I thought I'd throw in this mildy humorous email I got today, along with my mildly humorous reply. There's nothing that makes my day like some kid in my 250 person history lecture to whom i've never spoken to deciding that just because his pathetic home team managed to get into the NBA playoffs I suddenly will want to be his friend. Save your energy for the final nig nig.
For the sake of his feelings, which I've probably already smashed with a baseball bat, I'll omit his name - oh who am I kidding, sorry Gordon:
just wanted to let you all know (since you have some type of interest in history) that there is sports history in the making tonight
First los angeles clippers playoff game since 1997, and they havent won a playoff game since 1992. Just for further info, they havent won a series since 1976, but thats all about to change tonight!!
go CLIPPERS!
-gordon
Noticing Gordon's, errr, gordon's, love for haphazard and inappropriate capitalization and punctuation, i replied:
i don't really think sports history is defined by a terrible franchise finally achieving mediocrity after three decades of being one of the worst teams professional sports has ever seen. the clippers will be lucky to get out of this series, and sadly, that is where the dream will end. i actually had them losing in six or seven in the first round, but if carmello can't hit the clutch shots at the end of games that got the nuggets to where they are, then things could be different. if only we had a fast forward button for life so we could skip the next two months and get the the championship that we all know is coming - spurs v. pistons. the clippers are a cute sleeper pick, just like nash was a cute pick for mvp last year, but just like every fat girl knows, cute only gets you so far. it's time to let the big boys do their thing.
-the champ
Our friend replies:
haha whatever. Following teams like the Lakers or Spurs yields no character. There is absolutely no satisfaction gained in the past finals besides the Pistons two years ago because Piston fans actually know the hard work and dedication it takes to get to the finals. Furthermore, it doesn't happen overnight. If the Clippers want to do good in the future it is going to be progressively. They have Elton and Cuttino for the next 5 years so I think that their future looks bright.
Teams that are a obvious pick to win the Championship only disappoint their fans by not winning. Like when the Lakers dream team lost to the Pistons, no one was proud of the Lakers, everyone was pissed they didn’t win it all, even though they had come so close and worked so hard.
I have gotten so much satisfaction out of this Clipper season and if that’s the only win they get, they have still made me so happy and proud to be a fan. Tell me the last time a San Antonio or a Lakers fan has been proud of their team when they have fallen short of expectations. Truth be told, the Clippers are not about expectations so whatever they do can put a smile on my face. That is what sports are about, standing by your team when they are down so that when they come around, it feels great. I promise that the joy I have gotten in this one win over Denver is greater then the joy of the last three San Antonio Championship’s combined. Because I know how to appreciate hard work.
Okay I’ll get off my soap box now, who is your team anyways?
Dearest Gordon,
I suppose I can understand where you're coming from; however, you say that satisfaction comes from standing by your team when they are down, and then seeing them finally come around. Are you a forty year old Buffalo native? Because unless you are, you can't have ever seen this team be anything but down. Were you honestly a fan before this season? Or are you one of those Johnny Come Latelys. Or, probably even more likely, are you just a Clippers fan because you can't ever get Lakers tickets?
The Clippers' future would look bright if two of their three good players (Mobley and Cassell) weren't in danger of dying of old age before the decade is over. Something needs to be done about Chris Kaman too - and by something I mean he needs to evolve out of the apparent neanderthal stage that he is in. He looks like one of the monkeys from 2001: A Space Odyssey. Anyone who looks that much like the gorillas from CONGO should be able to get more than nine and a half rebounds a game.
Your team has come a long way, I'll give you that. They've gone from being on the same list as the Pittsburg Pirates and New York Islanders (Franchises That I Forget Exist For Years At A Time) to the list containing the likes of the Toronto Bluejays and the New York Jets (Aww, You Tried Hard!).
Since you ask, I am from Detroit, and am a Pistons fan. I have been since before the Grant Hill days. And being from Detroit, I know what it feels like to have a franchise perform so patheticly every season that some days you just want to carry the toaster into the shower a la Bill Murray in GROUNDHOG DAY.
So good luck to your team, and maybe someday Clippers tickets will cost $200 a pop just like the Lakers. At least they were worth the paper they were printed on this year.
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