Go Lakers!

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We're trying to adapt to California life. One of the things that connects a person to a place is rooting for sports teams. Professional sports teams tend to tie your loyalty to a place. So I've been wondering what California team(s) we might gravitate toward.

All my life, I have been a fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers (6 Super Bowl rings!) and Pittsburgh Pirates (your sympathy is appreciated). You couldn't pay me to stop cheering for the Steelers. The Pirates are too pathetic to cheer for at this point. I grew up near Pittsburgh, and we just spent the last 8 years living only 70 miles from the Steel City. And we typically cheer for the Penguins when it's playoff time -- go Pens!

But one thing Pittsburgh lacks is an NBA team. We've never really followed the NBA that much. I remember the amazing Celtics/Lakers rivalry back when I was a kid. I even saw the Celtics play a game in the old Boston Gaaahden. Great times. But I've never really had a team. I was born near Cleveland, but who would have wanted to root for the Cavs back then? Spending my teen and college years in Tennessee, Atlanta was the closest team. I didn't care for them. If I cheered for anyone, it was the Bulls just cause they were so much fun to watch.

But now, I think we are comfortable cheering for the Lakers. We've been catching games on the radio or TV here and there ever since we moved. And there are no other California teams worth cheering for, I think. So we're taking the plunge and becoming Lakers fans! Jacob already owns Lakers garb. And we'll be glued to the TV tonight cheering for our newest pro team. I know it will be years before we can be viewed as "authentic" Lakers fans, but who cares. We'll jump on the bandwagon & enjoy the ride.

Comments

Thurman8er said…
I used to be a Lakers fan...back in the days of Magic, Kareem, Worthy, and Co. Then basketball became thuggery and I lost interest. It was around the same time that I tired of the grandstanding of football and stopped watching that too. But baseball, with all its problems, has always captivated me. So can I just say this about the Pirates?

I like the Pirates. I think the McLouth trade was awful, but they have a nice offensive core in Morgan, Sanchez, Doumit, and the LaRoche brothers. McCutcheon is going to be exciting to watch, maybe even Rookie of the Year material. Matt Capps is one of the most underrated closers in baseball. And even though the rotation is poor (though I think Duke is the real deal), it's an area they are addressing. In that division, they could contend sooner rather than later.

So there. I have just defended the Pirates. No Stargell's or Clemente's there. Just some kids with a lot of heart.
June 5, 2009 at 1:47 PM
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