You Reap What You Sow

They did it!

CONGRATULATIONS LOS ANGELES LAKERS!!!

Very well done. From start to finish, it was a great season for the Los Angeles Lakers, and the Orlando Magic showed a lot of people that a) Stan Van Gundy is a great coach and b) they're going to be good for years to come.

The Lakers knew what they had to improve in, put in the work, and here they are, victorious.

If the Lakers can sign back Lamar Odom and Trevor Ariza, there's no reason to believe that the Lakers don't have a shot at a dynasty.

Kobe is 30, Pau is 28, Lamar is 29, Fisher is 34, Ariza is 23, and Bynum is 21. That is a strong nucleus with a few players in their prime and a couple still getting better every day. Okay Fisher is probably just past his prime.

Being an Angelino I was very happy for the Lakers, and it was great to see them win the championship, especially after last season's NBA Finals. I was living in Connecticut at this time last year, and New England was a lonely place in June 2008 for a Lakers fan.

I am happy the Lakers got it done.

But.

But I wouldn't consider myself a hardcore Lakers fan. Not as much as the Dodgers, not as much as the Philadelphia Eagles, not as much as Cal Football.

And that's the difference for me between a championship that's satisfying (2009 Lakers) and one that I can write down somewhere as being one of the best days of my life.

If I ever get to watch (TV or otherwise) the Eagles, Dodgers, or Cal Football win the championships of their respective sports, those will be days I will cherish forever. I've been wanting those championships to happen for so much longer and so much harder than this Laker one. Don't get me wrong, I am very happy for the Lakers, but I hope you know what I mean.

And I think that's what makes me alright with bandwagon fans. (By the way, are you getting sick of my starting paragraphs with conjunctions?)

You know, bandwagon fans - the fans who you had no idea were fans of a team until they are close to winning the championship. The fans who would rather watch 24 or Lost or Desperate Housewives or American Idol than a regular season game. The fans who don't know the coach from the trainer, much less the starting players. The fans who buy their jerseys and shirts during the playoffs, not before. The fans who are the loudest when the team does well, but are nowhere to be seen when the team does poorly. Yes. Those bandwagon fans. I am alright with them.

Why?

Because bandwagon fans don't know what it feels like to truly be happy your team won. Maybe some are alright with the superficial cheering for a team they haven't invested their time, money, and heart into. Maybe some are just in it to be part of the big crowd of fans for the champions, getting drunk and shaking cars and burning down trees. Maybe some are pretending to be fans just to impress someone who is a more hardcore fan. Maybe some have never won anything, and this is their best chance to feel like a winner. Who knows?

What I do know is that you NEED bandwagon fans. If only the "true" fans cheered, there wouldn't be parades, there wouldn't be high television ratings, there wouldn't be sold merchandise, and there wouldn't be any excitement for the playoffs. Sport would not survive without bandwagon fans. If sport ceased to have bandwagon fans, there would cease to be sport. Guaranteed.

So yes. You read right. I love bandwagon fans. The world needs them. Leagues need them. Franchises need them. Players need them. I need them.

But you can rest assured, those who halfheartedly revel in the victories of the champion will never know the true feeling of finally being a winner. Of finally being able to call your team the best - the World Champions. They will never know. They won't have a clue.

But you will.

And maybe if you are a bandwagon fan now, you can hopefully evolve into a more passionate fan, and one day you may know for yourself what the difference is. It's like night and day.

So for those of you who have been with the Lakers through thick and thin, for the last few years, enjoy. It must feel amazing, and I am truly jealous.

Sincerely,
Dwight the Bandwagon Lakers Fan