The "other sports" section of Seth and Seth sports will be a place where our staff can write about any number of sporting events that doesn't have its own section. Mostly, the NBA, NHL, and a place for some obscure college sports. Here's where we would give a shout out to the Mizzou women's soccer team for taking home the Big XII tournament title. Look for the guys to talk about really anything else on this page. It really is the everything else page.
11/12/08
Seth Maberry
"General Thoughts on the NBA"
Before this years NBA season began, I decided that I would take a team or two and follow them closely, and actually...root for them. It shouldn't be that hard because when I was a kid, I was a huge NBA fan. By NBA fan, I mean a Chicago Bulls fan. I thought Michael Jordan was all that and a bag of chips, and the rest of the team was something else too. I liked Pippen, Kerr, Kukoc, heck Dennis Rodman was entertaining at least. Then as MJ retired, I turned my attention to a guy known around the world as "Shaq". The O'Neil led Lakers became something I would watch whenever I could. While I never turned away from my loves of St. Louis Cardinals baseball, Mizzou sports, and the Chiefs/Rams, I really enjoyed watching L.A. play. Through that, I decided the Kobe Bryant had the best chance to be the guy mentioned in the same sentence as Michael Jordan. The Lakers had that awesome three-peat, and I was hooked. Well, my hooked-ness only lasted so long. The Lakers had a couple of rough years, and the Bulls were terrible, so I just stopped watching the sport. I decided in my head that it wasn't as exciting and there wasn't the passion in the NBA as there was in the college game. I knew the athletes in the League were great, but to me, it just lacked something. The atmospheres seemed so fake and simulated with all of the music and stuff going on, even while the ball was in play. To me, it didn't compare to the joys of a good college atomsphere, what with the crazy students and the bands.
This year, for whatever reason, as I said above, I would follow a team. I would try and get back to at least being a casual fan of the NBA. The logical choices would be the Bulls and Lakers. The Bulls, becuase they were my first NBA team, and because they are about the closest team geographically to where I live, and the Lakers, just because I've always kind of liked them (it's easy too, becuase they are GOOD!). The thing I didn't count on, was the Seattle Supersonics packing up and moving to Oklahoma City. I dunno why, but that intrigued me. It could be because they have Kevin Durant who I saw dominant the Big XII for one season. Or it could be that it seemed kinda cool that there was a team in OKC. Either way, I decided I would have to welcome them into the fold. So somehow, I went from and anti-NBA guy, to a guy that like three NBA teams.
This year, so far, it's been hard to follow the Thunder, because they are only on local T.V. (they only have a couple of Nationally televised games). The Lakers are on TV all the time and are fun to watch, and I'm slowly beginning to actually watch them with an interest again. The same thing for the Bulls, only they aren't on t.v. around here quite as much. When they are, I try and watch though. I know it's seems wierd and crazy that I decided to give the league a chance again, but I just decided to do it. So, all of you life long fans, don't judge, just be glad I'm watching again, even if I am trying to follow three teams. ( I promise, I'm honestly rooting for all three of them to win, its not fake).
While I still like the college game better then the NBA, the league is slowly starting to regain some importance to me. I can actually enjoy watching a game between two teams that I don't have a rooting interest in. I'm just a casual fan, but thats better then what it has been. The NBA will never surpass my love for college basketball, thats something I like so much its hard to put into words. But, I will watch it with more regularity and care about whats going on in the league. Now, if you'll excuse me, the Lakers are playing the Hornets.
