By: Jeff Lingard
Grantland posted a roundup of staff
opinions on whether it is acceptable
for a Knicks fan to become a Nets fan now that they have moved to Brooklyn.
I don’t know how I would react to this if I were a Knicks fan, especially now
that the Jeremy Lin offer sheet was not matched. Bill Simmons thinks that this
is an appropriate question due to the Knicks mismanagement for a number of
years and the fact that they have an unlikeable owner. I am not going to judge
how others would make this decision since the choice of a team to follow is a
personal one and is different for each individual. I was brought up to pick my
teams and then stick with them no matter what. Even if they were the worst
organization in baseball in the 1980’s, the football team left town for three
years, they didn’t win a title in the 7 years they had the best basketball
player on the planet, and they endured the longest playoff drought in NHL
history.
I think it really depends on the situation
to whether someone should change teams. If I were a Knicks fan living in
Brooklyn then I would think about changing allegiances, especially if I was
planning on living in Brooklyn for the rest of my life. It would be a long term
choice though, since I think it is unacceptable if the fan becomes a bandwagon
jumper. The fact that a Knicks fan would consider jumping to the Nets who have
Billy King as their GM and have not built a title contender yet, and unless
they do get Dwight Howard, I don’t think they will contend in the near future.
If it was Oklahoma City or San Antonio moving to Brooklyn I would probably dump
the Knicks for the new hometown team without a second thought.
Media coverage of the NHL in Canada touches
on the possibility of expansion to Quebec City or the Toronto area about once a
month. The Toronto option is fascinating because the Leafs’ fan morale is about
as low as the Knicks fans. People think Toronto is a hockey town but it is
really a Leafs town. The most interesting scenario was when Pittsburgh almost
did not get a new arena. If Jim Balsille had bought the Penguins and moved them
to the Greater Toronto Area with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin I think a
large part of the Leafs fan base would have switched to the new Toronto
franchise. I don’t think there will be quite the fan migration if an expansion
team comes to the proposed arena in Markham, Ontario, which is on the outskirts
of Toronto.
I am in a different situation than a number
of sports fans as I do not cheer for the “local” sports team as Peterborough is
too small to have a professional sports team. Obviously, I cheer for the Petes
of the OHL. I have thought about what I would do if a NHL team moved to
Peterborough. I think I would give up cheering for the Panthers but it would be
a hard decision, and other than the Panthers folding I don’t think there are
any other reasons for me to switch teams. Luckily, it is almost impossible that
I will have to make this choice.
What would make you switch whom you cheer
for? I’m too far gone with my current teams as they have all had near misses
and long periods of time without a title so when something happens, like the
Browns winning the Super Bowl, it will be that much sweeter. The only team I
could never switch allegiance from is the Indians. My fandom of them is one of
my defining characteristics of my life and I don’t think I could ever switch or
be able to tell my Dad or imagine what my late grandfather would think of me if
I stopped cheering for them.
Thanks for reading. I welcome your comments
and any constructive criticism you have. You can follow me on Twitter
@jefflingard.
3 comments:
Coming from one Clevelander to another, I completely understand where you're coming from. I see how New Yorkers though, particularly those in Brooklyn and further down Long Island wouldn't have a problem switching due to the size of the city. The Indians NEED us, can't say the same for the Knicks
It's tough. I'm from Boston, and we're kind of insane fans. I root for only Boston teams but I hate more teams than others and I'll root for teams playing New York teams, Montreal teams, Philly teams etc. It's one thing if the franchise changes location and the become the 'locals'… but I will never in a million years root against my Boston teams no matter where I live. Maybe it's because they've been so successful for most of my life, but I love my teams and there's no way I would change if some other team came into New England. That's just me though
Thanks for the comments guys.
Chuck: I agree, the Indians do need us. I don't go to games because I haven't been able to make the trip but I do follow the team and buy a MLB audio pass each year to follow them.
Scott: Would you have felt the same way about the Bruins if a second NHL team was granted to them in their dark days of the late 90's and early 00's and that second team had a player like Crosby to build around? It's an interesting question and I think it always depends on the situation. If the Nets were a team like Sacramento or Cleveland I don't think it's as hard of a choice for Brooklyn fans.
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