Se Acabo

What a run it was, ¿que no?
It’s been said that when your inevitable demise is met by universal cheer, you were either REALLY good at what they wanted to be or were a really bad person.

I guess sports, as an arena in general is funny like that. One minute they hate you and the next they love you, sometimes stopping in-between to not bother with differentiating what or why they love or hate, just following what other people say is the proper response.
Growing up in NC, where college basketball is God and deep-seated passive-aggressive racism his only son, Jesus, I see it daily in the form of individuals who cheer for or against Duke and UNC. Seeing it first hand is the number one way to become intimately acquainted with the very motives of the “anyone but…”-type fan.

Of course, I am talking about the Lakers’ embarrassing loss yesterday to a team that, if history indicates ANYTHING, will inevitably choke and let their fans down…
I’d left my house at the end of the second quarter, as spending time with my woman, and then my mother, were and always will be more important than any sportin/entertainment event will be to me. Smartphone in hand, though, I was given constant reminders from people who know and care nothing about sports anyway that my favorite of my favorite sporting teams were being halocausted. If anyone who has been following me for a while didn’t know, I have been writing the weekly NBA report every Sunday for the homie Tony Grands over at Reading & Writing is for Dumb People since the season began. If anyone from here read it spoken there, or anyone from there is reading this here, you knew that I’d conceded this series after game 3.
While some might call this approach “the high road,” I would draw attention to the fact that this Lakers team that played this series (and most of the one before it) was that ugly version of the champions – of ANY 3-peating champion (yes, look at BOTH Bulls 3-peats and ours before this) – that figured that coasting while repeating Freddie Mercury lyrics was good enough.
[Phlip note – yes, hetero]
They should also note that I warned of this ALL season, and only fans seemed to get it.

I know that RIGHT now, there are Stans of Michael Jordan and LeBron James – and haters of Kobe Bryant – at this moment writing blogs about the death of the Lakers.
I have been a fan of the Lakers since 1985, thanks to my grandfather, and I would like to draw to their attention that in that time, I have witnessed 8 championships won by the team I prefer, which is more than ANY other team in that time. Not to mention that Adam Morrison, DJ Mbenga and Luke Walton all have more rings than any player still in the playoffs right now other than a dude who contributed to 3 of that 8.

I guess it stands to reason that people hating your guts with complete inability to maintain a reasonable set of reasons why that hold up to rebuttal, then you have truly earned your spot.
If my Facebook timeline is to be believed, Kobe Bryant is somewhere contemplating suicide, Lakers fans are all recovering from a nasty hangover following an exhaustive drinking binge that followed striking their wives and the Lakers losing was the best thing to happen for America since Osama bin Laden got In-Real-Life FPS Doug’d last weekend.

Except it didn’t happen… not in my house at lease.
I went to bed mostly sober last night, as I did not buy beer this weekend, nothing will make me hit my spouse and, frankly, I am far more appreciative for the ride than I could EVER be angry for its coming to an end, or at least a pause.
My mortgage and bills are good, no one is leaving anyone, and my ability to make sex has not been compromised by this. As a fan since age 5 or 6, we have all seen this cycle 3 times before this, and only two teams in the league seem to have been able to show the continued resolve to eventually bounce back from these. The other naturally being the only team I consider historically to be on the Lakers’ level. Congratulations, Celtics, you just got a compliment out of me, now do something about the Miami LeBrons, please?

I am not mad because it is over, I am not making excuses, I am still quite pleased because it happened. I am thankful for Phil Jackson and the leadership he brought to the team during his time on the bench, and while I would have loved a storybook ending, it has been one hell of a ride. I hope that the next coach has been imparted a generous enough helping of his wisdom, as with the same personnel, the team will be alright.
So long as someone locks Khloe Kardashian in a box from November to June next year and someone quits fucking around and unloads Andrew Bynum’s inconsistent ass.

The answer to the now-frequent “so who’s your team now that the Lakers are out?” is to remain “the Lakers next year, fuck everybody else.”
No fairweather fans live in my house.

And if you read this far and still wondering; se acabo is Spanish for "it's over."
Thanks for reading.

Comments

Tony Grands said…
Boom...

Couple of adjustments & years & we'll b back in the saddle.

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