Humiliation

Being a fan of a sports team is a very abstract concept. It's not like the players/owners give a shit about me (well, maybe a tiny bit if I buy a ticket or buy a beer at the game). Rather, it's about the team somehow representing you (geographically or by history) and the times you spend with your buddies/family watching the games.

I'm pretty consistent when it comes to my teams and, with the exception of the University of Tennessee, I root for the teams I started pulling for as a kid: Angels, Lakers, Raiders, USC (football), UCLA (basketball). I won't bore you with, "I remember when such and such happened," but trust me when I tell you that I've stuck with them through thick and thin. If you root for a good team long enough you are going to have your share of great joy and heartache.

That said, the Lakers losing to the Celtics was really a kick in the gut. I didn't think the Lakers were going to win the series (note my previous, not-very-heart-felt Laker in 7 prediction). However, the way they lost this one was humiliating. First, they blew a 24-point lead at home in game 4. Then, last night, they didn't even bother showing up in the deciding game and got their asses handed to them.

You would think they, especially Kobe would have had more pride than that. Apparently not.

Speaking of lack of pride, chalk up another to all of the PGA players not named Tiger. Turns out that not only was he recovering from knee surgery at the US Open, but he had two stress fractures. How can the rest of those guys say they are truly competitive when they can't beat a guy who is that hurt? They put asterisks next to the names of whoever wins the next two major tournaments (British Open and the PGA). They just shouldn't count as much.