Why are you a Clippers fans?

[arjay702]

Mods, feel free to lock if you feel this thread is inappropriate or a waste of time.

Bulls fan here (congrats with VDN btw), I come in peace. First and foremost I would like to give Clippers fans props for being the fans that you are. I can imagine that it is extremely easy to jump ship and be a bandwagon fan and cheer for your older brother the Lakers, but I generally wanted to know what makes you guys so loyal?

I, myself, have been a Chicago Cubs fan for a while and they suck most of the time. I just can't imagine myself rooting for the white sox . I was simply born in the Northside of Chicago and as an infant grew up in a neighborhood known as wrigleyville because of the historic wrigleyfield. But I wanted to know your stories.

[thanumba2clippersfan]

This question comes up at least once a year. Anyway to just post the link to the thread from awhile ago.

[arjay702]

This question comes up at least once a year. Anyway to just post the link to the thread from awhile ago.

haha, i can imagine. I see a lot of good coming for to you guys in the future. You guys have one of the best young cores out. Im excited about Eric Gordon's progress and the debut of Griffin. I honestly just hope BD will tolerate VDN's system or else i could see his ego taking over and just run a muck. lol

[mj_shoefanatic]

this question is getting old and played out.
NEXT!

[Det the Threat]

Why are we Clippers fans?

Because we all love college hoops and are pretty much guaranteed to call one of those great young players our own after they leave college and attend the NBA draft...

[PlinkingPanda]

Why are we Clippers fans?

Because we all love college hoops and are pretty much guaranteed to call one of those great young players our own after they leave college and attend the NBA draft...

Someone's gotta dig up the old thread. I don't even know how long ago it was.

[pageC4]

I can't speak for everyone else but I can say a little about my decision to root for the Clippers. I grew up the middle child, and like most people in my situation we tend to have an older sibling that tends to cast a big shadow. I guess you can say that I saw a lot of myself in the Clippers.
However, when I first got into the sport of basketball (2001) the Lakers were at the start of their dynasty. I didn't want to root for a team because they were winning. I wanted to see something resurrected and built into a champion from the ground up.
I also think that the Lakers roster made my decision easy for me. Their roster is full of a lot of polarizing personalities. Kobe Bryant is a very hateable guy. He whines when he doesn't get his way and is a locker room cancer. It's a shame because he is so gifted and I would love to be able to tell my grandkids that it was a joy to watch the NBA during his reign, but I would be lying. Then there is Lamar Odom who decides to pull dissapearing acts on the court and offers no apology for his erratic performances. Andrew Bynum the perennial injury waiting to happen. Ron Artest..ugh, I don't even need to talk about his issues. For some reason the Lakers have always had great players with very bad personal flaws.
Then there is the Yankees like mentality of the Lakers. Even historically they have stolen all their players...Wilt, Kareem, Shaq, Pau...etc. I prefer to see teams build their organizatin from within. Oklahoma City Thunder provide a great example of the sport and the way it should be.
Overall I think you can say that the Lakers embody everything that is wrong with sports, and the day that I had an option I chose the path less traveled.
I'm no sadist. I don't like my team being the butt of jokes, but I also feel like the day we win a championship it will be monumental. I remember the joy of seeing the Boston Red Sox finally break the curse and win a championship after that long drought. I envision that it will feel like that when my Clippers win as well

[Sofia]

I think we need a thread about this stickied.

[mattfish]

I think we need a thread about this stickied.

+1

Essentially I think people ask us this question because we have the choice between the Lakers or Clippers, while most cities have to deal with whatever team they have in their city. The Clippers are relatively one of the younger franchises in the league, but because we're in a city with the Lakers, our challenges are magnified and the negative aura around the team perpetuates itself. This makes it much more difficult for us to have success.

I remember for a few years in the early 90s, it wasn't really a rivalry or comparison between the Lakers and the Clippers. Both teams were struggling and looking to rebuild, and in one of those years the Clippers actually were better than the Lakers. It was the allure of the Lakers name and history (and money) which helped land Shaq and turned everything around for them. You might recall the same cycle happening again a few years ago when the Clips finished better than the Lakers, but the Lakers got Gasol to come and bail them out.

The same thing will happen a few years from now, when Pau and Kobe are old. Most likely, the Lakers will have great luck again and get some great players to help them rebuild. However, I think the Clippers have a great chance to steal the city, as we're setting ourselves up with a strong young nucleus. In the past, the Clippers have let a lot of young talent get away, only to sign aging players to cheap contracts at the end of their careers.

A lot of blame is directed at the Clippers management, which is mostly reasonable. But because of our history in the shadow of the Lakers, it's 10 times as hard for us to succeed. We have to rewrite our brand perception, and then hope people buy into the "new" Clippers. Today, players don't want to sign with us because of this negative aura around our team. Maybe in a few years that won't be the case anymore.

Of course, a new owner and name change couldn't hurt, either.

[LascelleL]

Blake Griffin to tell you the truth....I've lived in LA for years 1995-2003 and during that tenure I was/am a huge Shaq fan. With Shaq getting old I looked towards college games for a player who would become the next big thing and root for him. Blake Griffin was my fav college Player at Oklahoma.

Also I hate Kobe Bryant

[mkwest]

viewtopic.php?f=18&t=767157

Back from the ashes.

[KingLeBron23]

Blake Griffin to tell you the truth....I've lived in LA for years 1995-2003 and during that tenure I was/am a huge Shaq fan. With Shaq getting old I looked towards college games for a player who would become the next big thing and root for him. Blake Griffin was my fav college Player at Oklahoma.

Also I hate Kobe Bryant

Is it because he called Shaq "Fat and outta shape."?

[gamrecords]

I grew up in San Diego and remember meeting Terry Cummings up on Mt. Soledad and getting to talk to him a little. It made an impression. And seeing Walton and Swen Nater and the guys, this became my HOME team. I still want them to do well today even though I'm 40 and live in another state. If Sterling would only give up majority of this team... This team is talented on paper, hopefully this year it will translate.

[Spider156]

Blake Griffin to tell you the truth....I've lived in LA for years 1995-2003 and during that tenure I was/am a huge Shaq fan. With Shaq getting old I looked towards college games for a player who would become the next big thing and root for him. Blake Griffin was my fav college Player at Oklahoma.

Also I hate Kobe Bryant

Is it because he called Shaq "Fat and outta shape."?

No it's because he's the most selfish player in the NBA. Yes, in front of Lebron. He wanted the fans to like him so much that he got Shaq traded. We all know Shaq is better than Kobe. Kobe was jealous and just couldn't get the fact that it wasn't his team. He's selfish. I hate the Lakers and I love the Clippers. Yes I'm a Piston fan but I love the Clippers in the West.