him, Jefferson is actually much better than Hibbert,  and has rejuvenated the Bobcats into a playoff berth. He may not be a true big, but at 6'11,  he plays like one. He is simply dominant, and has been for years on different teams. It appears the Heat will face the future Hornets in the first round. They will have problems down low since they really don't have a great center, and Bosh can't hang with him the entire series.

4. Spencer Hawes.

He was dominant at center and power forward for the Kings and Sixers before joining a young and improving Cleveland Cavaliers squad. Hawes is one of those guys that rebounds, blocks, and can shoot from high and low range. He can play, period,  has good size, and can't be disregarded.

5. Al Horford.

You may question if he is a true center or another power forward. However, Horford's ability and athleticism are rarley in question. He has suffered with many injuries in his NBA career but on the court at full strength, he holds his own. He caught my eye when he played at the University of Florida alongside Joakim Noah and continues to impress me.

Honorable mention: Noah,  Tyson Chandler, Brook Lopez

The NBA: a month into the 2013-2014 season

The NBA is in full swing, along with the NFL, college football and basketball.  In just a short month, there is a lot to rave about. 

HOT STORIES:

Bulls PG Derrick Rose is injured yet again, this time it's his other knee. He may do like Thomas Davis or Adrian Peterson in the NFL and make a full recovery, or retire early like Brandon Roy. It would be a shame to see him go, as he is very talented.  Nets coach Jason Kidd made a lame move to try and stall the game, just after coming off of suspension himself. He played a long time in the league, and he knows David Stern doesn't play around. Therefore, he should have did better.

Meanwhile, the Heat are still good, but not the hottest team in the league right now. That would be the healthy OKC Thunder, the underrated Spurs, or the upstart Indiana Pacers. The Pacers are a bunch of blue collar playmakers that could very well end the Heat's reign in the Eastern Conference.

WORST:

The mighty Boston Celtics are rebuilding under a new coach and an inexperienced squad. The Knicks are really missing an inside presence and are underperforming. Kobe Bryant has been cleared to practice and signed a contract extension. Nevertheless, it could be too little, too late for the Lakers. The Clippers are now the dominant team in LA. Many other teams appear to already be donning the slogan "Riggin for Wiggins" referring to Kansas player Andrew Wiggins, who is expected to be a high draft pick in 2014.

MISCELLANEOUS:

The Charlotte Bobcats, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Houston Rockets are all much improved. Dwight Howard has appeared to find a good fit in Houston.  The Timberwolves are playing fine ball right now also, and Golden State are trying to establish themselves as a Western Conference power. It also appears Philadelphia's Michael Carter-Williams is the rookie of November, and could be the NBA Rookie of the Year.

It would be nice to see the Pacers, Thunder, Spurs or another team give the Miami Heat a serious challenge come playoff time. The Christmas Day games will be here before we know it, and many will be watching.  It will also set the stage for All-Star Weekend.

Maybe this year there will be more exciting dunks in the Dunk Contest and well-known players. In any event, stay tuned for more news regarding the NBA season

What has happened to the NBA?

The NBA suffered through a rough patch in the post-Jordan era that ended around 1998. Ten years ago, a draft filled with superstars brought the league's excitement and ratings back up. This class included Miami's Big 3 of James, Wade, and Bosh, Carmelo Anthony, and Tayshaun Prince. Another big three formed in Boston in the summer of 2007, soldifying the league's revival and assuring that the Western Conference wasn't going to dominate.

Then Miami formed their big 3 and recently won their second straight championship.  Before that, the one and done rule came into effect, meaning you had to go to college for at least one year before going to the pros.

Yes this all sounds exciting but this year is where things started getting stale and predictable. The Heat have been title or bust for three years now. The league needed ratings, people in the front office needed to get paid. All of this happened, especially thanks to Miami playing two back to back seven game series. David Stern is laughing his way to the bank. He had to create a good matchup, the team built for a dynasty, and a classic powerhouse in the Spurs. A matchup made in Heaven.

Yes the NBA is a business. However, knowing how the end result is going to be is hardly worth tuning in for. 

It seems David Stern feeds off of dynasties and fair weather fans, as I mentioned in a previous blog. It was the Bulls in the 90s, the Lakers and the Spurs for a little while, and now the Miami Heat.

The NBA has gained such power and control rapper Jay-Z used halftime of Game 5 to announce his new album release "Magna Carta Holy Grail."

The one and done rule is to blame as well. Players aren't staying in school long enough, ruining college basketball. The NFL and MLB are also driven by money, but at least they require a student athlete to stay in school for three years. The NBA controls basketball at basically every level, from fanbase to styles and fads, and even gameplay and strategy.

It's all about the money, from GMs, coaches and players alike. They are all paid well for their efforts, and can't seem to get enough money.

The players definitely deserve their salaries, that was part of the agreement made during last season's lockout. However, the fans invest good money and time in watching games, tickets, and team merchandise. They deserve competitive, exciting ball.

I'm sure many would like to see different challengers win more, like the Thunder, Clippers, Grizzlies and Pacers are doing. However, love or hate LeBron, but seeing him and the Heat (or any team) continue to win and dominate is quite boring after a while.

Pretty soon fans will wake up and realize this. Then David Stern and company will need another plan to effectively market the league and make it more competitive.

Realistically, the NBA may never be the same again. It may get worse as ownership and players get greedier for money and accolades. It's always good to hope though.

Fair Weather Fans

They are everywhere, and are well known. Often these types of sports fans are called bandwagoners, as they root for the team that's winning at the time, rather than pick a team and stick with them through wins and losses. This, readers, is also a fair weather fan.

The most common fair weather fans currently root for the Miami Heat since LeBron joined with Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh, and they have been dominant since. These fans may suddenly be into NASCAR now that Danica Patrick is making a splash. They are fans of which team or players are on top right now.

Throughout the years, I have seen fair weather Cowboys, Yankees, Tar Heels, Saints, Patriots, Bulls, and even Spurs fans. They are more of a fan of fads and trends moreso than even winning or the actual team itself.

Speaking of the Miami Heat, they actually won their first NBA title in 2006. However, I can count on my hand the number of Heat fans I knew before LeBron James became a member. Now they seem to be everywhere, especially among the youth. It reminds me of the 90s when it seemed like everyone was a Bulls fan because of Michael Jordan. Now I don't see as many Bulls fans, although they are winning.

The wins and notoriety are what attracts these fickle fans. But again, it's more than that. They like the teams and players they like because of the novelty and trends attached to them. Suddenly, Heat and 49ers hats and gear look cool. Everyone is glued to the set whenever these teams are playing. Also, when they play within driving distance, you make sure you have good tickets for that game.

I noticed that while there are lots of Carolina Panthers fans, the fanbase grew threefold when Cam Newton was drafted and performed so well. The GMs knew Cam would boost ticket and merchandise sales for a fledging franchise, plus he may help them win. Many owners grasp this concept of putting together the hottest coaches and players together for financial reasons. The salary cap in certain sports makes it more of a challenge, but the managers have to make money. This starts with putting butts in the stadium seats.

Therefore, the fair weather fans are good for business. However, when that team is going through a rough patch, they find the next best team out there and abandon the other teams.

I'm proud to say I'm a true diehard sports fan, and will not jump ship just because my squad isn't winning. It's fans like me that keep the teams trying and help pull them out of their slumps. Loyalty is important, and teams and players can sometimes tell who's been down with them from day one, and who's a fly by night fan. It's really not that hard.

The NBA Lockout: Views from the man of random intelligence

It is officially Thanksgiving, and there is lots to be thankful for. However, during the down times, one of the escapes we look to, the NBA, is currently not on. Unfortunately, it may not be on until February, if at all this season. 

Personally, I believe if an agreement is not made by the middle of the January, perhaps the entire season should be lost. At that point, the most games you would get would be 40/team, and millions in revenue and ads would already be lost. Plus there would be much more risk for injury due to lack of conditioning and being around your teammates. Look how many injuries have occurred in the NFL this year due to their lockout. They only lost 1 preseason game,  but they lost out on the proper conditioning and coaching that keeps players in better shape. Plus this is professional basketball. Many players are already talking about going overseas to play ball. The NBA is in trouble indeed.

It is definitely a sad state of affairs. The NBA is at a peak moment of excitement, unseen since the 90s when Michael Jordan's Bulls dominated the decade.  Since then, the Western Conference with Kobe Bryant's Lakers, The Dallas Mavs, Spurs, have been on the forefront. The past few seasons, teams such as the Celtics, Heat, Bulls, Magic, and even the Miami Heat with LeBron James and Dwayne Wade, have made the league balanced and much more exciting.  Now we may miss out on that because of greed. Greed, plain and simple, by owners and players alike. 

David Stern has performed an admirable job of building the NBA's image into a clean, competitive one. But now he may have to build from scratch.  For those reading this that don't fully understand the lockout, here it is in a nutshell. It is the millionaires (players) versus the billionaires ( owners) .  Thus far, both sides are greedy and can't reach middle ground on an equal share of team revenue. Something will have to give. But when?

Chris Rock made a joke in the 90s about being rich and being wealthy. Shaq, Kobe, and those are rich. But those billionaire owners such as Mark Cuban of the defending champion Dallas Mavericks are wealthy billionaires. And they write the lucrative checks to these pro players. 

What both sides fail to realize is that even more money is being lost by continuing to postpone games. We're approaching the time where the much anticipated Christmas Day matchups are coming, and the All-Star game in February. The Christmas matchups obviously will not occur unless an agreement is met soon, and the All-Star game could be as late as April, just like in 1998-99, also a lockout season.

Now I will still watch the NBA, play fantasy basketball and be a fan even with a reduced schedule.  But I honestly look forward to 2012, when the NBA starts slowly returning to the fine, exciting league it once was. 

Happy Thanksgiving and I'm thankful for all that read my posts!

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