By Michael Haas
LeBron James plays basketball for the Cleveland Cavaliers. LeBron went to high school in Akron, Ohio. Despite his heavy Ohio connections, he has chosen to root for the New York Yankees. He even went so far as to sport a Yankees cap at the Indians - Yankees playoff game the other night. The move caused a fracas in the city of Cleveland. Sports fans couldn't believe that their great hometown basketball player could be rooting for the enemy.
In an ideal world, a kid from Ohio would root for the Indians (or Reds, I guess.) But the fact is LeBron James can cheer for whomever he chooses. I know a lot of people who chose to cheer for the winners rather than the hometown team. But why? I believe a persons lack of interest in the local team can be explained in three categories.
1. Growing up
Family connections are a big part of sports fandom. No matter where one lives, if the parents root a specific sports team, the son or daughter will likely emulate.
2. lack of connections to local team and people
If the parents or family of the fan in question are uninterested in sports, it becomes the responsibility of the local teams fans, marketing department and performance to sway a potential fan. If there is no general excitement toward a team in the media or the general populace, it becomes hard to entice the common man. The Minnesota Golden Gopher football team is the perfect example of this. They don't have the excitement on the field, nor the people and the media. And since it's been 45 years since there has been excitement, there are no parents to even pass along any sense of fandom.
2b. If one is not an original fan of the sport, it usually takes a good team to become a fan. And often, the good team is not the local team. I can imagine people (girls and adolescent boys) watching the Yankees between 1996 and 2000, and thinking how great baseball is and how great the Yankees are.
3. Agitating others
Some people enjoy breaking away from the crowd. If everyone loves a team, why would an original, intelligent person love that same team. If one could anger many by simply wearing a cap, why not do it? Gaining attention is always fun.
So, in conclusion, why does LeBron from Akron root for the Yankees? First of all, I would think that he is not a true baseball fan. Secondly, LeBron probably enjoys attention, publicity and good-natured controversy. And lastly, LeBron is a terrible person.
Monday, October 8, 2007
To Be a Sports Traitor
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5 comments:
it should be noted that the Yankees have a long and illustrious history, and legacy is a big part of fandom and shit.
but hope that no one cheers for the current yankees just because babe ruth and mickey mantle wore the pinstripes.
I think it is because LeBron can't read and thought it said "Go Tribe!" I know if I could shoot a basketball I would have no need to concern myself with petty things like schoolin'.
I take the stance that he can obviously do whatever he wants. But that doesn't mean I won't judge him for it. First off he likes the Yankees and the Cowboys, so that tells me he was one of those ultra-impressional youth that chose to root for whatever team was winning at the time (I bet he likes the braves too).
Okay, he likes the Yankees, that's great. He is entitled to his own opinion. But to sit behind home plate and flaut his allegience with the devil to millions of fans is just stupid. Cleveland is paying a lot of money (through ticket sales, jerseys, caps etc.) to support LeBron, and when he does this bullshit to his fans I think its lame.
I would be pretty upset if KG was wearing a A's hat behind homeplate last year.
If I was a Cleveland sports fan I think I would be fairly upset with Lebron. It would be a differnt story if he wasnt from Ohio. The only thing I can liken it to would be if Joe Mauer showed up at a Packer-Viking game at the Dome sporting a Farve #4 jersey. And even that doesnt seem quite as bad as Lebron with a Yankee hat on because a lot of Minnesotans cheer for the Packers (which is another issue alltogether).
Either way the Cavs should probably trade Lebron to the Wolves for Mark Madsen and a 2nd round draft pick so they can avoid any more controversy.
...reason 4,523 I hate yankee fans.
Your second category of sports traitorism holds true with packer fans in sioux falls south dakota. despite the fact that green bay is 8 hours away i grew up with way too many ass clowns that thought the pack was their home team. They just gew up to the viking sucking and the packers going to superbowls...cowards.
I also feel that a packer fan that lives in minnesota has to also be a brewers and bucks fan.
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