When the C's bring home banner 18, how grateful will they be for the fans?

[bobdelt]

Seeing how so many of their fans, and local media, wrote them off early in the playoffs, some not even thinking they'd get by Wade and the Heat. Do you think this effects the mentality of the players? It was pretty obvious most people gave up on them, and if I were them, I wouldn't be exactly thrilled to come back to Boston and thank the fans, when most of them just jumped back on the wagon.

Now, before people call me a troll, I understand how people could write them off, they lost to the Nets and people wanted to rebuild. I just wonder how this affects the players. I dont think they can really blame anyone for losing faith in them, but at the same time, how happy will they be to bring back a trophy to the fans that gave up on them?

I don't care if YOU DID or DID NOT give up on them, that's not my question.

[Birdbrain]

Seeing how so many of their fans, and local media, wrote them off early in the playoffs, some not even thinking they'd get by Wade and the Heat. Do you think this effects the mentality of the players? It was pretty obvious most people gave up on them, and if I were them, I wouldn't be exactly thrilled to come back to Boston and thank the fans, when most of them just jumped back on the wagon.

Now, before people call me a troll, I understand how people could write them off, they lost to the Nets and people wanted to rebuild. I just wonder how this affects the players. I dont think they can really blame anyone for losing faith in them, but at the same time, how happy will they be to bring back a trophy to the fans that gave up on them?

I don't care if YOU DID or DID NOT give up on them, that's not my question.

I saw Pierce interviewed and he was asked this question and he (took the highroad) said that he understood because they were playing poorly.  But IMO there were some that went overboard and didn't use their brains concerning injuries and I wouldn't be surprised if a they made some comments about it after they win it.  Boston as sports town for media has about 1 or 2 guys that I respect.  The rest pretty much suck and think they know something but, know very little.

And of course you got the whole red sox nation.

[Chris]

Seeing how so many of their fans, and local media, wrote them off early in the playoffs, some not even thinking they'd get by Wade and the Heat. Do you think this effects the mentality of the players? It was pretty obvious most people gave up on them, and if I were them, I wouldn't be exactly thrilled to come back to Boston and thank the fans, when most of them just jumped back on the wagon.

Now, before people call me a troll, I understand how people could write them off, they lost to the Nets and people wanted to rebuild. I just wonder how this affects the players. I dont think they can really blame anyone for losing faith in them, but at the same time, how happy will they be to bring back a trophy to the fans that gave up on them?

I don't care if YOU DID or DID NOT give up on them, that's not my question.

They brought every fan reaction on themselves, and they know it.  The benefit of the doubt is not something in a lot of fans vocabulary.  We react to what we see, and what we saw was not worthy of praise until the playoffs start. 

And I certainly do not think of bandwagon fans as fans who did not think the team would do as well as they did, I would consider bandwagon fans as people who did not pay attention to the team until they started playing well.  We were clearly paying attention, as evidenced by our complaining and booing.

[RAcker]

Seeing how so many of their fans, and local media, wrote them off early in the playoffs, some not even thinking they'd get by Wade and the Heat. Do you think this effects the mentality of the players? It was pretty obvious most people gave up on them, and if I were them, I wouldn't be exactly thrilled to come back to Boston and thank the fans, when most of them just jumped back on the wagon.

Now, before people call me a troll, I understand how people could write them off, they lost to the Nets and people wanted to rebuild. I just wonder how this affects the players. I dont think they can really blame anyone for losing faith in them, but at the same time, how happy will they be to bring back a trophy to the fans that gave up on them?

I don't care if YOU DID or DID NOT give up on them, that's not my question.

They brought every fan reaction on themselves, and they know it.  The benefit of the doubt is not something in a lot of fans vocabulary.  We react to what we see, and what we saw was not worthy of praise until the playoffs start. 

And I certainly do not think of bandwagon fans as fans who did not think the team would do as well as they did, I would consider bandwagon fans as people who did not pay attention to the team until they started playing well.  We were clearly paying attention, as evidenced by our complaining and booing.

Well said.

[Q_FBE]

I suspect they won't reach out and shake my hand (Heckuva reach BTW). But I think they can take satisfaction of a job well done and share it with the fans at the victory Duck Boat Parade.

[guava_wrench]

It's the northeast. There are a lot of belligerent fans here.

[Birdbrain]

Seeing how so many of their fans, and local media, wrote them off early in the playoffs, some not even thinking they'd get by Wade and the Heat. Do you think this effects the mentality of the players? It was pretty obvious most people gave up on them, and if I were them, I wouldn't be exactly thrilled to come back to Boston and thank the fans, when most of them just jumped back on the wagon.

Now, before people call me a troll, I understand how people could write them off, they lost to the Nets and people wanted to rebuild. I just wonder how this affects the players. I dont think they can really blame anyone for losing faith in them, but at the same time, how happy will they be to bring back a trophy to the fans that gave up on them?

I don't care if YOU DID or DID NOT give up on them, that's not my question.

They brought every fan reaction on themselves, and they know it.  The benefit of the doubt is not something in a lot of fans vocabulary.  We react to what we see, and what we saw was not worthy of praise until the playoffs start. 

And I certainly do not think of bandwagon fans as fans who did not think the team would do as well as they did, I would consider bandwagon fans as people who did not pay attention to the team until they started playing well.  We were clearly paying attention, as evidenced by our complaining and booing.

They deserved the benefit of the doubt and those of us that gave it to them because of injuries can be happy knowing we did. 

Booing are you kidding me?  Not a chance.  That does appear to be the Boston way though.  I'm thankfully not from Boston and never been a fan of the Red Sox.

KG is limping up and down the court and you got Simmons' making jokes about him.  You want to be part of that fandom by all means. 

[Fafnir]

I hate it when fans tell other fans what they should believe or how they should root, which is what your post is dancing around.

I think the C's will be grateful to the Garden crowd and happily frolic in another banner parade. They might play the "no one believed in us card" a few times in interviews but thats about it.

[Fafnir]

Seeing how so many of their fans, and local media, wrote them off early in the playoffs, some not even thinking they'd get by Wade and the Heat. Do you think this effects the mentality of the players? It was pretty obvious most people gave up on them, and if I were them, I wouldn't be exactly thrilled to come back to Boston and thank the fans, when most of them just jumped back on the wagon.

Now, before people call me a troll, I understand how people could write them off, they lost to the Nets and people wanted to rebuild. I just wonder how this affects the players. I dont think they can really blame anyone for losing faith in them, but at the same time, how happy will they be to bring back a trophy to the fans that gave up on them?

I don't care if YOU DID or DID NOT give up on them, that's not my question.

They brought every fan reaction on themselves, and they know it.  The benefit of the doubt is not something in a lot of fans vocabulary.  We react to what we see, and what we saw was not worthy of praise until the playoffs start.  

And I certainly do not think of bandwagon fans as fans who did not think the team would do as well as they did, I would consider bandwagon fans as people who did not pay attention to the team until they started playing well.  We were clearly paying attention, as evidenced by our complaining and booing.

I also don't think bandwagon fans that broadly.

I think of bandwagon fans as the type who only follow the team when they're "the story". Like my roomate Graham, he roots for the C's largely because I talk about them so much. He doesn't follow the C's overall though and only watches the playoffs and a few national games. He's a bandwagon fan by my book, and I don't mind it.

I never understand the need to purge "bandwagon" fans.

[cornbreadsmart]

I think it's a shame how little Boston appreciates this team. Sadly, I blame the old timers.. well not even. People in their mid 30's all the way up are more about the name on the back. People are so fond of the Bird teams(for many in Boston it's all about how white that team was. Sorry but it's true).
     But a die hard is a die hard. There are boston sports fans and there are Celtic fans. Completely different things.

[Ed Teach]

Boston fans are known to be hard on their teams when they are not performing.  They are also equally extreme when they are winning.  It is part of what makes Boston fans unique.

In other towns, the fans don't get vocal like Boston fans they just disappear.  The Celtics understand and embrace the fans.  Also, I am not sure that the players themselves believed they could win until the playoffs actually got here.

[Rondo_is_better]

I don't think they need to thank us at all. We need to thank them. We sucked this year.

[bdm860]

I think they'll be as grateful as every other championship team in every other city in every other sport.

Do you really think any players are that grateful to any fans?  (Whether or not you think they should be...)

[BudweiserCeltic]

Seeing how so many of their fans, and local media, wrote them off early in the playoffs, some not even thinking they'd get by Wade and the Heat. Do you think this effects the mentality of the players? It was pretty obvious most people gave up on them, and if I were them, I wouldn't be exactly thrilled to come back to Boston and thank the fans, when most of them just jumped back on the wagon.

Now, before people call me a troll, I understand how people could write them off, they lost to the Nets and people wanted to rebuild. I just wonder how this affects the players. I dont think they can really blame anyone for losing faith in them, but at the same time, how happy will they be to bring back a trophy to the fans that gave up on them?

I don't care if YOU DID or DID NOT give up on them, that's not my question.

They brought every fan reaction on themselves, and they know it.  The benefit of the doubt is not something in a lot of fans vocabulary.  We react to what we see, and what we saw was not worthy of praise until the playoffs start.

You don't have to praise them. No need to boo them either... this team in particular.

There was a lot of hypocrisy going on, and it was a bit absurd at times. There's no need to rationalize it.

[Redz]

Can we change the "When" in the title to "If"?

I don't foresee these Lakers laying down like the 2008 lambs squad.

We've got a battle ahead of us before we prep a parade.