an open letter to lakers fans

Jan 21, 2008

i am embarrassed today to be counted among the number who derisively boo our current starting center kwame brown

though i was not at the game, and though i would never boo a laker player, i am shamed

i have been following the lakers since i was a young boy, and have always loved the artistry and image of the lakers

i remember when the lakers used to face off against the celtics during the '80s and though certainly i looked at everything through purple and gold glasses,

when they showed the still photos of the players before the game started, i saw the row of celtics stone tough guy faces

then they would show the smiling faces of the lakers, coop, and big game james, and the rest, mostly exemplified by the wall to wall grin of magic, hahaha! go lakers!

the lakers were poetic and beautiful, from the perfect zen like grace of the kareem sky hook, to the jawdropping behind the head no-look pass, to the byron scott stop and pop, to the long and soft 3 pointer lofted home by michael cooper

other cities boo their players, they boo their own players in new york........if you wanna boo our guys go to new york and be a knick fan

people in other cities hate the lakers mostly because they have won so much, but also they have a misguided and deluded opinion of laker fans as soft, passive, and without fire

that is not so, us laker fans love the lakers with our hearts, and we know how it brings our whole city together

this illusion of other teams, specifically eastern conference teams, being more hard nosed and blue collar......I say poppycock! it takes the hardest day to day work and courage to put on a fun show!

constructive not destructive!

we just don't act like stupid morons, and we care too much about supporting our team to go into negative dopiness

we revel in the joy of multiple championships, not dwell in the lower depths of booing

i know that kwame brown is not the best big man the lakers have ever had

but putting him down rudely, is not only stupid and cruel, but it tears at the team's fabric and IT MAKES IT LESS LIKELY THAT WE WILL GET WHAT WE WANT WHICH IS WINS!!!!!

anyone who is a real laker fan and actually follows the team and is not a bandwagon jumping johnny-come-lately

knows that kwame is a sensitive man who can get down on himself when he makes a mistake and potentially spiral into much less quality play than he is capable of

he can be hard enough on himself without supposed laker fans insulting him

the more we support him the better he will do, the better the team will do, and maybe the lakers will get through this rough patch without our wunderkind a little bit better

kwame can do it kwame can do it kwame can do it kwame can do it

he, at his best, can hold down the fort, and play solid d on the opposing big men that come our way...................we gotta support him

i personally like the guy

we gotta at least try

Jan 21, 2008 12:33 PM EST