Hey, NBA Team: It's Not Me, It's You

Love is blind.

At least it is for rubes in the sports world.

Following sports is much more enjoyable when you have a vested interest in the games you're watching. For some, this is created via a nice wager. For most of us, it is following a specific team for a significant period of time (usually the provincial team of our youth . . . or the present.)

The relationship is symbiotic and oh so simple. We agonize over every loss, and we rejoice in victory. Why? Because for some reason, we decided that this specific team is "our" team.

But what if we don't like the team (specifically, players, management, direction, et al)? Is it OK to flirt with other, more attractive teams . . . or do we stick with the team (warts and all) and root for a bunch of wealthy malcontents, lazy bums and incompetent decision makers? What about when the top brass continue to give its fan base the collective middle finger time and time again?

Think about it: this isn't like high school, where we're obligated to cheer for the neighbor kid. "Nice job, Ralphie, you almost scored! Oh, don't stop to pick your nose for chrissakes!"

Athletes are a transient bunch. Most can't distinguish one city from the other. Its team bus, to hotel, to arena. Or home to arena and back home. (And for most "home" is a temporary, in-season residence.) They have minimal vested interest in us, but we blindly follow them--no questions asked.

I want more. Give me something to cheer about. Convince me that this team is more entertaining than any of the other sports teams in town, or the movies, or theater, or dinner with friends. It's time we make this lil' relationship like a real one--with two sides.

Saying goodbye is hard. Especially when only one side cares in the first place.

Why do I have the feeling that if I really do abandon the hometown team, the old axiom, "this is gonna hurt me more than it's gonna hurt you" will prove extremely accurate?

[Editor's note: This is the first installment in Joe's quest to find a new NBA team. He will eliminate one team at a time (for very good reasons) until he finds his new favorite team.]