Laker fan here, if the name isn't obvious. I appreciate the topic. It is unusual to invite the opinions of the other teams fans, but I think it opens a great dialogue. Not a fan of the trolls myself. I did read the blog rules, they seem a little strict, but I will try not to break any. What I mean is it will be difficult as the series goes on to have a 'spirited' discussion without using a few masked expletives (@#$%$#, etc) but we will see.
I know this has been said already, but as a real Laker fan I get a little tired of the celebrity questions. I know they show them on TV, but most fans don't care about them. Window dressing so to speak. Obviously some of them are great fans and we are glad to have them (Jack, Penny Marshall, Flea, Andy Garcia), but most (Tobey Maguire, Denzel, Sylvester Stallone) seem to be there to look good. Although Spidey has been to a lot of games this year, so the jury is still out.
I am 32 years old and grew up in LA, but now live in Palm Springs area (hence the PS in the name) I grew up watching Magic, Bird, and company. I am a season ticket holder and this is my 2nd season as one. I think the 2.5 hour drive to Staples Center automatically qualifies me as a real fan. Of course at the wrong time of day everyone has a 2.5 hour drive to Staples, LOL.
Unlike most Laker fans I don't hate the Celtics. I do think of them as a great rivalry, but to me rivalries are more about mutual respect that hatred. I hope it is a great series and a preview of the next decade to come. How great would that be???
I have to agree with Jloyola when he says that this is not the Lakers team that you saw earlier in the year. It is a combination of a smarter (more team oriented) Kobe, an improved (greatly) Lamar Odom, a more confident (Sasha, Farmar, Turiaf) bench, and of course Pau Gasol. I think the best way to sum it up is to say that the Lakers were the sum of their parts before and now are greater than the sum of their parts, if you know what I mean. I commented the same thing to the Spurs fans (on their blog poundingtherock.com), but they didn't seem to believe me. They seemed shocked (genuinely) by the way the Lakers played the series. They expected to see the same old selfish Kobe, the non-agressive Odom, the inexperienced bench, etc. Who knows if that will continue???
I hate the fact that we seem to be the favorites, there is nowhere to go but down. I heard a funny thing on the Laker blog that I frequent (LATimes Laker Blog). The commenter said "how can we be favored if we do not have home advantage? The Celtics are sure to be favored in 4 games in Boston, and the Lakers are sure to be favored in 3 games in LA" Seemed to be a logical argument to me.
We have only had a few Celtics fans come by on our blog. The one I remember called himself Lepracon. I know that is not the correct spelling, but he said it was because he was an ex-con. Working on the street cred I suppose. He was basically a undereducated Troll, but I don't think he is the norm for Celtics fans.
I guess I have rambled long enough, good luck in the series, hope to have further discussions.
Wow ... this is great stuff, PSLF ... and though I'll probably get bashed for it, let me be the first to give you a Tommy Point! Who says detente isn't possible on this level? I find it amazing to see all the really objective discourse on here between two "enemy camps", so to speak, and I have already learned a great deal about you folks that I didn't expect to, mainly that we're not so different after all.
I understand your difficulty with the expletives rule, it's gotten to the point with me that friends and family are actually
complaining about my use of words like: "heck" and "darn" and "shoot", etc., so I blame the CB. You get used to it after a while, but it requires a little extra "venting" time for me. (I like to go to the ocean at low-tide, walk as far out as I can, and just scream at the top of my lungs ... or swear for a good 4 or 5 minutes straight!
)
Anyway ... I personally appreciate your honesty here, and while I can't say I'm a "big" enough person to
not hate the Lakers, I
do admire your fairness and objectivity. You have to realize, this is New England, and many of us are from a long line of Laker-haters ... it's in our green blood, and it's been passed down to us from our parents and grandparents. So don't take it personally ... it's just who we are ... as much a part of us as rock lobster, Red Sox, clam chowder, L.L. Bean, and reckless driving!
I can understand your not liking the favoritism afforded your team, as I personally
love the fact that we're the underdogs, and it's always better, I feel, to have that "what do we have to lose" viewpoint of the least-favored. On the other hand, you guys
do have the best basketball player in the world, and that more than makes up for it, I think. Also, Gasol is the big question mark here, and the "hidden ace" you have up your sleeve, as we haven't played your team since his addition, and that alone makes this
much more of a contest.
Above all, I thank you for taking the time to write this really thoughtful post, and I hope you'll be around more, to add your views from the other side. I admire anyone who can rise above their emotions and be as civil to the enemy as you have been here, (I know I fall short myself) ... though I imagine it
may take on a new personality after the battles start. All the best to you and yours for a great series and a worthy opponent. Hope you'll be back! (Though I may not be as civil in the near future, lol!)
