Feb
28
Kinship with Fans of Another Team
By Kassandra Posted in: Blazers, Bobcats
Several teams and players are in the middle of adjusting following trades which were made just prior to the NBA trade deadline on Thursday.
We've already seen some of the new-look teams over the weekend, some having success and others ... well, not so much. Players are getting used to their new teams and teams are getting used to their new players. Of course, fans are also getting accustomed to seeing the new faces on their favorite teams and feeling the void of someone who is no longer there.
When I'd heard the Blazers had acquired Gerald Wallace from the Bobcats for Joel Pryzbilla, Dante' Cunningham, Sean Marks and a couple draft picks, there was not just a little trepidation in dealing with the trade. Gerald is a very good player and had served as the face of Charlotte's franchise.
However, I was both saddened and stunned to see our three guys sent away (please refer to my previous blog,
Saying Goodbye to Some Friends). I love the Blazers and I love the contributions all of these three made while they played in a Blazers uniform.
Figuring the potential of the internet, I decided to make a concentrated effort to follow Joel, Dante' and Sean as they played in those other jerseys. I had heard others, on this site and on twitter, say pretty much the same thing.
Plans with my family prevented me from followng basketball on Sunday, and didn't free me up until it was time to get ready to watch the Blazers and Hawks game. As I watch or stream games, I commonly enjoy chatting with other fans on the blazers site.
This game was different from the others. There were some new chatters, but not Hawks fans chiding or trolling (well, there was one, but I didn't pay much attention to him!). They were Charlotte Bobcats fans, logging on to talk about Gerald's debut.
Admittedly, I was unaware of the fact that a few Blazers fans had joined Charlotte's in-game chat for the Bobcats' game against Orlando earlier in the day. From the response, I gathered blazers fans made a very good impression on them; being positive and informative regarding our friends who now don their jersey. I would call this second-hand information if that hadn't come straight from these Bobcats fans.
The same can be said of our chat friends from the other coast. They sang Gerald's praises; letting us know how fortunate we are to have him on our roster. They inquired about LaMarcus, Brandon and the rest of the Blazers players. They shared our elation and were encouraging even when things were not going well in the game itself. They were interested, inquizitive and informative.
They weren't arrogant or apethetic as you may find in some cities. They were just real people enjoying some basketball.
And of course, you could practically hear the exclamation through their words when Gerald entered the came, when he grabbed his first rebound two seconds later, and when he scored his first basket. This was an example of a fan showing love his favorite team and player -- it transcends the comfort of one's hometown uniform.
For the most part, this site is a social networking place where we all have one thing in common. We're Trail Blazers fans. Chatting with these Bobcats' faithful took that experience to another level; one that doesn't have to be contained when that player leaves.
The Bobcats fans are just like us; they said goodbye to someone too. We have something in common with them. There is a kinship there, and I hope to see them again.
~ Kassandra