By: Jordan Ramirez
As the 2010-2011 NBA season comes to a close, so does another lackluster Warriors season which will bring us another below .500 record and enough off-season questions to make Chris Brown throw a chair through another window. What else is new? The Warriors have had only two above .500 records in the past sixteen seasons. The Warriors have certified themselves as NBA doormats until proven otherwise. As Ray Allen correctly stated in a February 22nd game against the Boston Celtics, “this team [the Warriors] doesn’t belong on the same floor with us.”
Yet besides the aforementioned sub-mediocrity of this lowly NBA franchise, the Warriors still have some of the best attendance numbers in the league. In the past 11 seasons, the Warriors have ranked in the top half of attendance six times with an average of just over 17,000 per game. Remarkable considering the Warriors have an above .500 team once every 8 seasons. The Warriors have always put great efforts towards promotion, but herein lies the problem.
“You are the best fans in the NBA” were some of the first words Joe Lacob said on his first official night as the Warriors new co-owner. It’s a phrase Warriors fans have become accustomed to over the years. But we don’t have the best fans in the NBA; we have the most loyal ones. The best fans in the NBA should also be the most knowledgeable, which we aren’t (“MVP!” chants for Monta Ellis). The best fans in the NBA should also be the most critical, which we aren’t. The best fans in the NBA shouldn’t support such a mediocre product so faithfully for so long, but we did.
There’s nothing wrong with supporting your hometown team. There’s nothing wrong with sticking through your team through the tough times; every team goes through them. I’m not saying to jump ship from your hometown love because they’ve been dreadful for so long. I’m saying there is a problem of being too loyal to your team. There must be a line drawn. I’m obviously not speaking to every member of the fan base, but because we were so publically displaying this loyalty, Cohan probably wondered why he had to make any competent basketball moves at all. The integrity of the basketball team was diminished because of over-exposed loyalty as a whole fan base. Chris Cohan was a terrible owner: he knows it, we know it, the NBA knows it, Charlie Sheen after banging a seven gram crack rock knows it. But the fans didn’t give him give incentive to do better.
Cohan clearly led what was a profit first, production later ownership tenure. During these years of ineptitude, Warriors fans still attended games, still bought merchandise and still paid their hard earned money on a franchise not worthy of such dedication. The Warriors didn’t deserve such loyal, enthused and committed fans. I don’t hate on the fan base for loving basketball. If fans want to go see games, they have every right too. But if your attendance of these games clearly motivates your inept owner to do less with the on court product, is it the right thing to do? Would “the best fans in the NBA” consider this a smart thing to do? As the Warriors move into a new era with Joe Lacob and Peter Guber, it’s imperative we don’t fall into the same traps. As we see the team slowly improving, it’s imperative we have our voice (and actions) heard and seen. The new ownership group is already more open to fan communication, but if we aren’t saying what needs to be said, it’s meaningless.
For the longest time Warriors fans loyalty compromised the on court product. Our ticket stubs for games might as well have been death warrants. The “We Believe” era was a great example of how chillingly special this fan base can be with a quality NBA team. For so long were the Warriors nothing more than a financial equity to Chris Cohan’s ultimately diminished portfolio. With this new ownership group comes a second chance for fans. We undoubtedly have the most loyal fans in the league, but for so long were we loyal to a fault. Now is the chance for us to live up to the billing of “the best fans in the NBA.” Let’s continue to support for our favorite team, but no longer with entertainment value or giveaways being the main reasons. The product is getting better, and with an owner competent enough to hear these voices, we will hopefully continue to get better. The best fans aren’t the ones who go to the most games but the ones who know what a true NBA product is. Let’s not be deceived this time around, because honestly¸ we deserve better.
MVP! MVP! MVP! Haha just playin. we do deserve better.
Truth hurts for some, doesn’t it? But, those are the ones who talk about how the games are always exciting. Notice they don’t talk about the team losing more than they win overall.
Great read and agree with Jordan 100%. It was about time someone said what needed to be said. It may not be what we want to hear as fans, but it’s the truth. Although there’s nothing wrong with supporting our team, it was clear Cohan fed off that energy, and then decided he needed to do little. i don’t think we’ll have that problem with Lacob/Guber, but we’ll have to wait and see. Excellent post though. Keep up the good work.
Fire Rowell and Riley, bring in some NBA executives with decent track records and nurture a new culture for the franchise. Maybe replace coach Smart as well.
Anything less isn’t “bold.”
Amen!!!!!