I’m often chided by certain friends over what they perceive to be my unrelentingly vicious hatred of Southern California sports teams, specifically the Dodgers, Lakers and Angels.(1) It seems beyond their comprehension that I could so vehemently dislike the aforementioned teams especially considering I live in LA. Why is it, they wonder, that during this year’s NBA playoffs(2), I am consistently rooting for the Denver Nuggets to clobber Kobe Bryant on every one of his obviously wild, ref-baiting drives to the hoop? Why did I cackle in glee when Manny Ramirez - one of the greatest pure hitters baseball has seen in the last three decades - got a 50-game suspension for a PED violation? Why do I consistently deride the legitimacy of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim(3) even though they are, for all intents and purposes, one of the best run teams in the sport? Well, duh. It’s because I’m a real sports fan.
Settle down with the jeers and allow me to expound...
Anybody that has spent even five minutes with me knows that I am, and always will be, a Bay Area sports nut. It’s just who I am and how I express my love of sports. Now some of my friends argue that true sports fandom is defined not by team affiliation, but by an appreciation of the inherent qualities of the sport itself; that at the end of the day, I should favor the purity of competition between the two best teams over an interest in my team’s participation (or not) in said competition. I disagree. Don’t get me wrong, I see their point and even agree with it to some extent. I watched yesterday’s UEFA Championship Match between Barcelona and Manchester United, for example, not because I had a rooting interest in either team, but because I wanted to watch sports played at its highest level. That’s all fine and good, but only when I don’t have a proverbial horse in the race. I would’ve tuned into that game a little differently if I had a Lionel Messi trading card in my wallet.
My reason for rooting against LA teams is simple.(4) They are the rivals of my favored teams. Part of what I despise most about Southern California “sports fans” is their casual, bandwagon approach to fandom.(5) It’s easy to root for the Lakers because they are consistently at or near the top of the mountain. There’s no real disappointment or letdown at stake for their fans when they play. It’s not so easy to remain a fan, however, when your team is mired in a state of managerial incompetency (as my Warriors have been for nearly 15 years).(6) Now some people will call it illogical or even masochistic to support a team that is clearly terrible. But the underlying lesson of sports, to me, has always been a little bit about faith. Faith that a championship season is just around the corner no matter how untalented you know your team to be and despite every piece of evidence telling you otherwise. That is why true sports fans tune in every single season with baited breath, hoping that “this is our year.” Because a true sports fan is an invested sports fan and any enemy of my enemy is, in turn, my friend.
This is why I’m hoping Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups can somehow overcome the aggravating boneheadedness of George Karl, JR Smith and Kenyon Martin(7) and lead the Nuggets to wins in Games 6 and 7. This is why I’m hoping that the annual Dodgers collapse - wherein they find a way to spectacularly underperform despite their league-high payroll - is due any day now. Because if I can’t watch MY teams dismantle their enemies, then I’ll settle for seeing any other team get a shot at doing so. God sports are awesome.
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(1) I’d mention the Kings too but let’s be real, nobody watches hockey.
(2) Which have been out of this world so far, by the way.
(3) Let’s face it: their ridiculously contrived name is reason enough to hate them.
(4) According to my friend, it’s because “Ken hates everything LA” which, I admit, is only partly true.
(5) As much as I hate to say it, even Dodger fans are more worthy of rival respect than Laker fans because it’s obvious that they are more spiritually connected to their team. Attendees at Laker games are just as likely to be there for a Justin Timberlake sighting than to see Kobe Bryant play his ass off.
(6) I keep hoping Chris Cohan will sell the Warriors to a real owner, but that’s probably just wishful thinking at this point.
(7) Let’s just say I’m not holding my breath on this one.
Ken Cheng
Los Angeles, CA
Settle down with the jeers and allow me to expound...
Anybody that has spent even five minutes with me knows that I am, and always will be, a Bay Area sports nut. It’s just who I am and how I express my love of sports. Now some of my friends argue that true sports fandom is defined not by team affiliation, but by an appreciation of the inherent qualities of the sport itself; that at the end of the day, I should favor the purity of competition between the two best teams over an interest in my team’s participation (or not) in said competition. I disagree. Don’t get me wrong, I see their point and even agree with it to some extent. I watched yesterday’s UEFA Championship Match between Barcelona and Manchester United, for example, not because I had a rooting interest in either team, but because I wanted to watch sports played at its highest level. That’s all fine and good, but only when I don’t have a proverbial horse in the race. I would’ve tuned into that game a little differently if I had a Lionel Messi trading card in my wallet.
My reason for rooting against LA teams is simple.(4) They are the rivals of my favored teams. Part of what I despise most about Southern California “sports fans” is their casual, bandwagon approach to fandom.(5) It’s easy to root for the Lakers because they are consistently at or near the top of the mountain. There’s no real disappointment or letdown at stake for their fans when they play. It’s not so easy to remain a fan, however, when your team is mired in a state of managerial incompetency (as my Warriors have been for nearly 15 years).(6) Now some people will call it illogical or even masochistic to support a team that is clearly terrible. But the underlying lesson of sports, to me, has always been a little bit about faith. Faith that a championship season is just around the corner no matter how untalented you know your team to be and despite every piece of evidence telling you otherwise. That is why true sports fans tune in every single season with baited breath, hoping that “this is our year.” Because a true sports fan is an invested sports fan and any enemy of my enemy is, in turn, my friend.
This is why I’m hoping Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups can somehow overcome the aggravating boneheadedness of George Karl, JR Smith and Kenyon Martin(7) and lead the Nuggets to wins in Games 6 and 7. This is why I’m hoping that the annual Dodgers collapse - wherein they find a way to spectacularly underperform despite their league-high payroll - is due any day now. Because if I can’t watch MY teams dismantle their enemies, then I’ll settle for seeing any other team get a shot at doing so. God sports are awesome.
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(1) I’d mention the Kings too but let’s be real, nobody watches hockey.
(2) Which have been out of this world so far, by the way.
(3) Let’s face it: their ridiculously contrived name is reason enough to hate them.
(4) According to my friend, it’s because “Ken hates everything LA” which, I admit, is only partly true.
(5) As much as I hate to say it, even Dodger fans are more worthy of rival respect than Laker fans because it’s obvious that they are more spiritually connected to their team. Attendees at Laker games are just as likely to be there for a Justin Timberlake sighting than to see Kobe Bryant play his ass off.
(6) I keep hoping Chris Cohan will sell the Warriors to a real owner, but that’s probably just wishful thinking at this point.
(7) Let’s just say I’m not holding my breath on this one.
Ken Cheng
Los Angeles, CA
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