After 15 years, I've officially given up...

On the Raptors. I've been a die hard since the age of 13 but this year Im just fed up with the mediocrity and complete lack of direction. I'm getting older and I've realized life is too short to be a fan of a losing, terribly managed franchise. I'm tired of the frustration, the disappointment, the offseason naive hope only to have it crushed 10 games into the new season.


So I have to find a new team to root for. I've rooted for the Raps because it was Canada's team and before the rise of the Internet, was the only team consistently being broadcast north of the border.

Now I travel alot, especially to Miami, but I cringe thinking of jumping ship to a team like Miami, thats seemingly untouchable these days. What are some good options for life long support and dedication, especially in the East, where I could travel to see them 2-3 times a year?

Do yourself a favor and start rooting for the Lakers. 16 banners don't lie.

You can watch them live whenever they travel to the East.

[QUOTE=Scholar]Do yourself a favor and start rooting for the Lakers. 16 banners don't lie.

You can watch them live whenever they travel to the East.[/QUOTE]

I have a hard time jumping ship to such winning franchises. I guess a life time of rooting for the underdog makes me feel guilty to enjoy the fruits without the labor, so to speak.

I guess I'm looking for more of an up and coming franchise that I can grow with and actually have a chance to cheer for a championship during my lifetime

[QUOTE=macmac]On the Raptors. I've been a die hard since the age of 13 but this year Im just fed up with the mediocrity and complete lack of direction. I'm getting older and I've realized life is too short to be a fan of a losing, terribly managed franchise. I'm tired of the frustration, the disappointment, the offseason naive hope only to have it crushed 10 games into the new season.


So I have to find a new team to root for. I've rooted for the Raps because it was Canada's team and before the rise of the Internet, was the only team consistently being broadcast north of the border.

Now I travel alot, especially to Miami, but I cringe thinking of jumping ship to a team like Miami, thats seemingly untouchable these days. What are some good options for [B]life long[/B] support and dedication, especially in the East, where I could travel to see them 2-3 times a year?[/QUOTE]

*maximum 15 year long depending on winning ways

Fixed.

(Joking).

[QUOTE=macmac][B]I have a hard time jumping ship to such winning franchises.[/B] I guess a life time of rooting for the underdog makes me feel guilty to enjoy the fruits without the labor, so to speak.

I guess I'm looking for more of an up and coming franchise that I can grow with and actually have a chance to cheer for a championship during my lifetime[/QUOTE]
Easy. Start rooting for the Knicks. :lol
They are from East,have a lot of nationally televised games and are playing in the world's most famous arena.

Even though I don't like/understand bandwagon fans it's your choice.

[QUOTE=macmac]On the Raptors. I've been a die hard since the age of 13 but this year Im just fed up with the mediocrity and complete lack of direction. I'm getting older and I've realized life is too short to be a fan of a losing, terribly managed franchise. I'm tired of the frustration, the disappointment, the offseason naive hope only to have it crushed 10 games into the new season.


So I have to find a new team to root for. I've rooted for the Raps because it was Canada's team and before the rise of the Internet, was the only team consistently being broadcast north of the border.

Now I travel alot, especially to Miami, but I cringe thinking of jumping ship to a team like Miami, thats seemingly untouchable these days. What are some good options for life long support and dedication, especially in the East, where I could travel to see them 2-3 times a year?[/QUOTE]

Stern has announced that teams [B]will be[/B] in Europe in the next few years. I'm pretty clueless but it's very curious that the T-Wolves have suddenly become completely international.......... a team not at all known for that.

I could never suggest the Knicks with such a ballhog on that team but that was my first team and I still kinda watch em... tho since anthony deliberately tanked until they traded Lin and fired D'Antoni I refuse to watch them until he's gone. Not a second too soon.

Sixers? Home of Wilt & Billy C, Doc & Moses & Sir C!

you got a lot of teams to choose from really...... I have no love for the Celtics, those swine

Maybe you should just do like I did when I abandoned the Lakers due to too much cheap shottery... find a guy you like and just do the blatant fan-stan!

If you want to jump ship, you can't go wrong with Boston.
Either the greatest or second greatest franchise of all time, with an amazing history, and they're not too far away.

[QUOTE=Clutch]Easy. Start rooting for the Knicks. :lol
They are from East,have a lot of nationally televised games and are playing in the world's most famous arena.

Even though I don't like/understand bandwagon fans it's your choice.[/QUOTE]

You really consider that a bandwagon fan? After watching about 70% of 15 years of losing seasons, and making a hole in my wall after Carter missed that game winner against the sixers? And buying countless memorabilia throughout the years?

I don't think rooting for one team for 15years, that's not even in your city and finally being fed up is the definition of a bandwagon fan

[QUOTE=macmac]On the Raptors. I've been a die hard since the age of 13 but this year Im just fed up with the mediocrity and complete lack of direction. I'm getting older and I've realized life is too short to be a fan of a losing, terribly managed franchise. I'm tired of the frustration, the disappointment, the offseason naive hope only to have it crushed 10 games into the new season.


So I have to find a new team to root for. I've rooted for the Raps because it was Canada's team and before the rise of the Internet, was the only team consistently being broadcast north of the border.

Now I travel alot, especially to Miami, but I cringe thinking of jumping ship to a team like Miami, thats seemingly untouchable these days. What are some good options for life long support and dedication, especially in the East, where I could travel to see them 2-3 times a year?[/QUOTE]



San Antonio Spurs.....

[QUOTE=macmac]On the Raptors. I've been a die hard since the age of 13 but this year Im just fed up with the mediocrity and complete lack of direction. I'm getting older and I've realized life is too short to be a fan of a losing, terribly managed franchise. I'm tired of the frustration, the disappointment, the offseason naive hope only to have it crushed 10 games into the new season[/QUOTE]

That's how I felt about the Knicks after the Melo trade buddy. I gave up.

You can't go wrong with the Spurs or the Rockets. Extremely well-run franchises. Also, Stern hates those teams so they don't get preferential officiating.

Go with the Cavs. The anti band wagon team in a lot of ways. No success, a bad team with a bright future. Been a Cavs fan for over a decade now, and very happy I did. Also they have the best internet board i've ever seen, so that's always a plus.

Noone likes traitors unless they join them. :oldlol:
Root for the Lakers and Kobe. It'll make it much easier to forget the 81 point night. Oh, and the day before yesterday.

:cheers:

I'm a Sixers fan so I've experienced more bad seasons than you have. From top to bottom (ownership, mgmt, coaching, players etc). Still a fan. Cant say I'm diehard at this point. The only time I cheered and followed another team was the Bulls dynasty. You should forever be a fan of the Craptors but following a second team isnt a sin unless its a rivalry or something along those lines where history doesnt allow it. Like I dont see how someone can like the Sixers and Celtics. A buddy follows OKC because he is a huge Durant fan and likes the makeup of the team.

So I say if you have favorite players you enjoy watching maybe follow their team. Maybe look for a less hyped team that solid like the Pacers. Real tough, physical bunch. Coached well. Teams like Lakers, Heat, Knicks should be :no:

But you cant shake being a fan of the Craptors based on how you feel now. You'll find yourself going back to them. Just takes one big hit in the draft, free agency. I'm a Philly fan. Been waiting for a long time to see Sixers, Eagles celebrate a title here. More sports here, more disappointment. You just have the Craptors.

[QUOTE]If you are there when it is thin
then you are there when it is thick
no hitch hikers
f[I]uc[/I]k that the ride is rough[/QUOTE]

when the Raps finally win you can say you were there from the lowest of lows. As a Celtics, winning the title was so great because of all the bad years, so it made it that much more special.

[QUOTE=elementally morale][B]Noone likes traitors unless they join them.[/B] :oldlol:
Root for the Lakers and Kobe. It'll make it much easier to forget the 81 point night. Oh, and the day before yesterday.

:cheers:[/QUOTE]

You can never trust traitors that join you
you are better off killing yhrm

Just ride itnout, they can't be horrible forever

Houston Rockets! Not phenomenally successful, but with 2 titles, a bright future, and a pretty good management team, you won't regret choosing to support the Houston Rockets!







[SIZE="1"]please be advised that venue, players, coaches, and fans, may be treated as assets and traded at any point in the season. [/SIZE]

You can follow the Rockets....

They play a fast style and are entertaining to watch, plus it's always interesting with Lin, with his fans and haters. Then there's a super star in Harden who's quite good to watch.

Root for the Bucks!

Ive been a Sixers fan all of my basketball life but its tough to stay loyal now that they are never on national tv and I hardly watch them. I can watch streams on the web either because I just cant enjoy the low quality of it. Now I mostly just watch games for enjoyment and catch a Sixers game whenever I can.

But for your dilemma, this is prob a good time to jump on the Cavs bandwagon.

Being a fan of a team shouldn't be determined by if they are winning or not....all teams have up years and down years. Think about it, if in 2 years the Raptors explode and dominate the league, you will be kicking yourself and probably try to act like you never left

Spurs if you wanna watch winning

I myself root for players more than teams

[quote]What are some good options for life long support and dedication, especially in the East, where I could travel to see them 2-3 times a year?[/quote]
Denver Nuggets.

Watch out, though. I remember thinking this about the Wizards in 2007. I was gonna jump ship to the Blazers, because they were everything about the NBA I liked. Well-coached, humble, smart, unselfish, played hard. Brandon Roy and Greg Oden. What could possibly go wrong? I was even all set to go to college in Portland, in part because I'd have such a great team to watch every night.

Well we know what happened with Portland, don't we. Things always shift, and constantly disappoint. I think you'll find that you always care about the Raptors more than anyone else. I know I do about the Wizards, even though I have watched one game of them this season, and fewer than ten the last two years. Even though I currently live just south of Denver, and technically the Nuggets are my home team, and my favorite team right now besides. I'm still a Wizards fan. That may make me a tool (it's certainly something owners who don't care in the slightest about winning will take advantage of). But that's how it is. We're only human.

Join the Clipper bandwagon. Exciting, unselfish, and have a bright future. The media and most people hate them (they are just haters and prejudice, they can't stand to see a new team be good that was once bad for many years)..but hey it's awesome to root for the underdog. Players are likeable. Don't listen to the haters. Just watch the games.

[QUOTE=Jailblazers7]Ive been a Sixers fan all of my basketball life but its tough to stay loyal now that they are never on national tv and I hardly watch them. I can watch streams on the web either because I just cant enjoy the low quality of it. Now I mostly just watch games for enjoyment and catch a Sixers game whenever I can.

But for your dilemma, this is prob a good time to jump on the Cavs bandwagon.[/QUOTE]

For some odd reason, you remind me of adamcz

My original choice was gonna be Houston, young team with a great player in Harden, which the Raptors helped acquire, lots of cap space and a smart mgmt group....

In the East nothing really stands out besides the Cavs I guess, I really wanted to like Bk, a brand new team with ownership that doesn't give a fukk, but I just hate the players, Deron joe Johnson blahhh...


Gobb I know what you're saying and you're right I'm still gonna check up on the raps all the time, but I need to make the NBA fun again, I need to root for a team that can go places.

The raps will always be there for me, like an idiot child that you care for until you croak

[QUOTE=macmac]On the Raptors. I've been a die hard since the age of 13 but this year Im just fed up with the mediocrity and complete lack of direction. I'm getting older and I've realized life is too short to be a fan of a losing, terribly managed franchise. I'm tired of the frustration, the disappointment, the offseason naive hope only to have it crushed 10 games into the new season.


So I have to find a new team to root for. I've rooted for the Raps because it was Canada's team and before the rise of the Internet, was the only team consistently being broadcast north of the border.

Now I travel alot, especially to Miami, but I cringe thinking of jumping ship to a team like Miami, thats seemingly untouchable these days. What are some good options for life long support and dedication, especially in the East, where I could travel to see them 2-3 times a year?[/QUOTE]
You do know that it is possible to root for other players while still cheering for your home team? I agree that the past decade has been supremely mediocre and at this point I too am becoming frustrated with colangelo's band-aid solutions but at the same time, I can never see myself rooting for another team the way I rep the raptors.

However, that doesnt stop me from cheering on other teams in the playoffs and catching other players when they are in town. Are you saying that the only way you can enjoy the nba is if you are a die-hard fan who strictly supports only one team and its players?

[QUOTE=red1]You do know that it is possible to root for other players while still cheering for your home team? I agree that the past decade has been supremely mediocre and at this point I too am becoming frustrated with colangelo's band-aid solutions but at the same time, I can never see myself rooting for another team the way I rep the raptors.

However, that doesnt stop me from cheering on other teams in the playoffs and catching other players when they are in town. Are you saying that the only way you can enjoy the nba is if you are a die-hard fan who strictly supports only one team and its players?[/QUOTE]


The enjoyment I get when the raptors do well, is unlike anything else I experience from sports, and I bet pretty heavy at times. The frustrations are on similar level of magnitude. Therefore I would like to recreate that with a team that actually has a chance to do something. I want to follow every single offseason rumor, every rookie in summer league, etc. raps are already taking about two hours of my life a day, don't know if I can do that with two teams

[QUOTE=GOBB]I'm a Sixers fan so I've experienced more bad seasons than you have. From top to bottom (ownership, mgmt, coaching, players etc). Still a fan. Cant say I'm diehard at this point. The only time I cheered and followed another team was the Bulls dynasty. You should forever be a fan of the Craptors but following a second team isnt a sin unless its a rivalry or something along those lines where history doesnt allow it. Like I dont see how someone can like the Sixers and Celtics. A buddy follows OKC because he is a huge Durant fan and likes the makeup of the team.

So I say if you have favorite players you enjoy watching maybe follow their team. Maybe look for a less hyped team that solid like the Pacers. Real tough, physical bunch. Coached well. Teams like Lakers, Heat, Knicks should be :no:

But you cant shake being a fan of the Craptors based on how you feel now. You'll find yourself going back to them. Just takes one big hit in the draft, free agency. I'm a Philly fan. Been waiting for a long time to see Sixers, Eagles celebrate a title here. [B]More sports here, more disappointment. You just have the Craptors[/B].[/QUOTE]

you obviously dont know much about Toronto sports then :facepalm

[QUOTE=elementally morale]For some odd reason, you remind me of adamcz[/QUOTE]

lol I'll take that as a compliment. adamcz was a good guy.

I've been a Knicks fan for longer than that. You just have to learn to root for something else in the playoffs. I used to like the Suns, but it that probably won't be an option for a while

Try the Bucks. It seems like they could use some fans.

[QUOTE=macmac]The enjoyment I get when the raptors do well, is unlike anything else I experience from sports, and I bet pretty heavy at times. The frustrations are on similar level of magnitude. Therefore I would like to recreate that with a team that actually has a chance to do something. I want to follow every single offseason rumor, every rookie in summer league, etc. raps are already taking about two hours of my life a day, don't know if I can do that with two teams[/QUOTE]
I hear you, I am the same way when it comes to getting more out of the raptors since the investment is greater. And quite honestly, being sick of mgmt is a legit gripe since colangelo had 7 years, a weak conference, and quite a bit to work with yet he didnt do shit. Personally I feel that next season will also be entertaining and I forecast a 5-8 seed slot but if you are going to cheer for another team all the power to you but as a favour to me just dont go for the lakers or heat mang

If Bryan Colangelo's option gets picked up or he gets extended, I'm done too. Not forever but at least until there is a complete overhaul in the team's front office. At that point I will simply become a basketball fan and not follow any team in particular.

It's a shame since I used to go to 8 games a year (I live 2 hours away so to me, that's a lot). I've been to playoff games in three different series. Right now though, I have no desire to spend a single dollar on the Raptors. In fact, if someone gave me free tickets to a game right now I still wouldn't go. The current Raptors are very low on the "what's a good way to spend 3 hours?" scale.

Colangelo started with a young All-Star PF, a #1 pick, a decent young asset (Villanueva), Calderon who would soon become a good asset and cap space. After 7 years what do the Raptors have to show for all that? Two first round exits and now a low lottery team with no All-Stars, no cap space and no draft pick. This team has been run into the ground.

Oh and [B]if[/B] (I still won't) there was a team I'd jump ship for, Houston would be it right now. Depending on how they use their upcoming cap space, that could be a team set-up nicely for long-term success.

Just start following teams that have your favorite players on them.

Don't give up. I've been a Clipper fan for like 25 years. I have to tell you when they get good it's an awesomely gratifying feeling. I'm also a Laker fan though so I guess I can't know your pain fully since at least one of my teams is winning. But I do understand the hopelessness of having an inept franchise. Even now I'm worried every day they're going to do something stupid and ruin this good thing they've got going. I've seen it too many times before. Even with the Lakers it's a bit grim since the son of the owner is now taking over.

If you're really intent on changing teams, maybe go for the spurs. They've got good ownership and management. Or wait till the Sonics come back and jump on them. Even though these are west coast teams, since you only need to go to two games a year you can always wait till they're in town.

ive only cheered for two teams in my entire life, the Bulls and the Raptors. I would never "jump ship" because let's face it, as bad as we are as a franchise, we've been worse before.

I usually cheer for the Bulls in the playoffs but that didn't go too well last year so now come playoffs I'm just a [B]basketball[/B] fan, I'm just gonna enjoy every game from an unbiased perspective...except if it's the Knicks, Nets, Celtics (division rivals) Lakers (81 pts scarred my fandom for life) and the Heat (just because)

[QUOTE=Burgz V2]ive only cheered for two teams in my entire life, the Bulls and the Raptors. I would never "jump ship" because let's face it, as bad as we are as a franchise, we've been worse before.

I usually cheer for the Bulls in the playoffs but that didn't go too well last year so now come playoffs I'm just a [B]basketball[/B] fan, I'm just gonna enjoy every game from an unbiased perspective...except if it's the Knicks, Nets, Celtics (division rivals) Lakers (81 pts scarred my fandom for life) and the Heat (just because)[/QUOTE]

So basically, you are going to have to root for the Bulls again because you hate the rest of the East. :oldlol:

[QUOTE=Jailblazers7]So basically, you are going to have to root for the Bulls again because you hate the rest of the East. :oldlol:[/QUOTE]

lol basically

[QUOTE=Scholar]Do yourself a favor and start rooting for the Lakers. 16 banners don't lie.

You can watch them live whenever they travel to the East.[/QUOTE]
It is ridiculous that you guys count the ones from Minnesota.

[QUOTE=Nash]Just start following teams that have your favorite players on them.[/QUOTE]
nope. downward spiral to becoming a fanboi

Chicaco, don't jump on the Heat wagon because once Lebron leaves, it's shyt again :roll: