Would you still follow the Celtics if they decided to tank?

[CelticConcourse]

I always wanted to pose this question.

[Who]

Yes but less so. Much less.

My interest would increase again as they acquire some highly talented young prospects.

[Afam]

Yes. Tanking would be too improve the team.

[PhoSita]

As long as the "tanking" was part of a principled rebuild process that involved playing and developing the most promising young players on the team a lot, then yeah, I'd still follow them.

Though obviously nothing will approach the level of excitement and night to night interest that I had when the team was a yearly threat to win 55-60 games.

At least not until we have some core stars who have shown the potential to reach that level again, at least.

[Celtics18]

If they made an official announcement that they were actively looking to lose games on purpose, I'm sure I would watch a lot less.

[thirstyboots18]

No.  I would check occasionally to see how they are doing and wait until they were a winning team before I invested this much time following them again.

I would not change allegiance to another team.

I would still watch good basketball when I could, though.

[moiso]

Yep.  I have in the past.  I like watching the young prospects develop.  I enjoyed watching a lot of pretty horrible Celtics teams in the Pitino era, etc.

[KGs Knee]

Sure, I'd still watch.  I'd still want them to do as well as they possibly could.

Would I go out of my way to watch every game, no.  Losing basketball just isn't anywhere near as interesting as winning basketball.  In fact, it's rather boring.

[PhoSita]

Honestly, if they head into next season finally looking to start the rebuilding process and move on from this era, I think I'd follow the team with much more interest than if they bring the gang back and the 2013-2014 season is just a year of watching reruns.

[thirstyboots18]

Hey, wait a minute.  Rebuilding and tanking are two different things.  Tanking is losing purposefully, in order to get a high draft pick.  I am totally against tanking!

I watched some pretty bad teams faithfully.  That was not tanking.  The team tanked in order to get Tim Duncan...it didn't work.  I will not watch every game if the team is set for failure.

[LatterDayCelticsfan]

Depends on whether I have confidence in whoever's running the tank job. If I'm sure the losses are part of a well thought out process of taking the team somewhere, then I'm more than happy to watch.

[KGs Knee]

Hey, wait a minute.  Rebuilding and tanking are two different things.  Tanking is losing purposefully, in order to get a high draft pick.  I am totally against tanking!

I watched some pretty bad teams faithfully.  That was not tanking.  The team tanked in order to get Tim Duncan...it didn't work.  I will not watch every game if the team is set for failure.

This is a really good point.

Why bother spending my time watching, if I already know the team is "trying" to lose.  That's lame.

[thirstyboots18]

Hey, wait a minute.  Rebuilding and tanking are two different things.  Tanking is losing purposefully, in order to get a high draft pick.  I am totally against tanking!

I watched some pretty bad teams faithfully.  That was not tanking.  The team tanked in order to get Tim Duncan...it didn't work.  I will not watch every game if the team is set for failure.

This is a really good point.

Why bother spending my time watching, if I already know the team is "trying" to lose.  That's lame.

My mantra is, "You never fail until you quit trying."  Those who fail intentionally only establish a tradition of losing.  I don't believe there is anything "principled" in that.

[csfansince60s]

I voted "even more than I do now".

I have been following the Cs for longer than my name suggests. I had seasons from '79 to 91.

This past year, the team in its current iteration was very difficult to watch for me. I spent far more time on this blog than I did watching the games.

I had far more fun watching the Cs in the 3-4 years prior to '07-'08. I was able to attend far more games as ticket prices were way more affordable, and the team was always doing promos. I was able to take my family to more games.

There was always the "hope" that young, new players would bring. The draft was far more intriguing. You didn't expect them to win, so you weren't as disappointed as often.

Sounds crazy, but that's how I feel.


+1 for the thread

[slamtheking]

Hey, wait a minute.  Rebuilding and tanking are two different things.  Tanking is losing purposefully, in order to get a high draft pick.  I am totally against tanking!

I watched some pretty bad teams faithfully.  That was not tanking.  The team tanked in order to get Tim Duncan...it didn't work.  I will not watch every game if the team is set for failure.

This is a really good point.

Why bother spending my time watching, if I already know the team is "trying" to lose.  That's lame.

my feelings exactly.  I'll glady watch a team that's trying to win games even if they're not very good (pre-KG for example) but I will follow the team less avidly if they're not putting in the effort to win night in and night out -- the current team since the Sheed season.  there's just too many nights the past 3 years where these guys just mail it in.  spent a lot of hard-earned money watching them get their butts kicked at home to the likes of the bottom-feeding Nets, Knicks, Bobcats, Raptors, etc of this league.