Quote:
Originally Posted by CalledDownLight
I guess it depends what you value. I am rooting for my team to win a title not win a lot of games. Thus, rooting for them to lose games is actually rooting for them to win a title.
I've rooted for teams that win lots of games and don't win lots of titles (the Braves in the 90s and early 2000s and the Hawks of the last decade) and teams that won titles (Duke basketball) and the latter is definitely infinitely more satisfying than a long string of success without getting over the hump.
yes, some people root for looses/tanking/etc. it's a hyper-rational approach to fandom, which is fine, but it's not hard to see why people continue to root for their bad, mediocre, or good but not great teams to win. rooting for losses is the opposite of just about anyone's instinct as a fan, so on that basis alone it is understandable behavior.
beyond that fans generally balance a desire for team success and entertainment and for experiencing each of those elements in the short term and long term. Separating these elements is tricky, but they are somewhat distinct as there are clearly conflicting incentives. hard to be entertained as a fan when your team loses a lot. the prospect of losing to win is sensible, but not necessarily that compelling from an entertainment perspective given that the draft is so volatile.
fans will also have different thresholds for team quality as it relates to their own entertainment. right now you're saying that you'd rather see the hawks be really, really good than piddle around as a round 2 team or whatever. understandable given their recent history, but if you watched them be a bad (non playoff team) for the same amount of time you might find it more palatable for them to be merely a "good" team
Quote:
Originally Posted by Heroball
Due to the nature of the NBA there's an inflection point in the season where losing becomes preferable.
Quote:
Originally Posted by yellowfever
It is in the NBA where getting every extra lotto ball gives u a extra small % chance of landing the hope your franchise needs to win a title.
this conflates logical and instinctual behaviors imo
edit: yeah you basically need to catch lightning in the draft to contend. that that is the case yet many fans do not embrace losing is case in point that rooting for losses is not natural.
also, my point here is not that you should or shouldn't root for losses. it is not the default manner in which the vast majority of people interact with their teams
Last edited by tarheeljks; 03-29-2017 at 01:23 PM.