Thursday, January 30, 2014

Hate Mail



Wikipedia describes “The bandwagon effect” as follows: “The bandwagon effect is a well documented… Never mind, it’s boring... And I’m pretty sure we all know what it is.

We know that the Pacers cultivated a HUGE following after the success of last season and the present success, complete with 360 windmills, triple-doubles, and a near perfect home record, has only helped further the bandwagoner’s cause.  To say that it’s been crazier this year would be an understatement.

What’s particularly interesting about the bandwagon effect, in regard to the Pacers, is that these new fans aren’t bottom feeder NBA fans. They claim to be fans of teams that already have amazing history and sit in the heart of an already firm NBA market:




As a Pacers fan, you never saw this coming - Heat fans… I’ll never understand.




Couldn’t begin to tell you who this guy likes (Yes, I know he said he loves his Pacers)…



We’ve all seen this stuff, kinda laugh about it, move on… whatever.  What is interesting about THIS year is something different.  Something Indiana fans haven’t witnessed before.  We are seeing, for possibly the first time… HATERS. The Pacers aren’t just putting up big numbers in little games.  They aren’t blowing up sub .500 teams to pad a record.  This team is destroying people at an alarming rate.  And when you destroy, you get butt hurt people coming out of the trailer park paneling.




If you had travelled outside of Indiana prior to 2013, and post 2004 of course, and somehow got into a basketball conversation, the inevitable would happen:

Some random dude or chick: “Oh, you like basketball. Who’s your team?”

You: “Indiana. The Pacers. I’m a Pacers fan.”

Some random dude or chick: “Oh.”

And the conversation ENDS.  But, we live in a post “Brawl” world and most definitely a post “The Indiana Pacers aren’t even on my radar” world. AND WE LOVE IT.  Conversations go differently now:

Some random dude or chick: “Oh, you like basketball. Who’s your team?”

You: “Indiana. The Pacers. I’m a Pacers fan.”

Some random dude or chick:
               
                A: “The hell you are. You only like them because they’re good.”
                B: “Name the starters hotshot.”
                C: “I’m a Heat fan. I hate you. Would you mind carrying my douchebag?”
                D: “No mother-effing way! ME TOO. Boom Baby! Two-Ahh! Reg-gie, Reg-gie!”

All of the above responses are going to warrant conversation.  And how we somehow live in a world where this is possible now:



We also live in a glorious Blue and Gold paradise where this is happening:



As a Pacers fan, you couldn’t ever imagine saying, “Pacers ‘til I die, but dem Heat boys are crazy good son.”   




Ultimately, it doesn’t matter.  The Pacers FAMbase is rapidly growing and as a consequence there are going to be people that want to bring you down when you’re on top.  We have created a culture of winning and celebrating around what is the absolute greatest franchise in sports.  As a result, we also have this…




You see that? We aren’t just turning people into Pacers fans, WE ARE TURNING PEOPLE INTO BASKETBALL FANS.  I know, I know… I cried a little bit too.