DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES - Los Angeles residents who know nothing about sports know all about the Lakers. How could you possibly draw smoggy breath in this burg and not be aware of the cultural contributions of Kobe, Coach Phil Jackson, the Laker Girls, and of course their ultra-famous front-row fan, Jack Nicholson?
Conversely, the other team that plays in Staples Center, the Clippers, operates well below the zeitgeist, and not coincidentally, many games below the respectable .500 winning level. On top of that, the rich older white guy who graces their mid-court throne has slightly less marquee wattage than Jack — former mayoral candidate, Staples enabler and president of the Playa Vista development, Steve Soboroff.
Cliché Stadium: Why are you a Clippers fan?
Soboroff: I was a Parks Commissioner when they played in the Sports Arena. We have five kids, and I used to bring ’em all the time. It’s easy to be a Lakers fan, but I wanted my kids to learn about hanging with something and sticking with it. Whether it’s your basketball team or your wife, or your husband. Or whatever. Just a little bit about loyalty… not everything is a big victory or movie star every day.
I think of myself as the common man, and this is NBA basketball for the common man. Otherwise, a lot of these people would not be able to [afford to] come to a Lakers game.
Q: After all this misery the Clippers have given us [the team’s record is 15-47 at press time], why should people be loyal?
A: Because this is a town and country of hope. That’s the only thing I can tell you. Because we’ve had so many false starts and so many things happen that have been disappointments. You just have to look and say, one of these days, it’s going to come together. And I think there are a hundred different things that happen to make a championship team or a horrible team. And it’s not just one or two things. There’s no reason why these guys can’t turn it around.
But they need that look in their eye.
Michael X. Ferraro, Los Angeles Downtown News
