To Boo or Not To Boo
Hello again. I’ve been away for a little over a year taking care of other business. But I’m back just in time to discuss the Lakers’ decline. At least I didn’t start writing again before Andrew Bynum, the Lakers’ promising young center, hurt his knee. If that were the case, I probably would have blamed myself for jinxing the team.
Anyway, tonight the Lakers play the Denver Nuggets and one of the key questions for me, aside from whether the Lakers have learned to play without Bynum or how much Trevor Ariza’s absence will hurt the team, is how the crowd will respond to Bynum’s replacement by Kwame Brown.
Last time the Lakers played, last Thursday night against the Phoenix Suns, the home crowd roundly booed Brown. Even though I think the trade for Brown in 2005 was a travesty for the Lakers and I have completely given up hope on the idea of him helping the Lakers, I did not join in the boos. I despise Kwame Brown. I’ve literally screamed out the words “I hate you Kwame Brown” while watching him miss a slam-dunk against the Memphis Grizzlies. I live for July 1st when Brown will become a free agent and leave the Lakers. But I don’t think I could ever bring myself to boo Brown, or any other individual Laker, during a Lakers game.
Now don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against booing. I routinely engage in booing when I attend Laker games. Usually my jeers are directed at referees and horrendous officiating, but every once in a while the Lakers become my target. The boos come out when the Lakers are dogging it: when they don’t play defense, forget to rebound, take too many threes, or generally don’t hustle. Most memorably for me was game two of the 2004 NBA Finals. After the Lakers lost game one of the series I expected to see them put forth a tremendous effort in game two. When it didn't happen, my frustrations boiled over and the boos came forth. I was so annoyed that I couldn’t even enjoy Kobe Bryant’s three-pointer that tied the game or the overtime that was dominated by the Lakers.
Some might see my stance as a bit illogical and neither type of booing as supportive. I don’t dispute that I can be irrational, but let me explain why I see a difference between booing your team’s player and booing your team. When I boo the Lakers, I’m not booing them because I don’t love the Lakers or want them to stop playing. I’m booing them because I’m trying to motivate them to play better after my cheering has failed. On the other hand booing just one player is like an attack. When I saw people booing Brown, I saw animosity. Sure some people might be hoping for him to pick up his game, but generally they are hoping that he gets taken out of the game and replaced with another player. There is no support in that.
So tonight when Brown blows another lay up or fumbles another rebound or pass, you might hear me curse Brown and call him the worst player ever, but you won’t hear me booing him. And who knows, if the Lakers are able to get a victory, you might even hear me cheering him.
Anyway, tonight the Lakers play the Denver Nuggets and one of the key questions for me, aside from whether the Lakers have learned to play without Bynum or how much Trevor Ariza’s absence will hurt the team, is how the crowd will respond to Bynum’s replacement by Kwame Brown.
Last time the Lakers played, last Thursday night against the Phoenix Suns, the home crowd roundly booed Brown. Even though I think the trade for Brown in 2005 was a travesty for the Lakers and I have completely given up hope on the idea of him helping the Lakers, I did not join in the boos. I despise Kwame Brown. I’ve literally screamed out the words “I hate you Kwame Brown” while watching him miss a slam-dunk against the Memphis Grizzlies. I live for July 1st when Brown will become a free agent and leave the Lakers. But I don’t think I could ever bring myself to boo Brown, or any other individual Laker, during a Lakers game.
Now don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against booing. I routinely engage in booing when I attend Laker games. Usually my jeers are directed at referees and horrendous officiating, but every once in a while the Lakers become my target. The boos come out when the Lakers are dogging it: when they don’t play defense, forget to rebound, take too many threes, or generally don’t hustle. Most memorably for me was game two of the 2004 NBA Finals. After the Lakers lost game one of the series I expected to see them put forth a tremendous effort in game two. When it didn't happen, my frustrations boiled over and the boos came forth. I was so annoyed that I couldn’t even enjoy Kobe Bryant’s three-pointer that tied the game or the overtime that was dominated by the Lakers.
Some might see my stance as a bit illogical and neither type of booing as supportive. I don’t dispute that I can be irrational, but let me explain why I see a difference between booing your team’s player and booing your team. When I boo the Lakers, I’m not booing them because I don’t love the Lakers or want them to stop playing. I’m booing them because I’m trying to motivate them to play better after my cheering has failed. On the other hand booing just one player is like an attack. When I saw people booing Brown, I saw animosity. Sure some people might be hoping for him to pick up his game, but generally they are hoping that he gets taken out of the game and replaced with another player. There is no support in that.
So tonight when Brown blows another lay up or fumbles another rebound or pass, you might hear me curse Brown and call him the worst player ever, but you won’t hear me booing him. And who knows, if the Lakers are able to get a victory, you might even hear me cheering him.
posted by The Pocho at 12:47 PM
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