Boo to the Booing

[ws511]

Cheering and Booing go together.

They are the ying and yang of a fans emotions

Those that are against booing are probably against allowing someone to say something that they don't agree with.

Sounds way too controlling and Orwellian for me.

It's 'yin and yang' ... and (with all due respect) ... the rest of it is just ridiculous.

[Vellassco]

Look at back stage of the below picture and tell me how odd it is.



The magic word in Professional sport is SUCCESS.

There is huge difference btw Overachieving and Being Successful.

I'm following your foot steps ( I'm the one of them who thinks booing is an another plus at problem side):

- If you like to be overachieving and if you think your boos would make a difference then your target should be PLAYERS who you think they dont give their all or lazzy ones or inconsistent ones etc..

- If you like to be successful and you are not happy from what you see then your target should be your GM or Owner Company.

- If you like to gass out (you maybe mad at your boss or your wife whatever reason on that day) , you don't actually need rational reason to boo. Go and gass out.

P.S: Above picture is perfect sample of what if situation of unsuccessful GM of former NBA Champion. How deadly-passionate atmosphere isn't it? And their players were giving their all at this game. I don't think it has to do with effort.

[Raptor Jesus]

Today's athletes have an unnatural relationship to fans and the cities' folk they play in. Their words are filtered through personal PR agents, club spokesmen and worst of all media training/sports media dogmas.

That which is said can fit in your shoe. That which isn't should fill the papers, but SI can ill afford to make enemies of the Bosh's of the world, and thus we get more shoe lace talk.

Jay Triano can't blast his players as much as Jarret Jack can't out his coaching staff. There are mouths to feed between the truth and the reality. And as such the company line is fed to us the consumer. So when the steak and potato tastes suspiciously like dirt our only channels of disgust are our wallets (which never reach the player their dollars are made elsewhere) and our collective voice.

Boo has sonic elegance, where 'We the fans fear your endorsements, corporate sponsorships and contract negotiations are standing in the way of bringing this seasons expectations to fruition' doesn't quite come off with the same simplicity and zing.

[Apollo]

I think in an age where most players pledge allegiance to the almighty dollar, how can you expect a high tolerance from the fans? Many players go where the money is. Those hired guns are brought in to perform and have a positive impact. They're going to be under the microscope and if they can't hack the pressure then they shouldn't have signed up for the mission. Shout outs to Jason Kapono and Rafer Alson.

[Deadallus]

ws511 - Everyone is to blame from the management on down, no doubt.

Triano keeps going to his trusty lineup which includes Calderon and Jack on the floor at the same time, a lineup that has not worked one iota this season.

Management has laid their share of eggs too, by continulally overvaluing some players (O'Neal, Turk, Calderon), and undervaluing others (Garbajosa, Bonner).

Regardless of the mistakes everyone in the organization has made, the booing stems from an entire season of lackluster effort from the players on the court. If a coach says this is our defensive scheme, you don't whine and complain, you try to execute that to the best of your abilities and if it doesn't work then you re-evaluate. You don't throw the coach under the bus game after game by sitting on your thumbs.

Watch any game around the NBA, fans always respond loudest to those hustle plays where a guy dives for a loose ball, jumps into the stands to keep a ball in play. Even more so than spectacular dunks which draw more ohhs and ahhs than genuine cheering and clapping.

The sports fans in this city are rabid and passionate. You play hard and win or lose that fans will support you. You play like you're in a coma and they will let you have it, as well they should.

[ws511]

Quick replies:

nubreed000 - you have a point and I understand what you’re saying ... but I try not to focus on the “hard earned money (we spend) to watch MILLIONAIRES play ...” because I think it skews our attitude on the whole thing, making it difficult to get any satisfaction at all ... unless they sweat blood for us, leaving it all on the floor (which we would like, but it’s not realistic, I don’t think) While what you say is true, focusing on it makes us - consciously or not - ‘blame’ the players for the very large contracts that they agree to ... when really, what they’re being paid is relative to what everybody else in the league is getting paid. In other words, it’s not their fault that they make millions of dollars doing what they do ... so, I try to not make it a part of the equation.

Vellassco - I looked at the picture, but I didn’t understand what you were referring to.

Raptor Jesus - artfully said (I liked the “Boo has sonic elegance” - lol) ... and that’s all I got. I don’t disagree.

Apollo - fair enough. (Once again.)

Deadallus - I can’t disagree with what you said here. If the players really have ‘thrown the coach under the bus game after game ...’ who should be held responsible for that? I gotta say it’s on the coach. And yes, the fans here are good fans, no doubt at all, maybe among the best anywhere. I’m not blowing smoke - I’m one of the fans here, and I think all in all, we compare well with any fan bases that I’ve seen or been a part of. But if I had my druthers, we’d just boo less and cheer more ... even when we’re getting pounded ... well, to a degree, anyway. I just don’t like booing our own guys. As I see it, it’s not far from shooting ourselves in our own foot.

[Deadallus]

I guess we'll just agree to disagree. Especially if you blame the coach for being thrown under the bus, which is complete nonsense. Players hold all the power in this league and it wouldn't be the first time a team has hung a coach out to dry.

On a side not has anyone watched the 30 for 30 on Reggie Miller. Its amazing how pu$$y this league has become in about 15 years. I miss that kind of basketball. Especially when our team tops the softy list.

[ws511]

Deadallus - well, before I agree to ‘agree to disagree’, I’ll explain the premise behind saying that it is, or might be, the coach’s fault for the players throwing his own damn self under the bus.

Basically, it comes down to it being that the coach is who he is, and the particular dynamic that exists that allows himself to be in a position where the players can actually choose to throw him under the bus ... and then do so (if that’s indeed what has happened, here**), it is only because the coach himself has allowed that dynamic to exist.

Edit: ** I never thought the team threw Triano under the bus, btw. Still don't.

(In other words) if Phil Jackson or Larry Brown (say) was the coach of this team, is it likely that this team could (if they wanted to) throw either of them under the bus? I could be wrong, but I have to say, no, I don’t think so.

So ... that’s what I mean when I say ‘it’s the coach’s fault’.

To your side note about that ESPN show on Reggie Miller ... yes, I saw first, a part of it and I commented very similarly to what you said here, somewhere in the Forum here or over on the main RR page. (Later, I had a chance to watch the whole hour and a half - I think - and it was fantastic!) After watching the part of it that I saw the first time, it made me pine for a Raptors team that would have whatever it takes to go out there on on the floor with an attitude of refusing to lose. I said as much and someone pointed out that with all the rule-changes since then, we couldn’t see that kind of basketball, even if we had the players that were willing to play that way. I dunno ... but it’s too bad, if that’s true.

[Raptor Jesus]

Its tough to be a fan, no individual voice can be heard over the crowd... And when our collective vocabulary is Boo, DE-Fence, and AHHHASHALK*CLAP*AFHAJK*AHHHHH we don't got much to express ourselve with.

[Apollo]

Last night's game

when the final buzzer went, the fans stood and applauded.

Doug Smith's Toronto Raptors blog