Fans need to catch up with the times by MistiLynn

How has technology changed sports fans?

Everyone has heard it said, “It’s the name on the front of the jersey that counts, not the name on the back.” Teams have die-hard fans who will follow an organization through thick-and-thin, winning and losing, good players and bad. The team of choice is usually the hometown team because once upon a time, that was the only choice.

Before the internet, it was more difficult to closely follow a team that wasn’t in your hometown. Television generally shows only the local teams, radio as well and the newspaper gives just a short description of other games. Fans were left with no choice.

That is no longer the case.

The internet has opened up a new world for fans, enabling them to connect with fans across the globe and follow their favorite team from anywhere.

Or favorite player.

Is it time now to challenge the aforementioned adage? After all, what is a team? It can change by the moment, depending on the coach, the players, the ownership and a variety of other factors. Look, for example, at the difference between the Lakers of the ’80’s and the team in purple and gold last year. Showtime was loved for their selflessness, lead by Magic Johnson, whereas the Shaq-and-Kobe era was one of the most hated teams in all of basketball because of their collection of future Hall-of-Famers, selfishness and internal dissention.

What’s in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet;
So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call’d,
Retain that dear perfection which he owes
Without that title.

Perhaps the challenge is that fans seem to better relate to owners than the players themselves. Again, why is that? The big talk over the summer was of star players making trade demands. From Vince Carter to Shaq to T-mac to J-Kidd, everyone seemed to want to go somewhere else. The fans were outraged, those players signed long term deals to play in one spot and they had better keep quiet and just play, that’s all they are good for.

Is that fair?

Jason Kidd and the Nets were in the Finals two years in a row, they had a young team that could have been good for years to come. Through some off-season moves, Kidd and Richard Jefferson found themselves all but alone in New Jersey and rather than dreaming of a championship, they were begging to win a game, any game. Add in some turmoil over new ownership and Kidd, arguably one of the best point guards in the league, found himself with what equates to a different team than he signed that long-term contract with. Was it petty for him to reach out to San Antonio? A waste of time, maybe, but can you really blame him?

Look at another example. You’re on a team that you love, you think the team loves you. You’re a hard working veteran with dreams of a championship and hope to be there for a long time. Then the unthinkable happens. You are traded to a team that has won a mere 2 games in a season 27 games gone with no hopes of making the playoffs, much less winning a championship. How can Jim Jackson not be upset by this surprising turn of events?

Even more than going from a playoff team to the worst in the league, he has to move again. It’s not like he just switched departments at work, he was sent 400 miles away and has no say in the matter. Well, since he’s decided not to show up in New Orleans, I guess he’s decided he should have a say in the matter.

I say good for him.

It’s not like he’s claiming he can’t feed a family on $7 million a year. No, that honor goes to pig-tail wearing Latrell Sprewell, one of many requesting to be traded from the Timberwolves. There will always be a few bad apples and it seems they’ve all frozen over in Minnesota.

Fans embrace trade ideas, trades that uproot people (yes, players are people) from their homes, family and friends, but lash out if that trade idea comes from the players themselves.

I have a saying that I carry through life, it says, “Other people are people, too.” Perhaps it’s time we stopped looking solely at the name on the front of the jersey and look at the name on the back. Appreciate the player for who they are, what they bring to the team and how moves in the team affect their lives. This isn’t just a hobby to them, as it is to fans, it’s their job - it’s their life. Their job is to sacrifice for the team, to be a team player, but it’s not their job to ignore it if the team isn’t sacrificing for him. Look at San Antonio for an example of what should be.

Tony Parker was upset when the Spurs made a strong run in free agency for Jason Kidd after the 2002-03 season. He had just helped the Spurs win the championship, in fact by beating Kidd, and was hurt that the team would do this to him. With his own free agency approaching, Parker would have been a hot commodity if he hadn’t re-signed in San Antonio. But the team that he sacrificed for came back to help him. Urged by Coach Popovich and 2-time MVP Tim Duncan, the Spurs re-signed Parker just hours before the deadline to a contract that was a little more than they had anticipated giving him. The Spurs organization take care of their own and, interestingly enough, people don’t beg to be traded away. In fact, people are begging to go to San Antonio (Brent Barry anyone?).

It’s time to challenge the old way of thinking. How can a player be your favorite one day, while wearing a particular jersey, and hate him the next because he is wearing different colors? Jazz fans who loved Karl Malone in Utah and hate him in Los Angeles – why? When he threw elbows with the Jazz it was great but with the Lakers, well, he must be a dirty player.

Guess what – the players don’t change.

The teams do.

It’s time the fans caught up.