This is one of the funniest things I've read in a while, and while it takes a shot at one of my rivals, it also points out one of the things I hate about sports - the bandwagon fan. I've seen a bit of it with the Timbers now that we've made MLS, and the Trail Blazers have been suffering from the problem for a while now.
It's easy to support a winner, it's easy to say that my team has won more titles so that's why I like them, and I'm sure there are plenty of lifelong Yankee fans, Laker Fans, or Cowboy fans, but it's difficult to watch a team like the Flounders up north go from a group that couldn't draw 2 to 3 thousand fans regularly and now suddenly draw 32,000 in an atmosphere that while it was very loud, was also very controlled and sterile. It reminded me a lot of the atmosphere at an NBA match, and while I personally don't mind the canned chants and sound effects at most NBA arenas, I love soccer atmosphere more because it's mostly generated by the fans. But suddenly, the Flounders get corporate muscle behind them, and you find fans that knew nothing of the history of the club, the rivals, or the sport, but suddenly they've found their favorite team. I can respect someone who has stuck with their team through good and bad, worshiped the many players over the years, and really understands the history of their team, because that's what being a fan is all about.
I will be watching with curiosity as the novelty wears off, and how many of the fans will stick around when things slow down a bit, because invariably, they will. The Trail Blazers are the best evidence of that, going from a team that was worshiped and adored for years carrying a 23 year playoff run, and then falling into complete chaos when the players turned on the town and each other. Try being a fan of that team during that time, and then I think you can say you're a true fan and not somebody that just joined for the ride.
And to the newest Timbers fans, I will ask you to learn something about the history of the club, the rivalries, and the chants, because for a lot of us, it actually means something. Yes, it's hip and cool to yell loudly and drop profanity in a crowd, but at the same point, we wear the scarves because they mean something to us, and it's more than just for representing our team. The Timbers Army are a family, a collective of people who come from different walks of life and varying interests that put individual things aside many times a year to yell and sing for their team. We also spend time in the community, giving back to the place that we call home, whether it's helping at Habitat or donating to Doernbecher. Being TA is more than just going to the games, and if you are really interested in becoming more than a bandwagon fan, talk to the TA members that have been here for a while. Learn about the history, and what it means to us. If it's for you, great, if not, well, you can still come and chant with us because our team needs the support. Just make sure to stay on the bandwagon, cause it's going to be an amazing ride.
Showing posts with label fans. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fans. Show all posts
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Dude, Seriously, Just Drive
I tend to talk a lot about sports here, but I've been noticing a trend in stupidity lately that I feel the need to comment towards. Granted, I'm not a poster child for making all the right choices, but I'm really beginning to wonder about some people. Mind you, it's bad enough lately when you see guys at your work bathroom talking on their cell phone while doing their business, it hardly fazes you. But when they are using the wall urinal and cradling their phone with their head on their shoulder, I wonder why the conversation is that important that you have to talk while peeing. Mind you, two days prior to that, I was trying to use a sit down stall in another part of the building, and they were both being occupied. I turned to leave and heard snoring from one of the stalls. So apparently, you can fall asleep while doing your business, but I don't want to become one of those people obsessed with poo. We've already got one family member with that issue...
But in the vein of cell phones, I'm tired of people using their cell phones while driving. I've seen enough near accidents and slow driving around the area to know that people aren't paying enough attention to driving while they chat on their phone. These aren't folks using hands free sets or the phones with speaker, but people cradling the phone with their neck or driving with one hand and talking on the other. Seriously, your conversation with some random person is more important than actually driving and paying attention to what you are doing, so you risk the lives of everyone else around you just to talk more? I just don't get it.
I mean, seriously, when I took drivers education back in the 1980's, they showed us the education films with accidents and bloody bodies and such, and it freaked most of us out enough to drive and pay attention. But my history in driving stopped at high school, as I went to college and sold my car as I left, and then I moved to Portland and lived a carless existance until I moved out to the eastside with Girl. I've always had a drivers license, and have driven enough rental cars to keep some skills going, but it wasn't until I drove more regularly that I got better. But there's been some scary moments, and times I really thought girl was going to banish me from driving. Driving is a lot of paying attention to detail and traffic flows, and my old roommate John-O would be happy to hear me channel traffic terms. I've gotten better, and I try not to make mistakes and not speed, but I drive a bit faster than I should at points. It happens, but I make it a point to never use my cell phone while driving unless I have a hands free and it's a conversation that I need to take.
Yet, I see dozens of people talking while driving on the highway, responding to and sending text messages, not paying attention to what they are doing. Some drivers drive slower while on the phone, which may give them a false sense that they are helping things out by slowing down. But seriously, anything that you do to draw attention away from the road is bad, and trying to pay attention to that many things isn't good for most people. I know there are exceptions to the rule, I'm sure there are people that are smart enough to do both things, but the law of averages says that most of us aren't and some folks aren't smart enough to know better. So I'm asking all of you to put the cell phone away while driving, or let your passenger make the calls while you are driving around. If you need to talk, pull over and talk. The choice might cost you some time, but the alternative isn't worth the risk.
MLS Update!!! - Montreal has bowed out of the MLS sweepstakes, and our interim mayor, Sam Adams (no relation to the patriot guy or beer guy) is soliciting input on stadium ideas. He'd love to put a footy stadium in the Rose Quarter complex, but right now, it's more about soliciting ideas and getting a task force together to talk about the ideas.
If you'd like to leave comments about the plan, learn more about Sam's ideas, or learn more about the committee folks, you can visit the following site: http://www.commissionersam.com/node/15554. It's directly to the mayor's site, and has the latest news. The MLS sites to Portland also have periodic updates about progress, and you can get to them from my home page. The decisions about the 4 main candidates for MLS expansion are due soon, and right now, it looks good for the Rose City.
Web Alert - In reading the Interwebs today, I found this interesting tidbit from Brooks Sports about the University of Montana. During my college days, I've actually been to Missoula, Montana a couple of times. It's a nice part of the world, very rustic and scenic, and fanatical about their pointyball team. So fanatical, that they throw pastries about. Yes, I said pastries. Being a pie loving person, I can't condone the use of pastries in celebratory gestures, and after reading the ingredients list on these things, I think this is a better use than actually eating them.
That's all for now. Be good everyone, and remember, don't text and drive!!
But in the vein of cell phones, I'm tired of people using their cell phones while driving. I've seen enough near accidents and slow driving around the area to know that people aren't paying enough attention to driving while they chat on their phone. These aren't folks using hands free sets or the phones with speaker, but people cradling the phone with their neck or driving with one hand and talking on the other. Seriously, your conversation with some random person is more important than actually driving and paying attention to what you are doing, so you risk the lives of everyone else around you just to talk more? I just don't get it.
I mean, seriously, when I took drivers education back in the 1980's, they showed us the education films with accidents and bloody bodies and such, and it freaked most of us out enough to drive and pay attention. But my history in driving stopped at high school, as I went to college and sold my car as I left, and then I moved to Portland and lived a carless existance until I moved out to the eastside with Girl. I've always had a drivers license, and have driven enough rental cars to keep some skills going, but it wasn't until I drove more regularly that I got better. But there's been some scary moments, and times I really thought girl was going to banish me from driving. Driving is a lot of paying attention to detail and traffic flows, and my old roommate John-O would be happy to hear me channel traffic terms. I've gotten better, and I try not to make mistakes and not speed, but I drive a bit faster than I should at points. It happens, but I make it a point to never use my cell phone while driving unless I have a hands free and it's a conversation that I need to take.
Yet, I see dozens of people talking while driving on the highway, responding to and sending text messages, not paying attention to what they are doing. Some drivers drive slower while on the phone, which may give them a false sense that they are helping things out by slowing down. But seriously, anything that you do to draw attention away from the road is bad, and trying to pay attention to that many things isn't good for most people. I know there are exceptions to the rule, I'm sure there are people that are smart enough to do both things, but the law of averages says that most of us aren't and some folks aren't smart enough to know better. So I'm asking all of you to put the cell phone away while driving, or let your passenger make the calls while you are driving around. If you need to talk, pull over and talk. The choice might cost you some time, but the alternative isn't worth the risk.
MLS Update!!! - Montreal has bowed out of the MLS sweepstakes, and our interim mayor, Sam Adams (no relation to the patriot guy or beer guy) is soliciting input on stadium ideas. He'd love to put a footy stadium in the Rose Quarter complex, but right now, it's more about soliciting ideas and getting a task force together to talk about the ideas.
If you'd like to leave comments about the plan, learn more about Sam's ideas, or learn more about the committee folks, you can visit the following site: http://www.commissionersam.com/node/15554. It's directly to the mayor's site, and has the latest news. The MLS sites to Portland also have periodic updates about progress, and you can get to them from my home page. The decisions about the 4 main candidates for MLS expansion are due soon, and right now, it looks good for the Rose City.
Web Alert - In reading the Interwebs today, I found this interesting tidbit from Brooks Sports about the University of Montana. During my college days, I've actually been to Missoula, Montana a couple of times. It's a nice part of the world, very rustic and scenic, and fanatical about their pointyball team. So fanatical, that they throw pastries about. Yes, I said pastries. Being a pie loving person, I can't condone the use of pastries in celebratory gestures, and after reading the ingredients list on these things, I think this is a better use than actually eating them.
That's all for now. Be good everyone, and remember, don't text and drive!!
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Follow Up From Yesterday, Soccer Gets Serious in Portland
Ok, I spent some time thinking about yesterday's post, and I came to the conclusion that I grew up in an era of sports where sports were the game and now they reside in a world of entertainment and money for those fortunate to play. Back in my day, players stayed with their team for their career and you identified the player with the city they played in - Ripken, Bird, Magic, Stockton, Elway. Now, the days of free agency are here, and players move about so often, it can be difficult to keep track. Seriously, Shaq has played with 4 NBA Teams, Farve is now a Jet, Montana ended his career in Kansas City, and Randy Johnson has officially been with 5 MLB teams.
And Fantasy sports give fans the opportunity to put their general manager skills to the test, and do it in a way that you don't have to deal with any sort of reality. Instead of dealing with locker room issues, playing time questions, and many of the distractions teams deal with on a regular basis, fantasy allows you to pick and choose players at a whim and trade them in most cases whenever you like. The real world doesn't work like that, much like the real world doesn't give you instant replay to make the correct call or decision about things. The safety net isn't present, so decisions get made based on gut instinct and things fall where they may. But you don't have people calling up sports radio about your fantasy team getting destroyed by 40 points, or calling for a new coach.
I think expectations get fans in trouble, and perspective goes out the window when you start to listen to hype machines. And when those things start ranking seventh graders for potential pro prospects, it's hard to say that's a good thing. It's tough enough to play sports nowadays with costs up and school districts cutting back on sports, you then have the pressure of potentially playing for college and then possibly the professional ranks if you are good enough. Despite the overwhelming odds against a kid playing professionally, parents and kids often see sports as the way out of bad home situations. So with all of this going on, why should anyone expect expectations to be reasonable?
Because it's the right way and healthy way to approach sports. Sports can teach kids valuable lessons about working hard and playing as part of a team, but also that life isn't fair sometimes and you might lose a close game now and then. But when the effort is enough, the talent comes together at the same time, and things work out, winning can be the most amazing feeling ever. And keeping winning in perspective that it's special and losing isn't the end of the world is something that every sports fan should keep in mind. It's ok to celebrate, and it's ok to cry and curse, but it's also important to keep playing no matter what.
In the world of Soccer Portland style, my friend Obi runs a great little podcast called the 107 Report, which usually focuses a lot on the Timbers, but he did a great edition about MLS to Portland, starring some of the Timbers Army members that really understand what's happening with our bid. Based on his take, there's trouble in Philly, Vancouver has a pretty solid bid in place, and Portland is a serious contender for a team provided we figure out how to finance the stadium. It's always an interesting listen, so if you want to get a refreshing take on footy things with some cool musical interludes, visit http://www.the107report.libsyn.com/ on the interwebs for a listen.
This past week, we also saw a press release that a USL Premier Development League Team (PDL) is coming to Portland, affiliated with the Timbers. The Timbers play in the United Soccer League's first division, the top flight, while the Timbers PDL would play in the third division, filled mostly with local soccer talent wanting to showcase their stuff. The PDL plays from May to June against teams from Salem, Spokane, Tacoma, Vancouver, Victoria, and Abbotsford BC. Player development has been an issue for the Timbers for years, trying to develop and keep young players here, so this move makes logical sense. A player starting out can play here, hone his skills near the pros, and possibly be playing on a larger scale locally. While PDL players don't get paid, it is a stage to show some skill, and the Timbers name carries a lot of weight so I could see some players coming out just to try and play on the big stage. I also foresee some players that spent their years withering away on the Timbers bench, only playing in friendlies or blowouts actually getting some playing time to see what skills they have. Seriously, it shows the commitment to soccer that Merritt Paulson is making, and he's not just looking at MLS for his future, but potentially at making USL a strong option if we don't move up.
It was also announced that the Portland Rain will join the Women's Professional Soccer League next year, bringing women's soccer to the pro ranks here. This town loves women's soccer, from mad support for the University of Portland's women team, to sellout crowds during the Women's World Cup back in 1999 and 2003 here in town, so it's not a surprise that an organization finally recognized the potential for a team to do well here. We haven't heard many particulars about the Rain, as the website is rather generic, so I'm sure there will be more details coming. But the fact that someone is willing to commit time and resources to bring a product like this to the Rose City shows how well the great game is supported here. Plus, women's soccer is very entertaining, as they show a lot of the great skills you see in men's leagues throughout the world. Not that I have an issue with women's professional sports, but with soccer, lack of skill isn't an argument that holds much weight for critics to discount it.
Gee, with all this footy, I just might be more busy this coming summer. Not like that's a bad thing at all, and along the way, I'll be cheering and singing.
And Fantasy sports give fans the opportunity to put their general manager skills to the test, and do it in a way that you don't have to deal with any sort of reality. Instead of dealing with locker room issues, playing time questions, and many of the distractions teams deal with on a regular basis, fantasy allows you to pick and choose players at a whim and trade them in most cases whenever you like. The real world doesn't work like that, much like the real world doesn't give you instant replay to make the correct call or decision about things. The safety net isn't present, so decisions get made based on gut instinct and things fall where they may. But you don't have people calling up sports radio about your fantasy team getting destroyed by 40 points, or calling for a new coach.
I think expectations get fans in trouble, and perspective goes out the window when you start to listen to hype machines. And when those things start ranking seventh graders for potential pro prospects, it's hard to say that's a good thing. It's tough enough to play sports nowadays with costs up and school districts cutting back on sports, you then have the pressure of potentially playing for college and then possibly the professional ranks if you are good enough. Despite the overwhelming odds against a kid playing professionally, parents and kids often see sports as the way out of bad home situations. So with all of this going on, why should anyone expect expectations to be reasonable?
Because it's the right way and healthy way to approach sports. Sports can teach kids valuable lessons about working hard and playing as part of a team, but also that life isn't fair sometimes and you might lose a close game now and then. But when the effort is enough, the talent comes together at the same time, and things work out, winning can be the most amazing feeling ever. And keeping winning in perspective that it's special and losing isn't the end of the world is something that every sports fan should keep in mind. It's ok to celebrate, and it's ok to cry and curse, but it's also important to keep playing no matter what.
In the world of Soccer Portland style, my friend Obi runs a great little podcast called the 107 Report, which usually focuses a lot on the Timbers, but he did a great edition about MLS to Portland, starring some of the Timbers Army members that really understand what's happening with our bid. Based on his take, there's trouble in Philly, Vancouver has a pretty solid bid in place, and Portland is a serious contender for a team provided we figure out how to finance the stadium. It's always an interesting listen, so if you want to get a refreshing take on footy things with some cool musical interludes, visit http://www.the107report.libsyn.com/ on the interwebs for a listen.
This past week, we also saw a press release that a USL Premier Development League Team (PDL) is coming to Portland, affiliated with the Timbers. The Timbers play in the United Soccer League's first division, the top flight, while the Timbers PDL would play in the third division, filled mostly with local soccer talent wanting to showcase their stuff. The PDL plays from May to June against teams from Salem, Spokane, Tacoma, Vancouver, Victoria, and Abbotsford BC. Player development has been an issue for the Timbers for years, trying to develop and keep young players here, so this move makes logical sense. A player starting out can play here, hone his skills near the pros, and possibly be playing on a larger scale locally. While PDL players don't get paid, it is a stage to show some skill, and the Timbers name carries a lot of weight so I could see some players coming out just to try and play on the big stage. I also foresee some players that spent their years withering away on the Timbers bench, only playing in friendlies or blowouts actually getting some playing time to see what skills they have. Seriously, it shows the commitment to soccer that Merritt Paulson is making, and he's not just looking at MLS for his future, but potentially at making USL a strong option if we don't move up.
It was also announced that the Portland Rain will join the Women's Professional Soccer League next year, bringing women's soccer to the pro ranks here. This town loves women's soccer, from mad support for the University of Portland's women team, to sellout crowds during the Women's World Cup back in 1999 and 2003 here in town, so it's not a surprise that an organization finally recognized the potential for a team to do well here. We haven't heard many particulars about the Rain, as the website is rather generic, so I'm sure there will be more details coming. But the fact that someone is willing to commit time and resources to bring a product like this to the Rose City shows how well the great game is supported here. Plus, women's soccer is very entertaining, as they show a lot of the great skills you see in men's leagues throughout the world. Not that I have an issue with women's professional sports, but with soccer, lack of skill isn't an argument that holds much weight for critics to discount it.
Gee, with all this footy, I just might be more busy this coming summer. Not like that's a bad thing at all, and along the way, I'll be cheering and singing.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Being a Proper Fan
I've written about perspective in the past, but apparently, it's not something that a lot of sports fans use on a regular basis. The fans in Eugene apparently decided they didn't like what the Ducks were doing, and so turned Autzen Stadium into a cascade of boos during the early stages of the game. Never mind it was in the first quarter, fans apparently didn't think the coaches or players were playing well. The Trail Blazers have been on pins and needles until tonight when Greg Oden came back, although the Blazers won their second game on the road versus Miami and have played well without their big center. Yet, for all of a 13 minute career in the NBA, Oden is a bust and another Sam Bowie.
I didn't spend a lot of my days listening to sports radio for the very reasons I noted above. Many sports fans lack the perspective to understand when they have things good, and tend to pile on when things aren't good or they perceive that it's bad. And let's face it, sports radio, newspapers and magazines sell well when they create controversy, even if they have to manufacture it because fans will come out on both sides of a red-button issue. With the day and age of being able to watch most sporting events at any point and get information 24/7, it breeds a certain level of intellect for sports fans but it also breeds a sense of being a know-it-all fan. I don't pretend to know everything about sports, but I know that coaching is a career that I would avoid like the plague. Not because I don't think I could do it, but seriously, to have every move made second and third guessed even with wins and many arm chair folks thinking they could always do better, it's a no win situation. And really, coaches get hired to be fired at some point, because even the best run across a losing streak, a change in direction of the organization, or just simply being tired of the rat race. It's tough to live under that kind of microscope.
And that's nothing to say about the credentials of fans that comment on games or situations within the team, and put in their two cents. Sometimes, fans want their team to be so perfect, it's easy to gloss over the issues and paint a rosy picture about injury problems, young talent, official conspiracies, tough road trips, you name it, it's brought up. Here's a news flash for some folks, most sports are set up to provide a winner and a loser. The only sports that I can think of that don't are soccer, where ties are part of the landscape, and college football, who would rather use a complicated mess of calculations to give the title to somebody rather than have an actual playoff to determine a winner. Teams lose, it's the nature of the game, but it's handling the losses that separate real fans from bandwagon fans.
I tried to come up with criteria to designate a real fan from bandwagon fans, and used home games, television matches, knowing current and historical players, watching your team on the road, and owning merchandise of your team, but I couldn't come up with a formula that made sense. Some folks can't afford ticket plans in today's market, and for me, one of the teams I follow is in England so it's difficult to fly across the pond and see a lot of games. I have Portland Timbers season tickets, an 11 game package for the Portland Trailblazers, I graduated from Gonzaga University and watch their basketball team religiously, I watch the Denver Broncos because of my grandmother's influence and I've been to games in Denver, and West Ham is a team I support because of Clive Charles, my wife, and being able to attend a game in one of the greatest sports venues I've ever seen. I've watched enough games in person and on television that I know my teams, and I get upset when they lose and am happy when they win. I get disappointed when things happen, but knowing the nature of the sports world, I realize that everything is cyclical. Unless you are in Detroit and you are a Lions fan.
The thing is that I support these teams win or lose, and have done so for a very long time. It was tough loving the Trail Blazers during the early 2000's when they were some of the worst personalities in basketball, and didn't care about anybody but themselves. Try getting up enough energy to watch this bunch get drilled night in and night out, while they constantly got in trouble for drugs, drinking, sexual crimes, and other assorted crimes. The bandwagon got really small, but the situation also provided perspective in the sense that it wouldn't always be that way. That's why I never leave a game until the clock is done, even in blowouts. You never know what you might see.
I also understand the importance of the bandwagons, and know the teams for which I'm really a bandwagon fan. It doesn't bug me if the Mariners lose, or the Ducks get into a great bowl game, or if the Beavers will get respect, the thing is whether they win or lose, I have interest in how they do, but it doesn't matter to me at the end of the day. I haven't invested enough to really count them as teams I worship, and I think this has to do with I didn't attend college here so I never made an attachment and I consider the Giants and Padres regional teams like the Mariners, and the Padres have more interest for me because their farm team plays locally in Portland, and I've seen enough games of theirs to know players pretty well.
I also know that sports isn't just sports anymore but it's entertainment, and sports needs to appeal to bandwagon fans much like hardcore fans. Entertainment dollars are tight, so people need to make smart decisions about where they want to spend money, and if they have a good time at an event, they might just come back and if they visit enough, maybe they'll become hard core fans. While it would be nice if every team could simply be supported by hard core fans, it's not an economic reality in a limited income world. I'd love to have season tickets for every sport I follow, but I can only afford the Timbers season tickets, so it's my choice amongst many. I also don't mind the bells and whistles at Trail Blazer games from the dancers to Blaze to stunt teams, because if you want your event to appeal to lots of folks, you give them options for entertainment.
I do find some recent comments about the Blazer dancers not being family entertainment hilarious, though, because a peave of mine is that sporting events shouldn't always be about family entertainment. Not that I am against families, but seriously, appealing to fans of all ages and interests is rather diverse, and if you are worried about protecting your family from jiggling, you may want to protect them from the profanity, rap music, and drunken behaviour that I've seen at some Trail Blazer games. The Blazer Dancers aren't guilty of not being family entertainment, they are guilty of not being very original in their dance moves. Sports fans will use their discretionary income for events, while families tend to spread their spending to various events, taking in a game or two as they can afford it. So if I'm taking direction on what entertainment I'd have at the game, would I choose the family that might take in one game now and then or the fan that will come to games as much as they can.
Look, I wished that some people wouldn't behave like jerks at events and spout off incoherent comments thinking they are clever and annoying a whole section, but I also wish that parents would keep control of their kids to not kick chairs in front of them during a full game, getting up every 5 minutes because they are bored, and then rewarding their kids' behaviour with sugar and candy. Perhaps my beef is more with parenting, but really what my point to this whole mad rambling is this: being a true fan takes perspective and patience, and it's OK if things are bad because they won't be always and it will make the good times that much better. We can all daydream about better days, unlimited money to buy talent, and an arena that can hold millions, but the realities are that cycles happen, money even for rich people is limited, and fans at events aren't all going to be 100 percent passionate or hard core. Until we can have the sports utopia, it's up to all of us to be better fans, whether it's keeping the booing to a more logical time or realizing that one player won't win a title no matter what. It's ok to be frustrated at your team, but it's remembering that there's always a next game and it's up to all of us to provide support in good times and bad. And keeping cotton candy away from kids that kick...
I didn't spend a lot of my days listening to sports radio for the very reasons I noted above. Many sports fans lack the perspective to understand when they have things good, and tend to pile on when things aren't good or they perceive that it's bad. And let's face it, sports radio, newspapers and magazines sell well when they create controversy, even if they have to manufacture it because fans will come out on both sides of a red-button issue. With the day and age of being able to watch most sporting events at any point and get information 24/7, it breeds a certain level of intellect for sports fans but it also breeds a sense of being a know-it-all fan. I don't pretend to know everything about sports, but I know that coaching is a career that I would avoid like the plague. Not because I don't think I could do it, but seriously, to have every move made second and third guessed even with wins and many arm chair folks thinking they could always do better, it's a no win situation. And really, coaches get hired to be fired at some point, because even the best run across a losing streak, a change in direction of the organization, or just simply being tired of the rat race. It's tough to live under that kind of microscope.
And that's nothing to say about the credentials of fans that comment on games or situations within the team, and put in their two cents. Sometimes, fans want their team to be so perfect, it's easy to gloss over the issues and paint a rosy picture about injury problems, young talent, official conspiracies, tough road trips, you name it, it's brought up. Here's a news flash for some folks, most sports are set up to provide a winner and a loser. The only sports that I can think of that don't are soccer, where ties are part of the landscape, and college football, who would rather use a complicated mess of calculations to give the title to somebody rather than have an actual playoff to determine a winner. Teams lose, it's the nature of the game, but it's handling the losses that separate real fans from bandwagon fans.
I tried to come up with criteria to designate a real fan from bandwagon fans, and used home games, television matches, knowing current and historical players, watching your team on the road, and owning merchandise of your team, but I couldn't come up with a formula that made sense. Some folks can't afford ticket plans in today's market, and for me, one of the teams I follow is in England so it's difficult to fly across the pond and see a lot of games. I have Portland Timbers season tickets, an 11 game package for the Portland Trailblazers, I graduated from Gonzaga University and watch their basketball team religiously, I watch the Denver Broncos because of my grandmother's influence and I've been to games in Denver, and West Ham is a team I support because of Clive Charles, my wife, and being able to attend a game in one of the greatest sports venues I've ever seen. I've watched enough games in person and on television that I know my teams, and I get upset when they lose and am happy when they win. I get disappointed when things happen, but knowing the nature of the sports world, I realize that everything is cyclical. Unless you are in Detroit and you are a Lions fan.
The thing is that I support these teams win or lose, and have done so for a very long time. It was tough loving the Trail Blazers during the early 2000's when they were some of the worst personalities in basketball, and didn't care about anybody but themselves. Try getting up enough energy to watch this bunch get drilled night in and night out, while they constantly got in trouble for drugs, drinking, sexual crimes, and other assorted crimes. The bandwagon got really small, but the situation also provided perspective in the sense that it wouldn't always be that way. That's why I never leave a game until the clock is done, even in blowouts. You never know what you might see.
I also understand the importance of the bandwagons, and know the teams for which I'm really a bandwagon fan. It doesn't bug me if the Mariners lose, or the Ducks get into a great bowl game, or if the Beavers will get respect, the thing is whether they win or lose, I have interest in how they do, but it doesn't matter to me at the end of the day. I haven't invested enough to really count them as teams I worship, and I think this has to do with I didn't attend college here so I never made an attachment and I consider the Giants and Padres regional teams like the Mariners, and the Padres have more interest for me because their farm team plays locally in Portland, and I've seen enough games of theirs to know players pretty well.
I also know that sports isn't just sports anymore but it's entertainment, and sports needs to appeal to bandwagon fans much like hardcore fans. Entertainment dollars are tight, so people need to make smart decisions about where they want to spend money, and if they have a good time at an event, they might just come back and if they visit enough, maybe they'll become hard core fans. While it would be nice if every team could simply be supported by hard core fans, it's not an economic reality in a limited income world. I'd love to have season tickets for every sport I follow, but I can only afford the Timbers season tickets, so it's my choice amongst many. I also don't mind the bells and whistles at Trail Blazer games from the dancers to Blaze to stunt teams, because if you want your event to appeal to lots of folks, you give them options for entertainment.
I do find some recent comments about the Blazer dancers not being family entertainment hilarious, though, because a peave of mine is that sporting events shouldn't always be about family entertainment. Not that I am against families, but seriously, appealing to fans of all ages and interests is rather diverse, and if you are worried about protecting your family from jiggling, you may want to protect them from the profanity, rap music, and drunken behaviour that I've seen at some Trail Blazer games. The Blazer Dancers aren't guilty of not being family entertainment, they are guilty of not being very original in their dance moves. Sports fans will use their discretionary income for events, while families tend to spread their spending to various events, taking in a game or two as they can afford it. So if I'm taking direction on what entertainment I'd have at the game, would I choose the family that might take in one game now and then or the fan that will come to games as much as they can.
Look, I wished that some people wouldn't behave like jerks at events and spout off incoherent comments thinking they are clever and annoying a whole section, but I also wish that parents would keep control of their kids to not kick chairs in front of them during a full game, getting up every 5 minutes because they are bored, and then rewarding their kids' behaviour with sugar and candy. Perhaps my beef is more with parenting, but really what my point to this whole mad rambling is this: being a true fan takes perspective and patience, and it's OK if things are bad because they won't be always and it will make the good times that much better. We can all daydream about better days, unlimited money to buy talent, and an arena that can hold millions, but the realities are that cycles happen, money even for rich people is limited, and fans at events aren't all going to be 100 percent passionate or hard core. Until we can have the sports utopia, it's up to all of us to be better fans, whether it's keeping the booing to a more logical time or realizing that one player won't win a title no matter what. It's ok to be frustrated at your team, but it's remembering that there's always a next game and it's up to all of us to provide support in good times and bad. And keeping cotton candy away from kids that kick...
Sunday, August 31, 2008
The Final Stretch Run
I can't believe it's almost September, well about 2 hours away from September anyway as I write this. It seems like just yesterday, girl and I were getting married and shuttling off to our honeymoon, and now the summer has just about passed and the Timbers have 5 games left in the regular season.
To say it's been a most interesting ride would be a huge understatement indeed. Within the season, we've played 4 different goal keepers: Ray Burse, Jordan James, Brad Knighton and Chase Harrison. We had Josh Wicks signed and ready to go, but he was signed for bigger money to go to Los Angeles, and we scrambled to find an experienced keeper, which we got in Burse on loan from FC Dallas. The caveat with the loan was simply that Dallas could call him back at anytime as injuries warranted. The team struggled out of the gate, the coaching staff was fired a few games into the season, and the new staff wanted to see what Burse could do, and so the revolving door started. James played well but struggled at time, Knighton was on loan from New England in the MLS and played well until he was recalled a few weeks ago, and Harrison was acquired in a mid season trade and played pretty well in his first game up in Vancouver. Keeper is a position that you want some stability at, and we simply haven't had it up until know. Harrison provides some hope for the future, but the next five games holds the key.
The keeper situation hasn't been helped with some defender injuries and suspensions, as we signed Justin Thompson late, Leonard Griffin has struggled a bit at times, and Scot Thompson has missed games for red card/ejections and the birth of his son recently. Cameron Knowles has been a stalwart in the back, but even he's missed games with yellow card accumulation. Combine this with some spotty midfield play all year, which led to a rare mid season trade of Andrew Gregor. Gregor, our former captain, had a great year last year leading us in scoring and assists, but he struggled this year with inconsistent play. He became the target of some criticism for his lackluster efforts from game to game, which I think was warranted. When you put on the captain's armband, you become the lightening rod for praise and furor even if it's not directed at you. Gregor ended up in Rochester, and threw some of his teammates under the bus in leaving, questioning their talent and efforts. Whether this was used to motivate him or truly spew some venom at his former employers, I considered it sour tears from a former player that didn't want to admit that his place on the team had changed.
Part of Gregor's venom was directed at Taka Suzuki, a forward/striker we signed from Japan this year. Taka got off to an amazing start to the season, notching a top quality goal versus Shittle that was played over and over again on USL Live. Taka is a very skilled player, having World Cup experience and years of playing in the J-League, but since that goal, he's struggled with the physicality of the play and his place in the offense. He seems to be more settled in his new role as more of an attacking midfielder rather than a striker, but he still hasn't scored since that goal. We've also gained some new forwards, which really were blasts from the past as Bryan Jordan and Byron Alvarez are back with the team (Jordan was loaned to us by LA, Byron resigned recently). We also mixed in new guys Chris Brown (signed in the off season) and Jamil Walker (received as part of the Gregor trade) with holdover Chris Bagley up top.
We've struggled to score goals, but it's certainly not because of a lack of effort up top. The roller coaster effect that this team has shown is simply not knowing what team will show up at what point of the game - will it be wide open offensive team, or strong defensive squad. I know that the coaching staff has made changes in the lineup, tried new formations, and generally tried to figure out what's going on. With some guys, they've hit the doghouse never to return, while some players have been openly questioned by the coaches during interviews about lack of effort and passion. I think it's safe to say that while the coaches may now soccer, they've struggled to find a consistent voice or process that works with this team.
Certainly the information above would give anyone a few excuses to say why the team has struggled - new players, injuries, coaches shaking things up just to try things, suspensions - and it would explain the up and down play of this team. And now, we sit with just 5 games left in the year and there's still a chance for these guys to play in the postseason, where all bets are off in terms of issues. Anyone can win a title if the cards play out right, and if you get hot at the right time, who knows what might happen. But seriously, this up and down bunch making the playoffs? Does anyone still believe in their chances.
Well, after attending today's barbecue hosted by the team for the fans, I would say that's a distinct possibility. Over 200 fans showed up to mingle with the team, eat some food, play pickup games on the pitch, and generally have some quality time with the team. And all the players and coaches were there, chatting it up with the fans, generally having a good time. The fact that all of them were there, hanging out as a group together, it showed me that the team hasn't lost each other in their struggles. They aren't pointing fingers, they are sticking it out with each other. And they all seemed very loose and relaxed, just taking in the day with the fans. The weather cooperated for the most part, and it was a great time for everyone.
I'm impressed the team would sponsor this type of endeavor, with free food and beer, skills games for the kids and adults, stadium tours, and Merritt Paulson there to talk about the efforts to bring MLS to town. And if you really wanted to buy next year's season tickets, you could. Which I did simply because I love my team. What I saw in watching the players was the relaxed nature of a team that has pulled themselves together as a group, and is looking out for each other. It was fun to watch Lawrence Olum catch footballs, and chat a bit with Bryan Jordan about passing and dribbling skills but also talk about being in Los Angeles. These guys are extremely nice and cordial, but they also seem like a tight knit group as well, and that bodes well for a playoff run. If guys are playing for themselves (see 2006 version of the Timbers under Agnello), then nobody is looking out for anyone but themselves. I did notice Taka seemed a bit uncomfortable in the beer garden, but I think that's mostly due to the language barrier and that probably won't change until either he learns more English or the fans learn some Japanese. Plus, he was surrounded by teammates who were chatting with him as best they could.
It would be easy at this point to fold up the tent and go home. I mean, the Timbers are in eighth place in the USL table and there are some teams with easier paths to get to the playoffs (Montreal has more games to play, Shittle plays at home for the rest of the year, Minnesota seems to have an easier schedule). But I don't see the quit in this team, especially after today. They still believe in each other, and I think that's a big thing to have established during a stretch run. Plus, it seems like the early season struggles have righted themselves with some better offensive play, and some quality keeping. We just need to keep up the hard work, and let the chips fall where they may. I can say that I can't think of a better place to be on a Sunday afternoon that hanging with the Timbers, but seriously, I'll leave the serious soccer playing to the professionals.
Thursday night, the stretch run begins with Miami coming to town. We then travel to Rochester on the 6th (Saturday), and then visit Montreal on the following Monday. Our final home game is September 11th versus Charleston, then we finish the year in Carolina on the 20th. I'd like to think we could get 12 points from the games, ending the year strong and getting into the playoffs. Whether we make it or not, what I'm encouraged about is the strength of the team's bond with each other, and how genuinely nice and approachable these guys are. These foundation blocks will be vital as we move forward towards the playoffs and the future of soccer in Portland....
Final Note - Wednesday at 9 AM there is a press conference at PGE Park about Portland's MLS efforts and some updates for everyone. I'd expect some updates on web pages to view information, announcement of key dates to when proposals are due, and some things that soccer fans can do to help the effort to bring MLS here. For more information about this press conference, visit the Soccer City USA board (www.soccercityusa.com) and look in the MLS to PDX section, or visit www.mlstopdx.com. I'll have a quick match preview and some highlights from the conference sometime on Wednesday...
To say it's been a most interesting ride would be a huge understatement indeed. Within the season, we've played 4 different goal keepers: Ray Burse, Jordan James, Brad Knighton and Chase Harrison. We had Josh Wicks signed and ready to go, but he was signed for bigger money to go to Los Angeles, and we scrambled to find an experienced keeper, which we got in Burse on loan from FC Dallas. The caveat with the loan was simply that Dallas could call him back at anytime as injuries warranted. The team struggled out of the gate, the coaching staff was fired a few games into the season, and the new staff wanted to see what Burse could do, and so the revolving door started. James played well but struggled at time, Knighton was on loan from New England in the MLS and played well until he was recalled a few weeks ago, and Harrison was acquired in a mid season trade and played pretty well in his first game up in Vancouver. Keeper is a position that you want some stability at, and we simply haven't had it up until know. Harrison provides some hope for the future, but the next five games holds the key.
The keeper situation hasn't been helped with some defender injuries and suspensions, as we signed Justin Thompson late, Leonard Griffin has struggled a bit at times, and Scot Thompson has missed games for red card/ejections and the birth of his son recently. Cameron Knowles has been a stalwart in the back, but even he's missed games with yellow card accumulation. Combine this with some spotty midfield play all year, which led to a rare mid season trade of Andrew Gregor. Gregor, our former captain, had a great year last year leading us in scoring and assists, but he struggled this year with inconsistent play. He became the target of some criticism for his lackluster efforts from game to game, which I think was warranted. When you put on the captain's armband, you become the lightening rod for praise and furor even if it's not directed at you. Gregor ended up in Rochester, and threw some of his teammates under the bus in leaving, questioning their talent and efforts. Whether this was used to motivate him or truly spew some venom at his former employers, I considered it sour tears from a former player that didn't want to admit that his place on the team had changed.
Part of Gregor's venom was directed at Taka Suzuki, a forward/striker we signed from Japan this year. Taka got off to an amazing start to the season, notching a top quality goal versus Shittle that was played over and over again on USL Live. Taka is a very skilled player, having World Cup experience and years of playing in the J-League, but since that goal, he's struggled with the physicality of the play and his place in the offense. He seems to be more settled in his new role as more of an attacking midfielder rather than a striker, but he still hasn't scored since that goal. We've also gained some new forwards, which really were blasts from the past as Bryan Jordan and Byron Alvarez are back with the team (Jordan was loaned to us by LA, Byron resigned recently). We also mixed in new guys Chris Brown (signed in the off season) and Jamil Walker (received as part of the Gregor trade) with holdover Chris Bagley up top.
We've struggled to score goals, but it's certainly not because of a lack of effort up top. The roller coaster effect that this team has shown is simply not knowing what team will show up at what point of the game - will it be wide open offensive team, or strong defensive squad. I know that the coaching staff has made changes in the lineup, tried new formations, and generally tried to figure out what's going on. With some guys, they've hit the doghouse never to return, while some players have been openly questioned by the coaches during interviews about lack of effort and passion. I think it's safe to say that while the coaches may now soccer, they've struggled to find a consistent voice or process that works with this team.
Certainly the information above would give anyone a few excuses to say why the team has struggled - new players, injuries, coaches shaking things up just to try things, suspensions - and it would explain the up and down play of this team. And now, we sit with just 5 games left in the year and there's still a chance for these guys to play in the postseason, where all bets are off in terms of issues. Anyone can win a title if the cards play out right, and if you get hot at the right time, who knows what might happen. But seriously, this up and down bunch making the playoffs? Does anyone still believe in their chances.
Well, after attending today's barbecue hosted by the team for the fans, I would say that's a distinct possibility. Over 200 fans showed up to mingle with the team, eat some food, play pickup games on the pitch, and generally have some quality time with the team. And all the players and coaches were there, chatting it up with the fans, generally having a good time. The fact that all of them were there, hanging out as a group together, it showed me that the team hasn't lost each other in their struggles. They aren't pointing fingers, they are sticking it out with each other. And they all seemed very loose and relaxed, just taking in the day with the fans. The weather cooperated for the most part, and it was a great time for everyone.
I'm impressed the team would sponsor this type of endeavor, with free food and beer, skills games for the kids and adults, stadium tours, and Merritt Paulson there to talk about the efforts to bring MLS to town. And if you really wanted to buy next year's season tickets, you could. Which I did simply because I love my team. What I saw in watching the players was the relaxed nature of a team that has pulled themselves together as a group, and is looking out for each other. It was fun to watch Lawrence Olum catch footballs, and chat a bit with Bryan Jordan about passing and dribbling skills but also talk about being in Los Angeles. These guys are extremely nice and cordial, but they also seem like a tight knit group as well, and that bodes well for a playoff run. If guys are playing for themselves (see 2006 version of the Timbers under Agnello), then nobody is looking out for anyone but themselves. I did notice Taka seemed a bit uncomfortable in the beer garden, but I think that's mostly due to the language barrier and that probably won't change until either he learns more English or the fans learn some Japanese. Plus, he was surrounded by teammates who were chatting with him as best they could.
It would be easy at this point to fold up the tent and go home. I mean, the Timbers are in eighth place in the USL table and there are some teams with easier paths to get to the playoffs (Montreal has more games to play, Shittle plays at home for the rest of the year, Minnesota seems to have an easier schedule). But I don't see the quit in this team, especially after today. They still believe in each other, and I think that's a big thing to have established during a stretch run. Plus, it seems like the early season struggles have righted themselves with some better offensive play, and some quality keeping. We just need to keep up the hard work, and let the chips fall where they may. I can say that I can't think of a better place to be on a Sunday afternoon that hanging with the Timbers, but seriously, I'll leave the serious soccer playing to the professionals.
Thursday night, the stretch run begins with Miami coming to town. We then travel to Rochester on the 6th (Saturday), and then visit Montreal on the following Monday. Our final home game is September 11th versus Charleston, then we finish the year in Carolina on the 20th. I'd like to think we could get 12 points from the games, ending the year strong and getting into the playoffs. Whether we make it or not, what I'm encouraged about is the strength of the team's bond with each other, and how genuinely nice and approachable these guys are. These foundation blocks will be vital as we move forward towards the playoffs and the future of soccer in Portland....
Final Note - Wednesday at 9 AM there is a press conference at PGE Park about Portland's MLS efforts and some updates for everyone. I'd expect some updates on web pages to view information, announcement of key dates to when proposals are due, and some things that soccer fans can do to help the effort to bring MLS here. For more information about this press conference, visit the Soccer City USA board (www.soccercityusa.com) and look in the MLS to PDX section, or visit www.mlstopdx.com. I'll have a quick match preview and some highlights from the conference sometime on Wednesday...
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Being a True Sports Fan
I haven't had to think much about blog topics lately, because it's been recapping my wedding and honeymoon. With the final installment in the books, though, it's time to get back to doing what we do around here. Sometimes my blog ideas come from headlines or things I hear or read about, others are more organic and the idea strikes me while I'm eating, at the gym, or at work doing whatever it is I get paid to do for a living. Some ideas die a painful death, as I attempt to flesh them out and it proves to be as much fun to write about as having your teeth cleaned. Others change shape and form, and become something much different, while a select few get posted up as is to see if they can truly take a life of their own. Today's idea actually started on the Soccer City USA board but it took on some life while I was at the gym working out -- what qualifies a true fan of a team?
You could do scientific analysis, research on the web, watch TV for months, and come up with a huge list of things, and probably have a huge thread of discourse about what constitutes a great fan of a team. You might be able to get a group to agree to some key points, but I think coming to a consensus would be near impossible. And the list would probably become too cumbersome to review, and then it dies due to boredom. I've thought about all of the criteria, and really, I think you can boil the question down to one --- do you love your team enough to stay with them no matter what?
I'm willing to discount a lot of things to boil it to one question. Some folks say you can't be a true fan unless you've seen the games live, and I tend to agree that live sports are a much different experience than watching on TV. TV can be extremely informative with analysis, informational sharing, picture angles, and instant replay, but it can also be an extremely passive experience. There's something about hearing the sounds of the fans live, smelling the snacks in the stands, braving the elements and standing for your team with 50,000 of your closest friends. But most major sports don't lend themselves to average fans.
If you reviewed the cost to go to a game for most major sports and take a family of four, most game experiences cost around $200 for tickets, snacks, programs, and souvenirs. Granted, if you are without family, the costs are less but they can still add up as most major sport tickets start at $10 to $15 per game for the farthest/highest seats in the place. If you have the money, the experience can be enhanced with a suite or box, or seats closer to the game, but many people I know couldn't afford to do that all the time. Teams cater to the corporate and rich set, with amenities in the stadium boxes that put my old apartment to shame. The reality is that in a competitive market, teams need to maximize revenues, and while die hard fans buy tickets and other gear, a team can't support itself simply on those incomes. Teams need to gain corporate monies and group funds, plus find revenue sources from concessions, naming rights, marketing operations, etc.
Sports is a business, and teams that don't make money soon find themselves out of business, and I get that. It does bother me, though, that you see more fans that are there more for the luxury box and less for the experience. The more passionate fans are seated farther and farther from the action, thus ensuring a rather passive fan experience where the only noise is canned in sound effects and cheers led by stunt teams or dancers. While that may work for some fans, others can't deal with the reality and so just stay away because they can't afford it. But why must teams charge so much for everything? Well, to remain competitive, teams must spend money on players, halftime shows, dancers, pyrotechnics, jumbotrons, and other bells and whistles. Fans demand a true complete experience for their hard earned money, and so teams need to do more and more to grab people's attention.
Hey, we have 200 channel cable systems and the world wide web at a touch. Communcation and answers are available in an instant, so people aren't as willing to wait for things to transpire. You also have a sports marketplace that is cluttered with leagues and teams, playing in all sorts of competitions for titles, it's hard to keep track of it all sometimes. And with most leagues now adopting an almost year around approach with events, some fans have either specialized in one league only, or only pay attention to leagues casually to try and keep up. Sports doesn't have off time anymore, as you can find information anywhere, anytime, about anyone.
So with all of that, you might think it's easy to stay focused on your team, but honestly, it can have the opposite affect. Some fans suffer from informational overload, trying to keep up on rumours, web sites, magazines, and papers throughout the world. Bloggers spend hours posting opinions, based on small tidbits of information they've gleaned from the web or a paper, and soon even outlandish rumours take on a life of their own. Seriously, being a professional athlete now can be hard to deal with, from the intense scrutiny all the time, invasions into personal lives, and the general ups and downs of a season.
So with all of that, why truly stick with a team or a player? I mean, hey, some folks can just randomly pick a team to follow and go from there. There's no need for personal investment, you can just buy a hat and bingo, you are a fan. And in the world of the Internet, allegiances can be changes as often as socks, as fans drop teams and add them like candy. Some sports writers have blamed fantasy sports for this phenomenon, as people can be their own general manager, and just trade and add players on their own whim, so it takes the fun out of being a fan. For me, fantasy sports allows me the chance to view teams I might not ordinarily watch so I get a better picture of all of the teams. It doesn't change how I feel about my teams, but I can say that I've at least heard of this person.
But in my opinion, what makes sticking with a team so hard is that this requires you to be there during the ups and downs which are inevitable in a sports season. Let's face it, it's easy to love a team that wins dozens of titles and their players are well known worldwide. Try loving a team that lost more games than anybody a few years ago, the same team whose player conduct was so bad, the league gave the team a nickname of the Jail Blazers. Try loving a footy team that has had great records and players over the years, but hasn't come close to winning a title while their chief rival has 4 titles and is moving to MLS next year, even if I don't think they deserve it. Try loving your team when they are getting pounded in the Super Bowl again, and you know you can't call your grandmother because she's be too upset at the result.
It takes a true investment of character to say you'll love your team no matter what, including wearing your colors anytime. I wore my Denver Broncos jersey to school after each Super Bowl dismantling, even though I knew I'd be ridiculed by the other kids. I wore Timbers colors after each playoff loss, knowing in my heart we were better than our opponents but we just didn't pull it off. It's easy to jump on the bandwagon, like many people did when the Red Sox finally broke their long standing curse to win 2 World Series in the past few years. I heard many of them say, it's about time and oh, this is great, while knowing that there were fans like my friends Obi and S3K who sat through 1986 and wanted to cry after the ball got away from Bill Buckner. But they were back the next season, because they understood that being a true fan doesn't mean turning away when things are bad.
It's not easy having this approach, and I can't even say I've been able to do it always. The Trail Blazers of 2001 - 2004 were a hard team to love with their attitude and antics, but I simply did it because that's the choice I made. And with some teams and players, it's harder than others. It's hard to believe when players get caught breaking the law, doing drugs, cheating on their spouses, or just doing things they shouldn't. It's hard to remember that these people are human, just like us, but we expect them to somehow be different because they wear a uniform and perform in front of thousands. Being cynical is easy, because you hear as much bad stuff about players than you do good things in the press. But being cynical deprives people of the ability to see both sides of a situation, which is vital to truly being a good fan. You have to be able to weigh the good with the bad, otherwise, the experience is tainted. That's why in many cases sports call in shows turn into a bitch fest about their team, as people tend to only focus on the bad or what's wrong because it's safer to do it in a collective environment. What's hard is to stand up and say, this is my team and I support them no matter what.
My hope is that everyone gets a chance to truly find a team to love like that, because it can be a truly rewarding experience as long as you remember that for every good, there will be bad so hang on for the ride. And when one of my teams is able to break through and win a title, I can say that the ride will have been worth it.
You could do scientific analysis, research on the web, watch TV for months, and come up with a huge list of things, and probably have a huge thread of discourse about what constitutes a great fan of a team. You might be able to get a group to agree to some key points, but I think coming to a consensus would be near impossible. And the list would probably become too cumbersome to review, and then it dies due to boredom. I've thought about all of the criteria, and really, I think you can boil the question down to one --- do you love your team enough to stay with them no matter what?
I'm willing to discount a lot of things to boil it to one question. Some folks say you can't be a true fan unless you've seen the games live, and I tend to agree that live sports are a much different experience than watching on TV. TV can be extremely informative with analysis, informational sharing, picture angles, and instant replay, but it can also be an extremely passive experience. There's something about hearing the sounds of the fans live, smelling the snacks in the stands, braving the elements and standing for your team with 50,000 of your closest friends. But most major sports don't lend themselves to average fans.
If you reviewed the cost to go to a game for most major sports and take a family of four, most game experiences cost around $200 for tickets, snacks, programs, and souvenirs. Granted, if you are without family, the costs are less but they can still add up as most major sport tickets start at $10 to $15 per game for the farthest/highest seats in the place. If you have the money, the experience can be enhanced with a suite or box, or seats closer to the game, but many people I know couldn't afford to do that all the time. Teams cater to the corporate and rich set, with amenities in the stadium boxes that put my old apartment to shame. The reality is that in a competitive market, teams need to maximize revenues, and while die hard fans buy tickets and other gear, a team can't support itself simply on those incomes. Teams need to gain corporate monies and group funds, plus find revenue sources from concessions, naming rights, marketing operations, etc.
Sports is a business, and teams that don't make money soon find themselves out of business, and I get that. It does bother me, though, that you see more fans that are there more for the luxury box and less for the experience. The more passionate fans are seated farther and farther from the action, thus ensuring a rather passive fan experience where the only noise is canned in sound effects and cheers led by stunt teams or dancers. While that may work for some fans, others can't deal with the reality and so just stay away because they can't afford it. But why must teams charge so much for everything? Well, to remain competitive, teams must spend money on players, halftime shows, dancers, pyrotechnics, jumbotrons, and other bells and whistles. Fans demand a true complete experience for their hard earned money, and so teams need to do more and more to grab people's attention.
Hey, we have 200 channel cable systems and the world wide web at a touch. Communcation and answers are available in an instant, so people aren't as willing to wait for things to transpire. You also have a sports marketplace that is cluttered with leagues and teams, playing in all sorts of competitions for titles, it's hard to keep track of it all sometimes. And with most leagues now adopting an almost year around approach with events, some fans have either specialized in one league only, or only pay attention to leagues casually to try and keep up. Sports doesn't have off time anymore, as you can find information anywhere, anytime, about anyone.
So with all of that, you might think it's easy to stay focused on your team, but honestly, it can have the opposite affect. Some fans suffer from informational overload, trying to keep up on rumours, web sites, magazines, and papers throughout the world. Bloggers spend hours posting opinions, based on small tidbits of information they've gleaned from the web or a paper, and soon even outlandish rumours take on a life of their own. Seriously, being a professional athlete now can be hard to deal with, from the intense scrutiny all the time, invasions into personal lives, and the general ups and downs of a season.
So with all of that, why truly stick with a team or a player? I mean, hey, some folks can just randomly pick a team to follow and go from there. There's no need for personal investment, you can just buy a hat and bingo, you are a fan. And in the world of the Internet, allegiances can be changes as often as socks, as fans drop teams and add them like candy. Some sports writers have blamed fantasy sports for this phenomenon, as people can be their own general manager, and just trade and add players on their own whim, so it takes the fun out of being a fan. For me, fantasy sports allows me the chance to view teams I might not ordinarily watch so I get a better picture of all of the teams. It doesn't change how I feel about my teams, but I can say that I've at least heard of this person.
But in my opinion, what makes sticking with a team so hard is that this requires you to be there during the ups and downs which are inevitable in a sports season. Let's face it, it's easy to love a team that wins dozens of titles and their players are well known worldwide. Try loving a team that lost more games than anybody a few years ago, the same team whose player conduct was so bad, the league gave the team a nickname of the Jail Blazers. Try loving a footy team that has had great records and players over the years, but hasn't come close to winning a title while their chief rival has 4 titles and is moving to MLS next year, even if I don't think they deserve it. Try loving your team when they are getting pounded in the Super Bowl again, and you know you can't call your grandmother because she's be too upset at the result.
It takes a true investment of character to say you'll love your team no matter what, including wearing your colors anytime. I wore my Denver Broncos jersey to school after each Super Bowl dismantling, even though I knew I'd be ridiculed by the other kids. I wore Timbers colors after each playoff loss, knowing in my heart we were better than our opponents but we just didn't pull it off. It's easy to jump on the bandwagon, like many people did when the Red Sox finally broke their long standing curse to win 2 World Series in the past few years. I heard many of them say, it's about time and oh, this is great, while knowing that there were fans like my friends Obi and S3K who sat through 1986 and wanted to cry after the ball got away from Bill Buckner. But they were back the next season, because they understood that being a true fan doesn't mean turning away when things are bad.
It's not easy having this approach, and I can't even say I've been able to do it always. The Trail Blazers of 2001 - 2004 were a hard team to love with their attitude and antics, but I simply did it because that's the choice I made. And with some teams and players, it's harder than others. It's hard to believe when players get caught breaking the law, doing drugs, cheating on their spouses, or just doing things they shouldn't. It's hard to remember that these people are human, just like us, but we expect them to somehow be different because they wear a uniform and perform in front of thousands. Being cynical is easy, because you hear as much bad stuff about players than you do good things in the press. But being cynical deprives people of the ability to see both sides of a situation, which is vital to truly being a good fan. You have to be able to weigh the good with the bad, otherwise, the experience is tainted. That's why in many cases sports call in shows turn into a bitch fest about their team, as people tend to only focus on the bad or what's wrong because it's safer to do it in a collective environment. What's hard is to stand up and say, this is my team and I support them no matter what.
My hope is that everyone gets a chance to truly find a team to love like that, because it can be a truly rewarding experience as long as you remember that for every good, there will be bad so hang on for the ride. And when one of my teams is able to break through and win a title, I can say that the ride will have been worth it.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
The Weather Is Getting A Bit Nicer..
My social schedule lately has been crazy, as I haven't been able to update this in over a week. That's what happens when you are so popular and someone close to you has a cold, but it appears that things are settling down a bit.
- The Trail Blazers continue to play up and down, with a win over Chicago last Wednesday that I saw in person, and two tough losses in Detroit and Indiana. The Trail Blazers have played well in stretches, and now they are facing the tough stretch of the season, where the games take on more meaning and it's important to remain mentally and physically tough. This team continues to overachieve in so many areas, but they also show their youth with bad passes, tough shots, and making mistakes. Right now, we seem very tired, so I would expect that the All Star Break comes at a good time, allowing us to rest some weary bodies and minds for the stretch run.
- The NFL Pro Bowl was on today, couldn't tell you who won or if anyone even cares. So you put your all star game after the season, and then watch as most of the major stars opt out to rest. It would be tough to take a week off during the year to have something like what baseball or basketball does, but I think the NFL needs to do something to make this more meaningful. Although, a trip to Hawaii in February doesn't have enough meaning??
- Girl and I saw Cloverfield last night, and it was everything that we expected and so much more. It's unlike anything I've ever seen put on film and the experience is something that I can't put justice to in a few words. Yes, it's a monster movie, and yes, you feel like you've been run through a roller coaster a few times in watching the shaky images, but I've never seen a thriller like this before. This movie causes you to ask so many questions, like what you do if confronted with such an experience, and would you go back for someone even if you knew it would risk your life. The special effects are amazing, and like many of JJ Abrams' works, there are more questions than answers raised when watching it, and while Cloverfield is a great movie on its own part, you could trudge through the theories and back story and get wrapped in a heck of a story. If you do go see this, I recommend preparing for a dizzying night, cause I'm still a bit nauseated the next day from seeing it. Some motion sickness pills might be good, too.
- The Timbers season is fast approaching, and I'm happy that it's beginning to be spring. I don't mind the snow and rain, but yesterday's nice day outside got me wishing for a bit of spring fever. Around here in Oregon, you learn to do things outside or just stay inside for weeks and weeks and get a little cabin fever. That's why you dress in layers about here, but we get some greenery around here, that's for sure. But spring means soccer, and I'm excited for the 2008 campaign.
- I've been watching with some amusement the recruiting game in college football, and the story from Nevada about Kevin Hart. In case you missed it, Kevin wanted so badly to be recruited to play college football, that he created his own press conference to announce his choice. Too bad the schools hadn't recruited him at all, which lead to him publically apologizing for his ruse. The whole recruiting game is such a mess right now, and nobody seems to care about it as long as people make money and kids get exposure. When I was in high school and kids signed, it was a small gathering at the school where kids could celebrate their accomplishments with fellow athletes, and it was kept in perspective. Now, you have websites and channels dedicating hours and hours of coverage based on the potential of where someone might go. Nothing like putting some extra pressure on a decision that for most kids is one of the first big decisions they'll decide on. Instead of adults keeping some perspective on this, they are caught up in the dollar signs and attention like everyone else. I don't blame Kevin Hart for wanting to play college football, and if we are going to blame him for trying to have his moment in the sun, we should also blame the member institutions that continue to allow outside forces (agents, boosters, third party groups) to influence the process, the coaches for not helping kids make the right decisions, and the parents for allowing the circus to happen. I understand the desire to play on the big stage, but it's important sometimes to keep things in check before cashing the checks or watching your press clippings.
- Besides, being a sports celebrity means having people incessentantly pick over parts of your life to no end, like there is no real private life. When we think of celebrities, we think of the money, the attention, the glamour, the ability to do anything or get anything you want. The downside is the hangeroners, the press tapping into your world 24 by 7, websites posting rumours of any validity from reliable to completely madeup, the sacrifices made by family and friends during the season, the stress and wear and tear on a body and mind, and the ultimate question of what happens after the playing days are done. Not that I expect any of these answers to be easy or perfect, but in the pursuit of sports, even I tend to forget that these athletes are human and they have the same frailties that we all share. They have to do what they do in front of thousands in person and TV without a safety net or a do-over. The only thing I've ever asked of the teams I support is that they give it all they have, and if they do, I can love them no matter what. Think it's easy to be that way, try living through the Broncos Super Bowl failures or the dark days of the Trail Blazers, and see if you can truly think that. It's not easy, but at the same time, I don't follow the bandwagon like a lot of fans. It's easy to root for people on top, but try and stick with your team through the ups and downs. If you can, I can say you are a true fan.
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Random Observation From A Trail Blazer Game
I had planned on my next blog being about the phenomenon that is The Final Countdown by Europe. I fail to understand how such a cheesetacular supposed metal song has such a long shelf life after all these year. Europe was a terrible hair metal band and the rest of the album is horrible, but when you hear the opening instrumental bars, I rarely see it fail to cause people to hum or sing along. But I digress, because while I'd like to give this full attention, I was pleasantly amused, irritated and entertained by tonight's Trail Blazer game versus the Golden State Warriors.
The Trail Blazers won the game 109 to 91, but that was one of many details of tonight's game, as girl and I decided to spontaneously attend the final home game for a while.
The Trail Blazers won the game 109 to 91, but that was one of many details of tonight's game, as girl and I decided to spontaneously attend the final home game for a while.
- We made it into the arena at 6:05 after picking up our tickets at Will Call. It never ceases to amaze me that the line for the toilets near Will Call is longer than the actual ticket pick up line, but people get confused just the same as to what line goes where. I suppose the picture of a toilet next to the restroom door isn't clear enough.
- We immediately headed to Subway for the best $9 sandwich in the place, not to be confused with the $9 sandwich from the 76 Deli which you can only qualify as a sandwich because it has bread and a piece of lettuce. The gal in front of us had a full glass of wine while waiting to order, and by the time she made it to the front, the wine was just about gone. Unfortunately, that was only about 5 minutes that had passed. I mean, I like my booze, but not that much.
- I normally don't sit in the lower bowl for Trail Blazer games, so it's nice to change it up a bit. The view of the court is better, you get the noise makers which can be fun or annoying, and there's plenty of concessionaires about. What isn't very good is that the bathrooms are smaller, and for whatever reason, in terrible shape most of the time. I suppose it's hard keeping up with the cleanliness when 20,000 people show up for a game, but tonight I was horrified at the mess in there. girl said the ladies' restroom was in about the same shape.
- Just before the tip off, a lady was going to her seat in section 117 with a large drink and nachos. She was welcomed to the section by an usher, who was then asked to escort her nachos to her seat with her. She had an open hand, but apparently, the cheese needed supervision. She and the nachos made it down to the seat, but then she proceeded to ask the usher to put them on the seat next to her. He politely pointed out that a person might actually be sitting here at some point, but complied with the request. She left the nachos alone for at least 5 minutes, and girl and I soon became fascinated with which person would displace the nachos. At tip off, the food still had one of the best seats in the house, although she ate a few chips. About 15 minutes into the game, it appeared a nacho disaster occurred because she scurried to clean up something with a drink tray, and I'm thinking what poor sap is going to have to sit next to this mess. Thankfully, the seat went unclaimed.
- I like kids a lot, but there was a young lad that I was extremely disappointed in tonight, as he decided that Blaze, the team mascot, needed to be tortured for the night. During the first quarter as Blaze walked by his seat, the kid reached out and grabbed at his ear a few times. Blaze quickly exited without incident, but the real travesty was in the fourth quarter while Blaze was leading the crowd in cheers, the kid left his seat and proceeded to grab Blaze's tail and try to pull on it hard. Not once, not twice but three times. The kid's parents, in a show of complete awareness of their kid's action, encouraged the kid to torment the mascot. While I wasn't close enough to stop the action, I'm disappointed that any parent would find messing with a mascot that was only trying to do his job funny, and encourage their child to do more damage. The final straw was watching the same kid collect 20 or so noise makers for the road. I hope the parents get kept up all night.
- I did have respect for Don Nelson as a coach, as his teams usually play hard and don't play dirty. But that was until Monta Ellis "accidentally" hit Steve Blake from behind, causing him to leave the game with a calf injury. They may claim incidental contact, but Blake was turned toward our basket toward the top of the key and Ellis could have safely went around Blake to get into the play or grab the rebound, but instead he went through Blake and close to his knee from behind. Way to show some class while your team is getting drilled by 20.
- Although we won, played well for some stretches and won by 18, we never completely knocked Golden State out to the point where they conceded, even though they got no closer than 8 points to us all game. I know this team is a playoff contender and will make some noise in the postseason, but sometimes the youngness of the team worries me. When we have a chance to bury a team, we don't always take it to the next level. I'm sure that Nate will talk with the team about that later tonight.
- Chalupah coupons are great, but I personally hate when it gets to 98 or so points and the chalupah chants start. I did love being able to chant "you only stand for t-shirts" during the free t-shirt launch, which they advertised free stuff at least 3 or 4 times before things went flying into the crowd. Apparently repetition is important in advertising.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)