A new blog entry has been added:
[drupal=96]Why I still love the Kings[/drupal]
[drupal=96]Why I still love the Kings[/drupal]
In two days all the warts, wrinkles and blemishes of the Sacramento Kings were exposed for the world to see. We saw them crushed and totally demoralized by a contending team, the Orlando Magic. Then, the next night, we saw them battle and leave it all out on the court as they were finally able - in triple overtime - to defeat a team with a record not much better than their own. (When you're still in single digit wins in mid-January, a team with only two more wins isn't exactly the best the league has to offer.)
For a lot of fans, this is the time that tries men's souls - a time of rebuilding, of parts that don't fit, of mixed signals and missed communication, and just about everything else that could possibly go wrong for a team during a game. And, as Murphy's Law and various axioms will attest, what can go wrong will invariably go wrong - at the worst possible moment.
Being a Kings fan used to be a thankless task. We were a close, tight-knit group - almost like survivors of a disaster before it happened, if you will. We shared our love of the Kings with something approaching defiance. They were OUR team and we made no excuses.
Then, in what felt like a dream, for over 3 years we got a glimpse of the top of the mountain. We climbed past the base camps, so to speak, and were approaching the summit itself - and we should have made it. Why we didn't will forever be suspect, partially because of the unproven allegations of a crooked referee and partially because it is human nature to not want to accept loss without acknowledging what we might have done differently to change the outcome. Regardless, the number of Kings fans swelled to previously unheard of highs. EVERYONE, it seemed, was a Kings fan.
But, as any school child will tell you, gravity works. What goes up must come down. And come down the Kings did. Again, the reasons why are the things message boards are made of, but the result was there for all to see, some sooner than others.
Now, as the less hardy fans depart in droves, the ones left aren't just those who have been fans the longest. We have old fans, we have new fans, we have fans who hate what's happening right now but still have belief in the future and we have fans who can't even explain themselves why they still bother...but they do.
It's a tough time to be a Kings fan, but it will get better. It's times like right now that test our mettle and that of the players currently on the team. It's times like right now when we need to rally around the guys wearing the uniform. We need to remember they are, in fact, people. The names on the back matter, if only to them and their loved ones.
None of our players are perfect but they are still putting forth the effort. They may lose in horrendous fashion but the individuals still deserve some respect for not just rolling over and playing dead. The odds against them are almost beyond calculation but they continue to fight, much like the black knight of Monty Python's epic tale.
I saw heart and hustle, energy and determination last night from a group of young men who are even more aware than we are that they aren't going to be playing past mid-April. A number of them won't even be playing for the Kings next year. There is no concrete reason, other than pride, for them to play each game as though a trip to the NBA finals depended on it.
They tried, though, and I'm proud of what they did. Yes, they made mistakes but they didn't give up. That's worth a lot in my book. And it's why I'm still a Kings fan. Good, bad and/or ugly, they're my team and I love them. In my frustration, I may rage against their inadequacies, but I would not want to be in their shoes. Money isn't everything and most of these young men love the game to the point where the money isn't why they get out there every night and play. And, for that, I thank them. And I promise to continue to support them. After all they've given me over the years, I think it's the least I can do...
GO KINGS!!!
For a lot of fans, this is the time that tries men's souls - a time of rebuilding, of parts that don't fit, of mixed signals and missed communication, and just about everything else that could possibly go wrong for a team during a game. And, as Murphy's Law and various axioms will attest, what can go wrong will invariably go wrong - at the worst possible moment.
Being a Kings fan used to be a thankless task. We were a close, tight-knit group - almost like survivors of a disaster before it happened, if you will. We shared our love of the Kings with something approaching defiance. They were OUR team and we made no excuses.
Then, in what felt like a dream, for over 3 years we got a glimpse of the top of the mountain. We climbed past the base camps, so to speak, and were approaching the summit itself - and we should have made it. Why we didn't will forever be suspect, partially because of the unproven allegations of a crooked referee and partially because it is human nature to not want to accept loss without acknowledging what we might have done differently to change the outcome. Regardless, the number of Kings fans swelled to previously unheard of highs. EVERYONE, it seemed, was a Kings fan.
But, as any school child will tell you, gravity works. What goes up must come down. And come down the Kings did. Again, the reasons why are the things message boards are made of, but the result was there for all to see, some sooner than others.
Now, as the less hardy fans depart in droves, the ones left aren't just those who have been fans the longest. We have old fans, we have new fans, we have fans who hate what's happening right now but still have belief in the future and we have fans who can't even explain themselves why they still bother...but they do.
It's a tough time to be a Kings fan, but it will get better. It's times like right now that test our mettle and that of the players currently on the team. It's times like right now when we need to rally around the guys wearing the uniform. We need to remember they are, in fact, people. The names on the back matter, if only to them and their loved ones.
None of our players are perfect but they are still putting forth the effort. They may lose in horrendous fashion but the individuals still deserve some respect for not just rolling over and playing dead. The odds against them are almost beyond calculation but they continue to fight, much like the black knight of Monty Python's epic tale.
I saw heart and hustle, energy and determination last night from a group of young men who are even more aware than we are that they aren't going to be playing past mid-April. A number of them won't even be playing for the Kings next year. There is no concrete reason, other than pride, for them to play each game as though a trip to the NBA finals depended on it.
They tried, though, and I'm proud of what they did. Yes, they made mistakes but they didn't give up. That's worth a lot in my book. And it's why I'm still a Kings fan. Good, bad and/or ugly, they're my team and I love them. In my frustration, I may rage against their inadequacies, but I would not want to be in their shoes. Money isn't everything and most of these young men love the game to the point where the money isn't why they get out there every night and play. And, for that, I thank them. And I promise to continue to support them. After all they've given me over the years, I think it's the least I can do...
GO KINGS!!!
