Hatred in Sports

Ok, so lemme get this off my chest first. I hate the Spurs. So Much.

I hate the Flopping, I hate the Hack-a-Shaq, I hate the dirty fouls.

But most of all, I hate that they Win.

Duncan Face

Unfortunately I also realize that the Spurs may be a significant reason I follow Basketball.

Elaboration; I am a loyal fan of the New York Knicks. The Knicks reached the NBA finals in 1999, then quickly began a precipitous decent into the basement of the NBA. The cause of this fall from grace was not age or injury, though those certainly contributed, but instead gross mismanagement. During the tenure of Scott Layden and Isaiah Thomas, I was forced to take up the cause of surrogate teams, such as the Kings and the Suns.

I am not a very successful bandwagon-hopper however. Both of the above teams were very successful in the regular season, and were thumped by the eventual champions from LA or San Antonio. after a couple of years, even the most devoted fan becomes fatalistic about his team's post-season chances. So when New Orleans won the first couple games in their series, I almost knew how it was going to end. I kept flipping away from Game 7 like I was avoiding the painful scenes in a Ricky Gervais sitcom.

That said, so long as someone has a chance to beat the Spurs I will watch the playoffs. Without the ability to root for a team, I am content to root against one. I wonder if RedSox fans use to watch Yankees games the same way, back before the Sox curse was lifted and Massholes started to outnumber home crowds in baseball stadiums across the country.

Long story short, all one needs to care about an athletic contest is a reason to care about the result. whether that reason is loyalty, hatred, or a bookie that has an appointment with your kneecaps if the Saints don't cover the spread. Any excuse to care is a great reason to watch.