I'm not over it. In fact, the Celtics and the Bruins having great regular seasons end terribly in the playoffs has me rethinking my emotional investment in sports. It consumes too much of my time and energy and the pain-to-joy ratio is way off-balance.
In a way, I wish I could be like those people who get so much joy out of watching young players develop and who, even though they do get disappointed when the Cs are eliminated, are able to just be like, "Ah well, what are you gonna do? Great season, guys! Can't wait til next year!" But I'm not like that. I care more about the name on the front of the jersey and want to see titles, especially now that the Lakers have officially tied the Celtics in the banner count.
I understand that process is a real thing and has value, but sometimes I get the feeling that Brad and his biggest supporters put more value in process than in results, sort of like, "Yeah, we want titles, but it's more important to create a pleasant atmosphere for players and fans and a solid product on the floor every season, and that we see personal growth." It gives me a very "corporate kumbaya" feeling. Like, even if there's disappointment, there isn't really disappointment — "everything is zen." I see absolutely zero Larry-Bird-calling-his-teammates-sissies grit with this iteration of the Celtics, and that concerns me.
And I do believe the Celtics players want to win, but it's as though the buddy-buddy, we're-all-friends-from-our-AAU-days spirit that's now prevalent across the NBA has sapped a lot of these guys of some of their competitive fire. They don't despise their opponents when they're on the court; they don't want to figuratively grind them into dust. Almost like the players think that pushing a lead past 20 and keeping it there is being mean.
And what I find interesting is that the game itself is now played with that kind of spirit — lots of 3-pointers (basically a no-contact play) and not much physical, interior play; lots of ticky-tack fouls called, meaning star players are often living at the free-throw line without really earning it. In other words, the game, like most of the players now, doesn't have grit or fire to it; it's mostly finesse and seeing who can make the longest 3pt heaves.
But I digress. Clearly I'm still not over it, LOL.
I find a lot to engage with in this post - even though I'm someone who isn't usually going to brood over whether we win or lose a particular game or series, because at the end of the day, it's just a bunch of guys I don't know playing basketball. That they're
our bunch of guys we don't know playing basketball is equally the most inconsequential and the most important thing ever, because that's fandom.
I do believe that basketball is the best team sport to see individual athletic excellence in action, and as a fan of a league "where amazing happens" there's a lot to get out of any NBA game that doesn't feature a Lakers' victory.
And like all of us, I think the Celtics being one of the best teams in the league for any given season is preferable to them being bad.
Obviously as a fandom I think we all hope for a 2007-2008 style barnstorm every year, but those sort of 'called shot' seasons are so few and far between I'd rather just try and enjoy the ride than try to backseat drive from all the way back on the tailgate.
Every title is a matter of luck meeting opportunity meeting talent - which is why I think process is really important. For a super simple example, imagine two universes - one where you started cheering for the Celtics in 2012 and one where you started cheering for Philadelphia.
If that makes me an empty-faced Corpo automoton with a Zen garden on my desk, so be it.
Topic: Anyone Else Still Not Over It? (Read 7197 times)