04-09-2023, 11:59 AM
I remember when Lebron made the big move from Cleveland to Miami and formed the Heat superteam with Bosh and Wade. I was incensed. I loved the years where Magic was a Laker, Bird was a Celtic, Jordan was a Bull, Ewing was a Knick, Isaiah was a Piston, Stockton and Malone were on the Jazz, etc. etc. This changed everything, and I swore off watching the NBA. It was so stupid.
It took all of 3 (?) years until I was glued to the set watching probably my favorite NBA team ever, the 2014 Spurs, whoop up on them. Followed by those amazing series with the Warriors and the Cavs.
In those examples, the constant that existed for me to be a fan - to give my time, my energy, buy tickets, etc. - was I needed to watch my teams WIN. I'm not as emotionally invested in the Stanford men's basketball team, or our football team who only wins a couple games a year, because I don't like watching the losing. It's no fun. No one at the LSU parade was dissing their approach or bemoaning they "acquired a championship through the portal".
So I realize, for me, it's not about the transfer portal, or about NIL, or the whims of 19 year olds. It's really about Stanford pulling its head out, getting with the times, and competing. Our women's team might lose 4 players every year to the portal, so we need to somehow reload. Let Betts and Nivar go, it's going to continue to happen, so do something about it. Would I rather watch classes like the "Funky Four" matriculate each year and see how good they can get? Sure that's fun to see, but that's not my only requirement to being a fan. And I am quite sure it's the same for most on this board. Let's just say in a perfect world we land Van Lith plus a few others. And mid-season next year we're beating the snot out of everyone. Cam is going off every game. Van Lith (who is getting her MBA and has an internship at SV tech firm and another $500K in NIL money) is dropping 18 every game. Kiki is putting up double doubles. Jump is nailing threes. No one can double her because we have so many weapons. And our new transfer point guard is attacking, finishing, and kicking. We're dominating. I would be glued to the set watching that team.
Good luck to Betts, Agnes, and Nivar and thanks for all your contributions at Stanford!
It took all of 3 (?) years until I was glued to the set watching probably my favorite NBA team ever, the 2014 Spurs, whoop up on them. Followed by those amazing series with the Warriors and the Cavs.
In those examples, the constant that existed for me to be a fan - to give my time, my energy, buy tickets, etc. - was I needed to watch my teams WIN. I'm not as emotionally invested in the Stanford men's basketball team, or our football team who only wins a couple games a year, because I don't like watching the losing. It's no fun. No one at the LSU parade was dissing their approach or bemoaning they "acquired a championship through the portal".
So I realize, for me, it's not about the transfer portal, or about NIL, or the whims of 19 year olds. It's really about Stanford pulling its head out, getting with the times, and competing. Our women's team might lose 4 players every year to the portal, so we need to somehow reload. Let Betts and Nivar go, it's going to continue to happen, so do something about it. Would I rather watch classes like the "Funky Four" matriculate each year and see how good they can get? Sure that's fun to see, but that's not my only requirement to being a fan. And I am quite sure it's the same for most on this board. Let's just say in a perfect world we land Van Lith plus a few others. And mid-season next year we're beating the snot out of everyone. Cam is going off every game. Van Lith (who is getting her MBA and has an internship at SV tech firm and another $500K in NIL money) is dropping 18 every game. Kiki is putting up double doubles. Jump is nailing threes. No one can double her because we have so many weapons. And our new transfer point guard is attacking, finishing, and kicking. We're dominating. I would be glued to the set watching that team.
Good luck to Betts, Agnes, and Nivar and thanks for all your contributions at Stanford!