What keeps you rooting for the Wiz?

[BigA]

I'm pretty checked out as a fan, but stop by this board once in awhile.

[Benjammin]

I remember watching the NBA Championship season in 1978 and the next year I was at the game where the Supersonics clinched the NBA championship. There is a form of masochism involved clearly. It's also like a bad car wreck. You know you should look away and keep driving but you can't help yourself and you slow down and look.

[long suffrin' boulez fan]

I am loyal to the core. I can’t switch my allegiances to another team. Just not in my make up.

I could stop watching and caring though. But this board keeps me here. Doc’s tours de force. PIF’s trade back scenarios and FREQUENT reminders that it’s all in the stats and that nothing else matters. AFM’s shockingly witty come backs. CCJ’s deep heart and soul. Monte’s immense reason and good sense and subtle humor. DAT’s draft prescience. Nat’s irrational and kind of bemusing hatred of Kuz and his knowledge of obscure future UDFAs. Ruz’s knowledge. Nate’s 100% rational and objective analysis of all things b-ball (not commenting on his political opinions); WizD’s sui generis take on human anatomy; Barely Awake’s every three year reappearance clusters; Gesa’s encyclopedic knowledge of all things Deni…

Who did I miss?

You all make even the most masochistic pursuit - Wiz fandom - worth it.

[Ed Wood]

A relatively healthy sense of perspective and context with which to bound my connection to the team (if I do say so myself). I am also just a fan of basketball at large and while I unerringly find it easier to be invested in games when The Wizards are involved, so long as there's some compelling kernel to create minimal stakes in the experience (it's often just whether the younger players will play well and invite optimism) I also mostly don't find myself distressed by the team's failings.

Engaging with basketball is a net positive and that ultimately tends to flow significantly through a focus on the Wizards for me. Were they better that'd be all the better, but the fact that they aren't doesn't change that fundamental calculus.

[gesa2]

Ed Wood that is a healthy sense of perspective! Kudos to you. I fear that a calmer perspective would temper the adrenaline rush when we do succeed and can’t let that rare feeling go

[dobrojim]

What keeps me rooting Wiz...force of habit. But as I've aged, I'd like to think I've taken
on more of what Ed Wood said above. It's hard to be highly passionate when reason tells
you you are only going to be more disappointed by doing so.

[closg00]

This board is like an AA group, perhaps I am here more for the group than for the team/org itself

[trast66]

Fond childhood memories of the 70s teams.

As an adult following them acts as a preventive mechanism to give me information on actions and team building to avoid and flee from in my own business.

[dobrojim]

Fond childhood memories of the 70s teams.

As an adult following them acts as a preventive mechanism to give me information on actions and team building to avoid and flee from in my own business.

When I said force of habit, I wasn't kidding. The Bullets were my local team when I started watching
hoop as a young boy around age of ten. I remember both Earl Monroe and Wes as rookies.
We should have won in 75 but oh well. Could have possibly won in second series against SEA
but for injuries. Still made the Finals 4x in the 70s.

[gambitx777]

Because Pitt and/or WV doesn't have a BB team so here I am GO WIZ!

Sent from my SM-G991U1 using RealGM mobile app

[Silvie Lysandra]

because Washington DC is my city, and the Washington Wizards are their team. It's simple as that. I could "root for another team" but it'd be fake and empty.

[montestewart]

A relatively healthy sense of perspective and context with which to bound my connection to the team (if I do say so myself). I am also just a fan of basketball at large and while I unerringly find it easier to be invested in games when The Wizards are involved, so long as there's some compelling kernel to create minimal stakes in the experience (it's often just whether the younger players will play well and invite optimism) I also mostly don't find myself distressed by the team's failings.

Engaging with basketball is a net positive and that ultimately tends to flow significantly through a focus on the Wizards for me. Were they better that'd be all the better, but the fact that they aren't doesn't change that fundamental calculus.

I quite enjoy performative rants about team shortcomings, but when the show's over, I pretty much feel the same. The Wizard are like an ant farm. The team and the farm change all the time...or do they? Have to watch closely to discern the shades of interesting, dull, dramatic.

Ed Wood that is a healthy sense of perspective! Kudos to you. I fear that a calmer perspective would temper the adrenaline rush when we do succeed and can’t let that rare feeling go

That is a legitimate concern. If they go into the playoffs at some point as a legitimate top-4 four EC team with reasonable chance at making the Finals, will you be ready to go all Darvin Ham?

This board is like an AA group, perhaps I am here more for the group than for the team/org itself

Indeed, this board can serve as a 12-Step program, helping Wizards fans habitually following a chronically underperforming team. The board helps you consider some tough issues:
--Is this a dysfunctional relationship?
--Are we harming the non-fans close to us?
--One game is too many, and a thousand is never enough.
--Fans who encourage you to join them in irrational enthusiasm, they're not really your friends.
--One game at a time.
--Wherever they play, there you are.
--Keep coming back to games, it works if you keep coming to games. (Ted L.)
--Let go and let Ted.

And other inspiring slogans encouraging fans to accept the roster moves and substitution patterns we cannot change, the courage to change the things we can, and the wisdom to know we can't change any of the roster moves and substitution patterns (urinal cakes, etc.).

And, if the Wizards somehow craft the apparition of a legitimate contender primed for a run (a few Arenas- and Wall-led teams), you can always relapse into irrational exuberance. I repeatedly lost my voice during the Arenas-era playoffs, numerous other games (beating Boston in 2008 -- Wizards won 3 of 4 against eventual champion Cs), or even games on TV (04-05 game 1 win at Memphis, with Wizards starting Ruffin, Jamison, Hayes, Profit, Dixon with only three other players available due to multiple suspensions and injuries).

At any given time I am one winning streak, roster move, unexpected player development, or surprise blowout win away from ignoring PIF-logic and seeing Hands-championship.

[Godymas]

If you watch them play live, it’s not like the Wiz are rolling over and dying despite being bad last season. This is a team with players that want to be winners, that want to win. They try and make every game competitive and try and put on a show every night. I haven’t seen a major blowout live. I have seen a ton of 3rd/4th quarter collapses and also DeMar DeRozan giving DeDick in person which was heart breaking and amazing to see.

[dobrojim]

Offensively I see effort. Sometimes I wonder about the defense. Too many games where they
gave up 65-70 in the first half.