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Lebron's departure begs the question: What is the point of being a "FAN"?

By ValueforRent | View all Posts
Posted Friday, July 09, 2010 11:31 AM

38 comments

This whole Lebron saga just reinforces why it's absolutely pointless to be a "fan" of any professional sports team. I mean these guys do not give one fuck about the average "fan". They always say stuff like, "we couldn't have done it without you guys", "we're so lucky to have the greatest fans in the world", blah, blah, blah. It's all bullshit. The truth is, what they're most thankful for is that you're buying tickets, concessions, merchandise, etc. Because all that helps pay for their ridiculous salaries thus allowing them to make millions of dollars and live a life most could have only dreamed of growing up. In the end it's the "fan" that gives everything and gets nothing back. I mean look at that guy in that video. What has he gotten out of the last seven years that he's rooted for the Cavs? NOTHING. And now he's gotten completely back-stabbed by the self-absorbed King James. It's an inverse system.

Actually, I am a fan of certain teams. I'm a fan of any team that helps make me money. That's who I like cheering for. If not for that though, I don't see how anybody can make such a big emotional and financial investment in these players when they're not getting anything back in return. Even if the team you do cheer for gets lucky and wins a title, what do you get out of that? Okay so you're happy for a few hours but after that life goes on. The bottom line is these arrogant, entitled, egotistical millionaires don't give a fuck about you or I.

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ValueforRent says:

07/09/10 11:31AM

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MicrosoftInternetExplorer4

I just

don't understand how the average guy can relate to these millionaire

athletes. They have nothing in common with you. For instance, say

you're a carpenter making 40K a year that works in New Jersey and cheers for the Yankees.

So after you bust your ass all day you're going to fork over a ton of money you

probably don't have to sit in the ridiculously overpaid seats at Yankee

Stadium. You're going to cheer on a douche like A-ROD who makes like 30

million a year. After the game is over, he's headed to Scores to party

all night while you're headed back home so you can go to bed early because you

have to wake up at the crack of dawn the following day. Could your life be any more different than

A-ROD’s? I just don't understand how some people can support a

relationship like this that is so asymmetrical? You would never want to

enter into a relationship like this in your personal or work life, but it's

fine when it's with a sports team??? I don't get that. I'm not

going to tell people how to spend their money or what to do, but this just all

seems very strange to me.

I understand why kids idolize these guys because they simply don't know any

better. Maybe it's that I'm just so jaded after betting on sports.

After watching these players day-in/day out, watching them pretty much like

hawks, I've just seen too many of these guys not give a fuck that's it's

completely turned me off of "fandom". Now obviously there's

exceptions, but the vast majority are just there for the check and don't give a

fuck. If they don't care about me, why should I care about them?

ValueforRent says:

07/09/10 11:34AM

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On the

other hand, I understand why people cheer for college sports teams. At

least you have something in common with these players. They go to the

same school as you. They might even frequent the same bars or restaurants

on campus as you. Some of them might even be in some of your classes

sitting right next to you. There's an element of commonality there that

doesn't really exist in professional sports. Now granted there is a ton

of corruption right now in college sports and most top-flight college athletes

are given preferential treatment, get paid under the table and have people

write their tests for them. But the vast majority of college athletes are

playing for the love of the game and will never advance to the professional

ranks. I can absolutely see why people can support that. Last

year's Butler team is college b-ball is the embodiment of all that.

That's the kind of team I would want to cheer for and would make me proud. I also understand how people become totally

emerced in the world cup because that is a matter of national pride. Same thing goes for soccer where many of the teams are divided by things like religion (Celtic/Rangers) or class (Brazilian soccer). So there is almost deeper meaning attached to these sporting events. In North American sports, that is simply not the case.

OakleyDoak says:

07/09/10 11:42AM

Lebron re-signed with Cleveland,once.Looks like he turned down a bigger paycheck,out of loyalty.He's doing what he wants to do,which is a career liberty you or I wish we could utilize.People shouldn't become overly emotional with particular Pro athletes.I think Pro athletes themselves are gracious to fans and give of themselves as much as THEY can,emotionally.If YOU were a Pro athlete...how would YOU be different?

ValueforRent says:

07/09/10 11:51AM

That's bullshit, he's not taking less money. The Florida state income tax is going to negate the, "money he left on the table".
His camp is spreading this whole "I took less money for a ring" story to soften the blow and make him look like less of a scumbag. It's not true.

thornton6 says:

07/09/10 12:01PM

If he truly wanted to win take less in a Cavs unifrom recruit players to play along side him in Cleveland. He is a follower not a leader he went to Wade's team that itself is bad enough for me.

dassad says:

07/09/10 12:11PM

I can see the future already....

After two years of making the playoffs and exiting after a couple of rounds....Heat has a fire sale (just like the Marlins did a few years back)...Riley Resigns in disgrace (Sorry Pat, I love you man from when you were running my Lakers)...Lebron just fades away....

ValueforRent says:

07/09/10 12:14PM

I understand going to games with friends and having a good time. Sports can be a good release or escape from reality for many. But becoming emotionally involved and attached with these teams and players is useless because you're only setting yourself up for disappointment the majority of the time. Living and dying by every shot is not worth what you will get in return.

bill1947 says:

07/09/10 12:17PM

Attention whores make me sick...

clepto says:

07/09/10 12:45PM

Look at the bright side, atleast the yankees are going to get Cliff Lee.

MLB and the NBA are an absolute farce.

southerngroove says:

07/09/10 12:49PM

ValueforRent - You sound like a little bitch. Do you really take sports or your team that fucking serious. They don't owe you, me, or anyone else shit. They didn't ask you to cheer for them. As far as the money they get, I'm glad for them, If the owners are going to pay millions, fucking take it. If your supervisor offered to give you a raise would you turn it down? (Hell NO). Sports is big business. Part of the problem with most fans are, they take shit way to personal, and get to emotionally attached. Take a chill pill, and just enjoy.

dassad says:

07/09/10 12:56PM

Nice Shoes....

CrusCrnshw says:

07/09/10 01:11PM

So lebron stays in cleveland out of guilt? Is that what you want? Every man has his desires and ultimately this was his? Can you blame him? Clearly he was upset for leaving Cleveland. No free agent it seemed of strength wanted to go to the Cavs, so he left.

Plus, you are a fan of a team, not a player..."you" can continue to root for that said team, regardless of who leaves. People bitch about loyalty, but he owes them nothing. THe only thing he shouldnt have done was make this large press conference shit and make Cavs fans sweat it out like that.

Gunners says:

07/09/10 01:11PM

no one man is bigger than a team. I'm a fan of teams and i support my team's players. the minute they leave, it changes nothing. I support the team.

i'm not a cavs fan, luckily i don't have a team i support in the NBA, i just like the league. So all this is fun and exciting for me. I have teams i support in the NFL, NCAA, and Premier League. I'll never change my allegiances because of what one player does.

vanzack says:

07/09/10 01:20PM

I have said this many times here - and mostly criticized for doing so - but I have no idea what "fans" root for anymore in todays sports climate....

It boggles my mind when I see a Jets fan yelling at a Dolphins fan over who sucks and whatnot - like it is your family or something.

kaponofor3 says:

07/09/10 01:24PM

"They didn't ask you to cheer for them."

Actually, they did, you know, by asking us to buy tickets to their games and spend the money on merchandise that pays for their salaries.

Lippsman says:

07/09/10 01:27PM

Cleveland has no busines blaming anyone else but the owners of the Cavs. They didn't do a single thing to bolster the team. No one single move.

And the majority owner talking shit about Lebron about being loyal. Didn't he just fire the coach and push out the GM after winning more games in the last two years than any other duo.

Now that's loyalty isn't it. ?

jesron1269 says:

07/09/10 01:28PM

Value I have often wondered the same thing these days in professional sports. However, you can say the same thing about sports on any level. High school and college the players have to graduate anyway so there is always player movement. I think what gives you heartburn is what gives me hearburn from time to time and that is twenty years ago before free agency was so rampit there was loyalty, rivalry, comradery, but with FA and money that has basically all going to trash.

VegasMaxx says:

07/09/10 01:30PM

Fans bother me

Spitfire15 says:

07/09/10 01:31PM

Agree and disagree vanzack - I don't see any problem in being a fan. You are rooting for your home team to represent your city by winning and having a team that people want to watch, which makes sense to me. What doesn't make sense is when people think that the athlete OWES them something, or a fan who hates the fan of another team because they support the wrong team

But I still understand being a fan on some level, but I don't think people realize that when they are a fan they are supporting the ownership/management of a team more than the players. I'm from Pittsburgh and I'm NOT a Steeler fan, but that's a good franchise to follow - the Rooney's will always care about winning more than anything.... the Pirates on the other hand... I'm not sure why I support them.

Spitfire15 says:

07/09/10 01:33PM

As a fan you support the OWNERS. The owners will take care of you by signing a winning team with the players that you want to see or will let the stars go and the players handle the fallout from the fans

kaponofor3 says:

07/09/10 01:37PM

"Cleveland has no busines blaming anyone else but the owners of the

Cavs. They didn't do a single thing to bolster the team. Not one

single move."

Lipps -- what about the Mo Williams move? The Shaq move? The Jamison move?

Syddigs says:

07/09/10 01:39PM

Next move. Watch for Pat Riley to force his way back in as the head coach of the Heat. With the big three on board Riley will not be able to help himself. He did it once with Stan Van Gundy. Watch him do it again.

Spitfire15 says:

07/09/10 01:42PM

My best advice for you is to become a fan of a sport that is dominated by billionaire celebrity hotshots who are better than all other human beings despite playing a sport where they score 100+ points/game and the best play is when they stand on their tippy-toes and slam the ball through the hoop that is supposed to be difficult to reach.

kaponofor3 says:

07/09/10 01:45PM

The Miami Heat officially become the Evil Empire of the NBA in my eyes if this happens. It was brutal to do that to Van Gundy, it will be even worse to do it to Spoelstra

Ace77 says:

07/09/10 01:45PM

No fans = Sport doesn't exist = no such thing as sports wagering = we all commit suicide due to no sports gambling.

ValueforRent says:

07/09/10 01:50PM

No sports betting = No more

and

= me
being more

= me getting more

.

Sounds good to me.

ValueforRent says:

07/09/10 01:53PM

Given there's been no significant backlash or action taken against professional athletes and the ungodly amounts of money they make after everything that's gone on in the past ten years, my guess is it's never going to happen. Sports aren't going anywhere, the beast will keep getting feed.

Syddigs says:

07/09/10 01:54PM

Let's hope that it doesn't happen as Spoelstra is doing a great job with a young team. But I would not put it past Riley in the slightest.

I can see him giving Spoelstra a year to win a title and if he cannot do so, then Riley will ride in on his white horse and win another ring after the team has had a season to gel.

Lippsman says:

07/09/10 02:31PM

It's a business. It's not slavery. You earn your right to be a free agent, you are under contract. And what moves did the other teams in question make to keep the star players ? How about the place you work for. How much blind loyalty do you have to them ? If you think you can better yourself or bottom line are you going to stay ? I think not.

Syddigs says:

07/09/10 02:36PM

I'm more surprised that he went to a team that already had a bona fide star i.e D.Wade. Any championship that James may win will be a shared one. I did not think his ego would allow for him to be a team mate, and not THE team.

Looking into my crystal ball, I do not see this ending well. I think when James wins his championship the Heat will self destruct shortly after. I cannot see Wade and James co-existing on this team for any great length of time. The Heat is D. Wade's team.

jackdfan says:

07/09/10 06:52PM

Remember, fan is just short for "fanatic"

I'm going to blame the late coach on LeBron leaving. Follow....

Shaq gets injured for 30 games. In that time, the Cavs go something like 24-6 or somesuch, playing a running, active center game that had the Cavs averaging a ton of points. LeBron almost avg a triple double. Shaq says, he's ready to come back, so what to the Cavs do? Put him right back in the middle, play .500 down the stretch, and the Celtics are looking at them going "Oh, you want to play the slowdown center game. Good. Cause we're old and busted up, and can't run for crap. And thanks."

If the Cavs would have stuck with their running game instead of bowing to Budda, they would have made the Finals.........and so it goes.

Lippsman says:

07/09/10 02:45PM

There is a long history of teams trying to buy a championship that just didn't work. But look at Boston, that has worked out pretty well. But they have more of a shared star mentality. These are over the top superstars that will be working together. I just don't think that will end up well. I think the Bulls would of been a better fit.

But the real question is why didn't Cleveland try go get wade or Bosh. When all the facts come out I think we will all see a rift with the Cavs front office, where he was never coming back to Cleveland in the first place.

Lippsman says:

07/09/10 03:32PM

Why isn't that statement accurate. What did he do to improve the Cavs ?

Bring in Shaq.

kaponofor3 says:

07/09/10 02:44PM

"It's a business. It's not slavery. You earn your right to be a

free agent, you are under contract. And what moves did the other teams

in question make to keep the star players ? How about the place you

work for. How much blind loyalty do you have to them ? If you think

you can better yourself or bottom line are you going to stay ? I think

not."

I agree with you, its clearly a business. I'm not begrudging LeBron the right to choose where he wants to go. I was just trying to point out that I don't think its accurate to say that Gilbert didn't make any moves to try and improve the team for LeBron, that's all.

cacabware says:

07/09/10 02:52PM

i ask myself this question daily......................

ValueforRent says:

07/10/10 12:08AM

Here is a much better version of what I was trying to say. I swear I did not see this before I wrote what I did. Anyways, this is extremely well-written.

http://nymag.com/daily/sports/2010/07/lebron_react_never_has_being_a.html#comments

vanwilder21 says:

07/09/10 03:16PM

exactly!!!

mr_bollox says:

07/10/10 02:15PM

fans love the club, not the player,

players come and go, fans dont, you cant change your allegiance or you shouldnt.

the whole moving franchise thing is really fucked up though, that doesnt happen in other countries

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