.plan

I was watching my first Lakers game of the season yesterday.  They were playing the Portland Trailblazers.  I only watched the first half, and almost all of the time I was thinking “Man, the Lakers really suck!” and thinking that they must’ve fallen off or something.  Checking their record indicates highly otherwise.  Funny timing I guess.

The other thing I was thinking was what I must admit: I can’t love this Lakers team.  I don’t even “really like” this Lakers team, I don’t even know if I like them at all.  Just, something about the character of the team, the attitude of the players on the team while playing… some combination, they’re just not likable.  I mean, you’ve got the old wolf Phil Jackson there, and perhaps a big part is that the top of the pyramid is Kobe, who I don’t like, and nearly everybody underneath him annoys me/pisses me off/or is obnoxious too often.  So I’m watching this game, and I’m very quickly finding the Trailblazers to be much more likable on the court, and I catch myself cheering for them!

Not to say I won’t cheer the Lakers on during the playoffs and want them to win - but I feel like much of this feeling is unfounded city-identity/geographical allegiance, forced, fuck it, maybe I won’t!  This type of blind devotion is dangerous.  I’ve tried to like them but I haven’t been able to.  It’s rough.  That’s my Lakers team, but it’s not my Lakers team, it hurts!  I don’t like them, yet I feel like I can’t turn my back on them.  Ahhhh conflict!!!  Oy vey, what is one to do when he wants his city to win the NBA championship, but doesn’t like the people on his team?  I might be over them.  I think I’m going to need to think about this some more.  In the meantime, go Portland!