Thumbs up for converted Spurs fans, even if only for one finals.

quote:

---

Thumbs up for converted Spurs fans, even if only for one finals.

---

You just have to promise to return the favor when the Rockets are in the Finals next year

I was definetly pulling for Dirk in 2011...not only was it because it was against the Heat, but that was a fun team to watch in those playoffs and it was hard not to root for them...

Didnt bother reading the comments for this but I respected quite a few teams this year such as the thunder, warriors, grizzlies, nuggets, pacers, knicks and even the Lakers while they were healthy. Lumping all Spurs fans together is just dumb

Also despite our rivalries I'd go for any Texas team over eastern conference team in the finals

quote:

---

quote:

---

Thumbs up for converted Spurs fans, even if only for one finals.

---

You just have to promise to return the favor when the Rockets are in the Finals next year

---

If the Rockets make it I'll root for them unless there's an aging star in the east that is trying to get a ring and I like said star.

I've never hated the Rockets and they are my 2nd favorite team. I do get annoyed with the Hakeem is the GOAT and constant references to the '95 Series but there are worse things.

Mavs I don't care for much, though my hate level is greatly reduced now. I didn't like them in those first few Cuban years when it seemed like they had a fan base show up out of thin air that generally didn't know much about basketball but were incredibly arrogant about it. Obviously there was the rivalry aspect as well. Still, I rooted for them in '11. I was glad Dirk got a ring especially.

I really hate the Lakers the most though, they just rub me the wrong way and always have though I respected the hell out of them when they were Showtime. Now they just feel like a bought team. They just play by different rules than the rest of the league and that is annoying. Don't like Miami either though I don't hate Lebron.

Spurs fan since the ABA days, went to spurs camp with James Silas, Coby Dietrich, and Doug Moe. That being said I have never really hated a team. I disliked the Lakers because we just could not break through them for so many years, the same with Houston, respected them but really got tired of losing. When you finally break through and get a championship it is only fair that you get to pump out your chest for a few years.

As for Pop, I do not know too many who give him grief when we are not doing so well, that guy has been an amazing coach for a really long time for the NBA.

The OP does seem to lack much perspective, but whatever.

As a SPUR fan, I really did not want Dallas to beat Miami first time around (probably since they knoced SA out), but last time around I was really rooting for them and Dirk, and I consider what Dirk did that series to be the single greatest achievement by any single player over an entire series.

It was awesome basketball, and awe-inspiring.

Most of what OP describes is stuff you see with EVERY team, and if you attribute that behavior to a great majority of the fans, you're probably just projecting.

Oh, and re the Dallas title, I thought then that they should have just stuck with that team as much as possible; it was really suprising to me that they started dismantling the pieces to "improve" the team.

They might take a lesson from the Spurs, who are slow to make major changes with their team.

[This message has been edited by AnalogyAg (edited 6/9/2013 3:45p).]

The OP has inadvertently demonstrated the perfect Mavs fan stereotype for everyone here. Well done OP.

Mavs fan. I like Pop, great coaching, Duncan is a good guy. I'll pull for the Spurs.

Another thing about typical Spurs fan......They cant believe how anyone could not like their team (sound familiar to a team in Austin? What's not to like?

Well, Duncan is probably the greatest PF ever but an insuffrable crybaby. Bowen was a 3rd rate hack but made a living as a scrappy (and borderline dirty player) and is now the most annoying contributor ESPN employs. Tony Parker was sleeping around with Brent Barry's wife breaking up 2 marriages. Manu Ginobili will make the Flopping HOF for sure. As for Popovich, he is a great coach but is so surly its ridiculous. Not arrogant like Phil Jackson but is very caustic at times to the media when its unwarranted.

See what superunknown called the Mavs? "pseudo-rivals". It's that kind of condescending air around Spurs fans whenever they start talking to Mavs/Rockets fans that I hate the most. How does a "pseudo-rival" stop you from making a championship run? ('06)

Also, I hate that Mavs fans are considered unintelligent just because people dislike Mark Cuban, and the team didn't win a championship until 2011. I have never said that I thought the Mavs were bar-none the best, and in fact thought they would lose in 2011 finals to the superfriends. I'm not too dumb to notice that the Mavs have only one notable player that they got in the draft since Dirk (Josh Howard). Still, like y'all attest, Mavs fans are passionate about their team, and you can't deny that they've been good for the better part of the last decade (last year nowithstanding). I son't even think yall realize just how similar the teams are either, as much as you'd hate to admit. Both fanbases have had the perception that their team doesn't get enough respect ( spurs because they win so much, yet they don't get much media love/coverage, mavs because they had the stigma of being postseason flops for so long), yet spurs fans seems to love to treat mavs fans as second-rate basketball fans for some reason.

Here's why I don't like Mavs fans (on this forum at least):

OMG, the 2011 championship is the best run in the history of ever. Did you see who we beat and it's the best ever.

You want to talk about arrogance then start with your own fan base. Spurs fans don't claim any of the 4 championships as being the greatest title run in history.

In regards to your similar post in the Simplebay thread, aside from me joking around with Houston Summitt regarding being sleepy, you don't see any of that stuff outside of Rivalries (where it belongs). I don't see people calling the Mavs fans unintelligent either, especially just because of their owner. There's some on here who don't like Cuban (I personally do) but I guess I haven't seen any 'unintelligent' smack.

If you haven't noticed, a whole lot of the Spurs fan population here pulled for Dirk in 2011. He's a class guy who stuck with the Mavs no matter what and it was good to see him get a ring.

quote:

---

aside from me joking around with Houston Summitt regarding being sleepy

---

You will regret that one day!

I wasn't sleepy last night.

It looked like the Spurs were, though.

But splitting in Miami is what SA should have been hoping for all along. Take care of business at home and it's all good

Indeed. I did predict they'd lose game 2 after getting game 1.

I also homer predicted they'll win games 3-5 and close it out at home. Not sure about that one now.

All I meant by pseudo rivals is that it never sustained. The trailblazers in the early 90s fall into this category as well...many hard fought battles but the rivalry isn't there any more.

When people talk about "Mavs run was the best", I usually read it as "the ultimate David vs. Goliath" kind of thing, as opposed to them being one of the greatest teams ever. I don't know where they stack up in history's list of great championship basketball teams (in fact, I'd have to say they're pretty low, considering they were in the rare 'one true superstar' category).

For me at least, when I think of the Mavs' 2011 championship was one of the greatest, I'm referring to the backstory.

- Mavericks suffer heartbreak in 06
- Mavs flop in 07 (after finally beating the Spurs in seeding )
- Dirk, and Mavs as whole, unfairly labelled as soft
- team is slowly built with a great cast of veterans, most slightly past their prime, who have never won a ring
skip to 2011 season
- Dirk had taken a pay cut so he could not only stick with his team, but to also allow for the signing of veterans, perfectly juxtaposed with "The Decision"
- fans start to believe after a great opening record, only to see Dirk get hurt and losing Butler for the season. Dirk's fine thiugh, thank God
playoffs:
- media and opposing fans again expect Mavs to exit early, even after the Laker sweep
- Dirk becomes Captain Clutch, wills Mavs past Thunder
- Game 1 against the Superfriends expectedly ends with a Mavs loss (a lot of Mavs expected the Heat to win, so I don't see where all of this "best team" stuff comes from)
- again because of Dirk, and concerted team defense, Mavs make what was then the biggest comeback in under 5 minutes in playoff history (yeah, yeah, until this year, Spurs), and get people believing
- through a great team effort, and Dirk again stepping up, the Mavs best the Heat, getting revenge for 06, and making a mockery of the whole "not 1, not 2..." speech Lebron made at the beginning of the year

Every fanbase would enjoy their team's first championship. Combined with the stigma the Mavs had for so long and that narrative, you can't ignore it was something special. For a team who's est feature for a long time was the logo, you take it when you can get it.

BTW, I know there are quite a few more reasonable Spurs fans that don't feel the need to tout "4 championships" every time the talk to a Mavs/ Rockets fan. I also know that the Spurs run a model team in terms of consistency and team execution (I daresay that the 2011 Mavs may have gotten a thing or to from how the Spurs play). It just gets annoying seeing things like "flagship" all the time, when the Lakers still have more rings in the same timespan (Tim Duncan era). The Spurs are elite, and they have been for sooooo loooong, but I would think the chest thumping would get old after a while.

I see where you are coming from Dan but please remember where you see things like Flagship and Sleepy, RIVALRIES. I really don't think you've seen many, if any, mentions of either on this board. If there are I'd wager all are tongue in cheek jabs (aforementioned sleepy joke with Houston Summit).

Edit: I did a search for Flagship on this board (1 year search, no stars) and there were 2 references not counting Dan's. One for LA's Flagship in the Laker thread and another from a thread moved from Premium where it was used in a joke.

[This message has been edited by Ganondorf (edited 6/11/2013 9:50a).]

STD (Op) I'm a lifelong Mavs fan and one of the things I don't understand is the sports hate the Dallas fans have towards the Spurs.Likeable team,organization and coach and them seem to do it the right way if if the Association doesn't approve.The Spurs/ Mavs have had some nice series against each other and as a fan I appreciate their organization and success.You have an opportunity coming up to get at the SA fans when UTSA visits Kyle in the coming years.

113-77 Spurs Wow!

I haven't been on the board for a while and just saw this. Here is my 2 cents. I've been a Spurs fan for quite although as some of you will remember back in the day you couldn't watch your team play unless you lived close and I didn't. I grew up near Dallas so I listened to all of the Mavs games on WBAP. I could almost name the whole Mavs team in their first year of existence. I also loved Hakeem. I root for the other Texas teams when the Spurs aren't in it. I actually really liked the Lakers in the Magic, Worthy, Kareem days mostly because I wanted them to beat the Celtics every year. (Did anyone really like Danny Ainge?) But ever since Shaq came the the Lakers I have hated them. I have to be honest and say I still don't like the Heat but it's not as bad as it used to be. So yeah I think all fans have their moments but by and large we're alot the same.

Grew up in Wichita Falls. Began following the Spurs before the Mavs existed. Early Mavs didn't give me a good reason to switch. Moved to SA in '87, shared season tix in the Hemisfair, and easily fell back in love with the Spurs.

The Spurs have missed the playoffs a grand total of FOUR times in their 40 year NBA existence.

Reread that. Think about how incredibly difficult that is.

There is exactly ONE NBA franchise that has earned my constant hatred over the years, and it is the only one that claim fewer playoff a absences over the last 40 years, the Lakers.

Like any fan base of any team in any sport, rivalry and dislike are accentuated where there is a long string of years or decades when your own team is good but not good enough to get past a team that has your number. The Spurs have achieved relatively even footing with LAL during the Duncan Era and have dealt some very satisfying playoff eliminations to them, while still suffering the reverse every so often. It has really become a legit 2-sided rivalry becuase the Spurs have earned it by beating their ass enough, winning enough titles over an extended number of seasons to merit such respect/hatred.

It always grated on me that the Spurs never beat Houston in a playoff series. 1995 still sucks. The only reason that ugly, 0-fer in the post season vs Houston exists today is because the Rockets have sucked for so long that they have been totally irrelevant for the entire Duncan Era. I was really rooting for a Spurs/Rockets 1st round this year so that the Spurs could finally check that box. My Rocket hate has waned over the last 10 years (ditto my Jazz hate) because it's unseemly to hate the kid in a wheelchair.

Mavs finally earned a little respect/hate by keeping SA from winning consecutive titles. But they are fading too.

Gotta say, I've never really hated any of the Spurs' Finals opponents... until this year. I am very into the BUILT > BOUGHT mindset. I pleases me IMMENSELY that the lineup that HUMILIATED L James, D Wade, and C Bosh was keyed by a bunch of hungry guys who had been cut before and or passed over in the draft by almost every franchise. The Spurs only got 2 points out of T Duncan during the run that turned a 44-44 game into a 102-71 bloodbath.

The Spurs organization has done things the right way. Every fanbase has its idiots, but I don't know any true Spurs fan that is not also a big Pop fan, and not just in the title years. So I don't know where the hell the OP gets that allegation. Spurs fans are passionate, although my eardrums never hurt now in the AT&T Center like they did in the early Robinson years in the Hemisfair. The true passionate blue collar fan has been priced out. Passionate fans want more titles badly and when they don't come, they have their opinions of what shortcoming is to blame. There has NEVER been a Fire Pop movement since 1998.

[This message has been edited by Adam87inSA (edited 6/13/2013 1:27a).]

Me and dad didn't agree on many teams all the way here in SC. But one we did meet minds on were the Spurs. He loved Robinson, and I love TD. The Spurs organization is first class,and the players act the right way.

I hate two teams. The Lakers( mostly because of my family, but respect Kobe way more than Lebron). And the Heat. I just hope we can go 2 more games.

I'm just glad Finley got a ring with the good guys!!

[This message has been edited by Frosty46 (edited 6/13/2013 11:18a).]

quote:

---

The only reason that ugly, 0-fer in the post season vs Houston exists today is because the Rockets have sucked for so long that they have been totally irrelevant for the entire Duncan Era. I was really rooting for a Spurs/Rockets 1st round this year so that the Spurs could finally check that box. My Rocket hate has waned over the last 10 years (ditto my Jazz hate) because it's unseemly to hate the kid in a wheelchair.

---

We haven't "sucked" in many years. In fact, many Rockets fans wish we would have sucked more because we've been hovering around .500 since we lost Yao and have had mediocre draft pick positioning because of it. But we've routinely made the playoffs this past decade, we just haven't done much once we get there. So your wheelchair analogy is a little exaggerated

quote:

---

So your wheelchair analogy is a little exaggerated

---

Vastly exaggerated....

Overall, I disagree with the OP. I think, for the most part, Spurs fans are intelligent and civil and true fans of the game. But quotes like the one above are why so many fanbases think Spurs fans are arrogant *****s.

Every fan base has them....I definitely saw people threatening OKC fans and/or throwing stuff at them outside Toyota Center at almost every playoff game....but unless you are using sarcasm or just trying to be mildly funny you should probably refrain from making asinine comments that just aren't true.

Agreed

It's an exaggeration because the Rockets have been average rather than terrible, but the Rockets haven't been a threat to the Spurs for a long time. I like how the Rockets are built, how they do things, and a lot of the players, but it's also easy to root for a team that isn't a danger to knock your own team out of the playoffs.

[This message has been edited by Ulrich (edited 6/13/2013 11:41a).]

Sucked is a strong word but it is accurate to say Houston hasn't been a legit Title contender for a very long time. Making the playoffs in the 5-8 spots and typically getting bounced in Round 1 isn't something to get excited about.

I do agree though that it is often better to be either a Title contender or a bottom dweller. At least a bottom dweller can truly rebuild and get good draft picks. The Cowboys have essentially been stuck in the same abyss for the last 20 years it seems. Lots of seasons slightly above or below .500. It's hard to get impact players in the middle of the first round of the draft, they are there but it's a crapshoot. The NBA has a far more dramatic dropoff as the draft goes on than the other major sports as a general statement. The #5 overall pick is much more likely to be successful (esp at an elite level) than the #20, in the NFL or MLB it is much less pronounced.