Poll: How Much Will You Miss the NBA?

[Nigel Tufnel]

Assume the entire season is cancelled. As unusually hardcore NBA fans, how much will you miss it if the season doesn't happen, and how will you fill your time?

Personally, I am going to spend more time watching the Caps and following hockey, catching up on movies and books, and saving a few dollars on Wizards tickets (although I do really enjoy going to the games). I'll say a 5 out of 10; 1= eh, what NBA, and 10 = you can't live without it.

[Wizardspride]

I'll miss it somewhat but I'll survive.

Heck, I'm probably more interested in that Nats. They are are laying the foundations to have a dominant team.

And besides I still have the NFL.

[verbal8]

Especially with the Caps success I think I will follow them more.

I am probably about a 4.5 out of 10. If I thought the Wizards had a second franchise player, I would be closer to a 6 or 7.

The NFL season looks like it should be pretty interesting even if the Skins go 3-13 j/k. Also the Nats having potential to be interesting.

[no D in Hibachi]

The more I hear the sob stories of the owners/players the more I get infuriated with the lock out. I’ll miss it at first, but as my frustration increases my interest will wane tremendously. I never felt anger or resentment during the NFL lockout, but I certainly do for the NBA. With the NFL, I felt all along the owners and players would be reasonable and understand their place in this world. The problem I have with the NBA is that neither side seems reasonable and both sides grossly overvalue their importance in the world. When the NFL returned from their lockout the reception was overwhelmingly positive—I see the exact opposite when the NBA returns; an outpouring of bitterness and distain.

[Zonkerbl]

I would say 8 out of 10. It's something I start looking forward to from the moment the playoffs end in June. I'm one of those idiots who shells out $10 for NBA preview magazine on crappy newsprint. I start getting genuine heartache in September waiting for pre-season to start. Once the games start in November I read box scores from around the league to see who did what, which rookies are doing well. I start checking Ted's Take every half hour. I watch whatever games I can get away with. I am fricking obsessed with the NBA.

Even though this is supposed to be a crappy year I still would like to watch John Wall develop, see if Blatche can turn things around, see if McGee can turn things around, see how Singleton and Veseley do, see if the team can start playing some defense. I'll be very, very sad if we miss the season.

Saying that, I provide virtually no revenue to the NBA out of my own pocket except for tv ratings. I don't buy merchandise, I only go to about two games a year. So I'll probably miss the NBA more than it misses me.

[go'stags]

I don't car much for Football as a game itself, its really only fun to watch when there are 2 good QBs playing well in the same game-Like Brees and Rogers in week 1. Otherwise its there is not enough flow and everything is way to organized. I'm a skins fan, but I have decided I'm no longer going to waste my Sundays watching one of the worst offenses in the league and a bend but dont break defense (again). I realize I am in the extreme minority, but Football is a rather ugly game to me.

If i simply knew more about the subtleties and nuances of Hockey I could get into the Capitals more, but I just don't know enough. Hockey has plenty of flow, and I can deal with lower scoring games as long as I can notice the smaller things to appreciate. I'll try harder, because there will be a lot less NBA.

Baseball, especially the Nats, are equal to the Wizards for my fandom, but its a loooong off-season. They are building something special though, I thankfully agree.

I like college bball, especially to "scout" some future Wizards, but I fall into the same line of thinking as nivek. The quality of play and athleticism just doesn't do it for me. I can't get excited about Michigan State-Illinois, I don't care if one is ranked 24 and the other 16.

I will definitely miss not being able to see Wall, to see if McGee has improved at all, and just to finally get a look at Vesely. More importantly, I will miss the hatred and angst that builds up in the regular season between good teams and ends in 2 months worth of awesome playoff games. That really sucks. This was going to be the first year I ordered NBA league pass.

I will try to get more into foreign soccer, but those games rarely match up with my schedule.

I guess if I had to give it a number, I would say 9.5/10. The only reason it is not a flat-out 10 is because of the little chance that I become a lot more educated about Hockey and can thus enjoy it more.

[closg00]

I agree with both No D and Zonk, so I'll split the difference and say 7 until college hoops starts then I'll drop to a 5. I am most concerned about what may be the loss of valuable time developing team chemistry.

The flip-side is we will hopefully have another hi-pick,AND a new (GM) and coach ( he wrote wishfully)

College hoops (draft-watch) March Madness, the Caps, football play-offs, I'll have plenty to keep me busy.

[tontoz]

I'll miss it a lot, maybe 8 out of 10. The year has two seasons for me, golf season and basketball season. I'll probably end up on the golf course at times when ordinarily it would be too cold for me to go out. I'll also probably watch some football and some tv shows that i ordinarily would never watch. I might check out some college games too.

If there are no games in Jan-March it is really going to suck.

[miller31time]

I'll miss it a lot, but at the same time, I've become such a huge NFL fan that I'll be fully occupied for the next few months.

[pineappleheadindc]

It''s terrilble that the season isn't going now. I love the NBA.

I'm among those fans who are really, realliy frustrated.

[Cramer]

We have football, the Caps, college basketball starting soon, all taking us into baseball and the Nationals and other summer activities.

I'll miss the NBA not one iota, and these fools are hell bent on destroying the league. They'll get what they deserve. Compare the coverage and the national panic during the summer over the potential of missing an NFL game or two, as opposed to the collective yamn over the NBA missing months or an entire season.

Owners and players both, and in my opinion especially the players...what a bunch of idiots.

[pancakes3]

the tense in the question is phrased wrong. i'm already missing the NBA. the summer league speculation, the preseason hope, the lineup projections... it all just leaves a significant unsettled yearning in my life. i'm at a 5 right now and once february hits it'll be around an 8.

[Nivek]

I'm with pancakes -- I already miss the league.

That said, I expect the season to be wiped out completely. I expect the owners will be able to implement pretty much whatever system they want. And, I expect that the players will end up getting less than 50%. (In part, because I don't think 50% is a real offer. It's an "almost there so we can move the finish line again" "offer.)

[DCZards]

I'm an 8 (almost 9) out of 10. The only reason I'm not a 10 is because I still have the NFL, college football and college basketball to entertain me. I follow the Nats and like their growth, but this is the offseason. I'm not much of a hockey fan. Too much fighting. I'll watch the Caps during the playoffs though.

I LOVE the NBA and have since I was a little kid, thanks to my mom who was a huge Walt Frazier fan and never missed a Knicks game. I especially enjoy the Fantasy B'ball league I'm in with several of my co-workers. Our league is in its 15th year and going strong. We'd usually be gathering for our league draft right about now...which is an auction draft and big fun! Boy, do I miss that night of trash talking and bluffing.

I guess I will save some money since I usually spend around $1000 a year on Zards games.

Nivek, I certainly hope you're wrong about the season being completely wiped out.

[Nivek]

Nivek, I certainly hope you're wrong about the season being completely wiped out.

Me too.

[montestewart]

I don't follow sports other than NBA ball. I could revert to college ball, soccer, the NFL, or even baseball, or I could just buy theater or music subscriptions, read more, spruce up my rare bird feeder collection.

10, but if they cancel the entire season, I might forget why it was a 10 and stop being such a great NBA fan.

[Rafael122]

I'm not sure. I only get interested in the NBA, like really interested when college sports and football have been completed. So...as of now, I won't miss it as much. Football will be around through the 1st week of February, college basketball will be around until April. By then baseball season will have already started up. And there's hockey.

[fishercob]

A lot. The Wizards are my favorite team by a fair distance. It surprises me that there are a number of regular posters here (hell, in the middle of an offseason/lockout) who don't rank the Wiz/NBA as their first or second favorite team/sport. I mean, if people posting on a random message board don't care, how much could "JoeDaFan" as Coach Thompson call him, possibly care? Also, if people care that little about the Wiz/NBA, why on earth do they post/read here -- especially now?

[montestewart]

Also, if people care that little about the Wiz/NBA, why on earth do they post/read here -- especially now?

I came for the waters.

[Nivek]

Also, if people care that little about the Wiz/NBA, why on earth do they post/read here -- especially now?

I came for the waters.

Waters? What waters? There are no waters in RealGM?