Sound Off: Why Does America Hate the Heat?

[jeremym480]

Quote: Originally Posted by Segagendude

To be honest, I cannot explain (nor pinpoint) my hatred of Miami. I didn't mind when the first "big three" formed in Boston, so that's not it.

Boston's Big Three were acquired through trade (obviously PP was already there). They didn't buddy up with one another to form a team, so the two aren't really comparable.

Back to the topic at hand, I didn't really mind "The Decision", so much... Sure it was obnoxious and all, but it wasn't nearly as bad as the "Not 1, not 2, not 3" high school pep rally they had. Looking back on that it was really LOL worthy.

I don't really dislike Lebron as much as some. I respect his talent, but the way he followed Dwade around like a little puppy that first year was a little pathetic. Not to mention how he quit on Cleveland in that Boston series. Speaking of that's Dwade, that's my #1 reason for disliking The Heat - him and his dirty antics. The rest of the team isn't really likable to me either. Ray for being a traitor(even though I get it, but still doesn't mean I have to like him), Battier and Birdman for obvious reasons and the rest are meh.

I don't get why this is such a big deal though, doesn't most of America dislike the top teams (unless they're "your team")? Didn't we hate the Lakers with Shaq and Kobe? Don't most people hate Alabama, the Patriots, Yankees, Red Sox, etc? This is isn't anything new or special, just par for the course.

[VDusen04]

Quote: Originally Posted by Scofield

Most of these issues arise from people not recognizing that many of their biases and preconceived notions are based on completely arbitrary premises. There's supposedly a "right way" to build teams, a "right way" to win. And sometimes folks just knee jerk to their biases without even trying to test them against the evidence and contrary points of view.

I think it could be argued that professional sports team fanhood in general is quite arbitrary in practice. At its core, I like the Pistons because they're based in my region. I liked Ben Wallace because it looked like he gave his all on the basketball court and his afro perfectly complemented his ferocious dunks and monster blocks. Still, it's all kind of arbitrary.

Regarding the Heat, I believe it's all arbitrary just as well. Some may like the Heat because they're from Miami. More power to them. Others may like the Heat because they love winning, and they believe winning is all that ever matters, and the Heat are winning, so it's great. Others may find the playing styles of James, Wade, and/or Bosh quite enjoyable, thus preferring them as players, resulting in a favortism toward the Heat.

Meanwhile, others may find three Dream Teamers successfully planning to collect in one location in an attempt to overwhelm each and every opponent to a significant degree - thus minimizing or eliminating nearly all competition - to be relatively unsavory, leading one to not favor the Heat.

[brent3419]

im gonna be upfront i dont like the heat. part big 3 part media and part some of the fans. with the big 3 i just dont like how they came together. it was fun seeing them complete against each other and i was a big chris bosh fan when he was in toronto. after the decision, i dont get the same enjoyment from basketball with them joining forces, off the court i respect what they do, on the court i just roll my eyes. secondly the media primarily espn. i get soooooo freakin tired of espn shoving the heat down our throats. i mean seriously its just about everyday almost every topic. its like when dallas won the finals it was always how the heat lost and not how dallas won. i remember when cuban was on first take saying they wasnt getting credit for winning and i agreed with him.lastly some of the heat fans is annoying and i mean the ones that joined when lebron came. i mean if you was a fan since wade joined or even when hardaway was there i respect you. but sometimes when im at work or with my cousin, all they say is three-peat. like thats it just threepeat. ive been a spurs fan since i was a kid, even if duncan went to orlando i would stay a spurs fan. thats pretty much why i dislike the heat...well the "big 3"

[King_B_Mack]

Quote: Originally Posted by VDusen04

I think it could be argued that professional sports team fanhood in general is quite arbitrary in practice. At its core, I like the Pistons because they're based in my region. I liked Ben Wallace because it looked like he gave his all on the basketball court and his afro perfectly complemented his ferocious dunks and monster blocks. Still, it's all kind of arbitrary. Regarding the Heat, I believe it's all arbitrary just as well. Some may like the Heat because they're from Miami. More power to them. Others may like the Heat because they love winning, and they believe winning is all that ever matters, and the Heat are winning, so it's great. Others may find the playing styles of James, Wade, and/or Bosh quite enjoyable, thus preferring them as players, resulting in a favortism toward the Heat. Meanwhile, others may find three Dream Teamers successfully planning to collect in one location in an attempt to overwhelm each and every opponent to a significant degree - thus minimizing or eliminating nearly all competition - to be relatively unsavory, leading one to not favor the Heat.

This. I also would like to point out that I and I'm sure many others take issue with how they screwed over a lot of teams, which is why people "outside" of Cleveland are entitled to be upset. Teams spent years making decisions on their franchises based on the idea that they would have a legitimate chance at landing one of the three of them, while they had planned out pretty much the same amount of time that they were going to team up together.

The Bulls for example, shipped Kirk Hinrich out of town in order to free up the cap space to have a shot at LeBron or Wade or Bosh. Ben Gordon was let go to keep flexibility for the summer of 2010. The Knicks completely blew up a roster with the hopes of landing LeBron in 2010. A lot of teams made financial decisions when those guys signed short extensions in order to become free agents in 2010. Decisions that made their teams weaker for a chance at them and really, they never had a shot. An argument could be made that they knew that would happen and further **** on the idea of competition by weakening the landscape of the league before getting together to stomp on everyone. I just personally don't like the fact that they did it with the idea in mind that it would be easy. While it ended up being a tougher task than anybody thought, the fact that they were doing it FOR the easiest way possible just doesn't sit right.

[DIESEL]

Quote: Originally Posted by King_B_Mack

This. I also would like to point out that I and I'm sure many others take issue with how they screwed over a lot of teams, which is why people "outside" of Cleveland are entitled to be upset. Teams spent years making decisions on their franchises based on the idea that they would have a legitimate chance at landing one of the three of them, while they had planned out pretty much the same amount of time that they were going to team up together.

King is 100% right about fans of other teams feeling screwed by the fact that they never really had a shot to sign these guys and I can understand that.

My problem is that these same bitter fans will complain about "the way they came together" when the truth is they're more bitter that they didn't come together on their team.

[23]

Quote: Originally Posted by King_B_Mack

This. I also would like to point out that I and I'm sure many others take issue with how they screwed over a lot of teams, which is why people "outside" of Cleveland are entitled to be upset. Teams spent years making decisions on their franchises based on the idea that they would have a legitimate chance at landing one of the three of them, while they had planned out pretty much the same amount of time that they were going to team up together. The Bulls for example, shipped Kirk Hinrich out of town in order to free up the cap space to have a shot at LeBron or Wade or Bosh. Ben Gordon was let go to keep flexibility for the summer of 2010. The Knicks completely blew up a roster with the hopes of landing LeBron in 2010. A lot of teams made financial decisions when those guys signed short extensions in order to become free agents in 2010. Decisions that made their teams weaker for a chance at them and really, they never had a shot. An argument could be made that they knew that would happen and further **** on the idea of competition by weakening the landscape of the league before getting together to stomp on everyone. I just personally don't like the fact that they did it with the idea in mind that it would be easy. While it ended up being a tougher task than anybody thought, the fact that they were doing it FOR the easiest way possible just doesn't sit right.

They should know better putting all of their eggs in one basket.

It was awful watching teams trade players and not compete just at a chance at either of them with no assurances.

I don't hate the Heat or anything myself and never did. They really seem to like eachother and have fun while playing good basketball with eachother...("well besides Mario Chalmers" - Kash)

[VDusen04]

Quote: Originally Posted by DIESEL

My problem is that these same bitter fans will complain about "the way they came together" when the truth is they're more bitter that they didn't come together on their team.

With respect, I think that is a bit of an over-generalization. As a Pistons fan, I never thought Detroit had a chance to sign any of those fellers, but I am still not in favor of their Captain Planet maneuver.

As a whole, I'm generally not in favor of crazy star team-ups. Even when the Red Wings acquired aged and older hall of famers back in 2001 (sort of like the NHL version of the '04 Lakers) I admit winning the Cup that year felt a little bit emptier and more artificial in nature. The Cup Finals basically felt like Bates Battaglia versus Sergei Fedorov, Steve Yzerman, Nicklas Lidstrom, Luc Robitaille, Brett Hull, and Dominik Hasek.

In the Heat's case, at the risk of sounding repetitive, it was the best player of our era - and a top 10 guy of all-time - grouping together with two other Dream Teamers in their prime, eventually surrounded by one of the best shooters of all-time (Ray Allen), one of the best defenders (Shane Battier), and a grab bag of former volume scorers (Rashard Lewis, Mike Miller). I tend to not mind super team-up attempts if their success still seems relatively uncertain. I'm just not sure much of anyone wants the championship decided by three to four hall of famers all getting together prior to the season and opting to group together for the next half decade, guaranteeing nothing short of a runner-up finish for as long as they exist.

[ojandpizza]

Meh, I never had a problem with how they came together, whether is was planned beforehand or not. Even before LeBron signed on, I had no problem with Bosh leaving to go to Miami. They all played out their contracts and left after they had fulfilled their duties with their prior teams. They didn't demand a trade, pull a Vince in Toronto or Dwight in Orlando. I thought if they were going to leave they went about it the right way.

I don't necessarily have a problem with them "joining forces" either. Boston had a big 3, LA had a big 3, San Antonio had a big 3, and now pretty much any team that makes the playoffs (especially the West) have 3 All-Star caliber guys.. They needed all 3 to currently compete and as we've saw over the years it has been far from a cake walk for them, even with all 3.


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