Today is the first day of its kind in the season. It's a second day in a row without a Spurs game. Pop doesn't run a practice for the team unless there are at least two days off between games, which means that they're likely going 5 on 5 today, full court, and Manu Ginobili is being tested by his teammates, evaluated by the coaches, and hovered over by the trainers. There's no new news to be expected today, so it's the perfect time for me to hearken back to my earliest memories of growing up in Houston, Texas as a fan of the NBA, and share with you a story that I've been wanting to write for a long time.
via ww1.hdnux.com
I grew up cheering for a "small market team" - the Houston Rockets, who lost to the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals twice in 5 years. As a child, all I ever heard about was the Lakers/Celtics rivalry and how awesome and iconic those teams were. So when Houston was down and it was down to just two teams, I'd always root for the Lakers because they were the Western Conference's representative and I hoped that they would take down the hated Celtics. I hated the Lakers, too, of course, but you have to pick your battles.
Whenever I watched sports on national TV, it was rarely the Rockets. And for the Rockets coverage I did see, even as a child, I could tell the difference in the kind of broadcast I was seeing. The announcers weren't as polished. The production quality wasn't as good - the lighting and the graphics looked homespun and hokey instead of slick and polished. But they were my hometown team and I remember following them on a portable TV with a 2.5" by 2.5" screen that had to have measured about 4"x7"x18" and weighed over 10 pounds. It had a handle attached to the top and an antenna for picking up the signal while on the go. I remember having it in the back of my dad's car with the power plugged into a huge adapter that went into the cigarette lighter, and watching the static creating that familiar snowstorm effect (that was the 80's version of a lagging feed) while I tried to discern Rodney McCray running the fast break in some random mid-season contest where he was going off for the most points in a quarter any Rocket guard had ever scored up to then. This offensive display, of course, made me certain he'd be an All Star some day, and take Houston to the promised land of the NBA Championship.
So, whenever the Rockets played on national TV, it was a rare event. When there was a story on Moses Malone, or Ralph Sampson or Hakeem Olajuwon in Sports Illustrated, it was like Christmas in April. When USA Today started up, and they did a story on the streaking Rockets, starting their 1992 season off with twelve wins in a row, I was in sports fan heaven. But since that was all the national press I had access to, when they finally won Houston's first trophy, I never felt like they got any real recognition -- even the OJ "chase" pushed FINALS coverage completely off the television IN MY OWN HOMETOWN! It wasn't enough that the assembled MTM (Media That Mattered) had already decided that this was the worst Finals matchup and the most boring style of play they'd ever seen, because the scoring was down. Never mind that it was a 7 game series, with all of the drama that entails. Forget the fact that every single contest was decided by single digits (avg margin of victory: 6.1 points). It was christened "unwatchable" compared to the wonder and glory of Jordan walking all over the competition. (It was years afterwards that I would even wonder why someone paid to write about the NBA would take a stance that could possibly lessen the enjoyment of the very fans that were following the games, the teams, and the coverage, but that's likely a story for another time).
So, I had to buy the commemorative edition of SI's Championship Year magazine, in order feel like my team had finally gotten the kind of coverage the good teams are supposed to get; like the franchises I'd been watching win rings my whole life while hoping that one day it would be my team up there. And while the feeling was everything I'd hoped it would be, it was somewhat incomplete, because the positive media storm that I expected never happened. In fact, there was barely a breeze.
And the next year, when they were The Defending Champions, they weren't treated differently than they always had been. The other teams that always hogged the main share of media attention were still the ones who were likely to win it all this year, and the Rockets were treated like nothing more than a one-year-wonder blip on pages of history. Which made it all the sweeter for me when the Rockets finally overcame their injuries, adjusted to the trade of Clyde Drexler, and went on a post-season run like few others; beating four 50-win teams on their way to a 2nd straight title. When Rudy T. told everyone that they should "Never underestimate the heart of a champion!" it was like he was speaking my thoughts directly into the face of all of the assembled journalists who would obviously realize their mistake and have to change their ways. Now, I told myself, the team would get the respect it deserved. Now the coverage would come. Now the nation would treat them they way they'd been handling, promoting, and publicizing the Knicks, and the Lakers and the Celtics, and the Bulls.
But it never happened.
And I realized some things about the media, which then informed some of my understanding of the league I'd been following for so long, which then revealed some things about myself and the world.
First, it would never come. The moment of universal acclaim of the cognoscenti would always remain out of reach and unrealized. The reason went beyond the issue of good and bad teams; beyond the difference between media friendly superstars who live in the limelight as if it was a birthright, and humble men going about the business of playing with excellence and accepting the result of their efforts with dignity and grace. The reason was that what I was longing for could only exist in a universe where I had been born in a large market for a team that the league wanted to promote, and the media had christened as its darling.
Second, those teams of my youth that I'd spent so much time envying; they weren't better than my team because they were celebrated and honored and praised to the heights that language allowed, and through this repetition, raised to the status of legends. That was only happening because of the city they were from. There was ten times the coverage of an LA win because there's that much more appetite for stories about a dominant Los Angeles team. And ten times the number of people claiming (at the moment of the trophy presentation, anyway) to be fans of the latest mega-market team's ultimate victory, than there were of my lowly hometown boys done good. And if there weren't more fans, then there were definitely more people who, while in the position to wield the power of the press, preferred to pander to the masses rather than appreciate the success of a smaller market franchise, or give anything more than cursory credit to a team that wasn't among their favored few.
Third, I realized that I was looking for validation from a source that should really have no influence over me at all. I had seen the game myself, why should I wait to read the AP recap to see if I was right in how I thought the contest had gone? I had followed the team all year, what possible column from the respected writer of the month, should make me feel as if enough appreciation had been given? They had my appreciation, and that should be enough. I knew that I thought highly of them, and that would have to suffice.
Years passed, Hakeem aged, the Rockets refused to respect their living legend in his final years. I moved to Austin, and left my hometown team behind. The internet hit its stride and the local team began to make good. I watched from a distance in '98-99, started following them more closely, suffered through the dreaded L.A. threepeat, and eventually fell in fan-love for the first time as an adult with a young foreign shooting guard with a weird name, a big nose and an uncanny way on the hardwood.
Now, here I am with an opportunity to help give all of the Spurs fans out there the kind of coverage of their team that I had so longed for in vain. A regular celebration of their exploits, and a reinforcement of the knowledge that it's unimportant whether a self-styled leader of the world of sports deigns to drop an infrequent morsel into the dish of the hungry mutt that lives inside every fanatic. Because, while it's nice every once in a while to hear that someone who shapes conventional wisdom has glanced at my team and responded with something complimentary, I don't NEED their notice. I've been inoculated from that need through regular coverage, analysis, frivolity, and psychologically satisfying conversation with those who are most qualified to create it: the observant fans who follow the team every single day.
My fellow £ers, thanks for helping to make Pounding the Rock the place it is. The many people who collaborate to create the content we post daily, appreciate you and want to make this site all that it can be. Thanks for reading, commenting, and cheering for the Spurs. I look forward to doing the same for years to come..
22 recs | 34 comments
Recommend! I, too, agree with the fact that I don’t need national media coverage to enjoy my favorite team to the fullest. It would be nice but, hey, they’re missing out on one of the most fun teams in the NBA. That’s their problem.
The Big Fundamental - February 10, 2012
Not only is this beautifully written, but it’s so true! I went through much the same thing when I a young Spurs fan—wondering how the national media could thumb it’s nose at that team of winners and all around good guys in San Antonio. I’d grow frustrated as the sordid affairs and follies of sports figures in glitzier markets (with markedly less accolades) would routinely crowd the consistent excellence of the Spurs off the front pages of the sports stories. Which is why I’m so glad I found PtR. It’s helped me grow as a fan and as a student of the game (plus, trading paint with y’all is always an intellectually stimulating experience!). Most importantly, though, it’s nice to be less frustrated by the slim to none media coverage my favorite team gets (or the regurgitated “here come the Spurs again” bits like what Hollinger put out this week). Like you said, it’s nice to have a bone thrown your way, but better to have a steady stream of Spurs-centric info to slake my thirst for the Silver and Black.
So, thanks for all you and your cohorts do, JRW, to keep this place humming and us fans coming back for more!
Trey Felder - February 10, 2012
It took me a couple of years but I hardly read “big” media sources. If anything, I use them to confirm news or ideas that have been running around in alternative sources such as blogs and local websites. Now, even that is becoming reliable, or at least I have learned to identify the ones that I can trust. Also, big media sources are often dull with lack of insight and analysis, not to mention, they know little compared to those who cover teams daily and in person. All of this, not just in sports but in every aspect of life.
Thanks JRW and everyone else here at PtR and other great Spurs websites/blogs/forums. You make it possible for me to follow the Spurs from afar as if I was living in SA.
Sh!fty - February 10, 2012
What a great writeup, JRW. Wonderfully insightful! I admire the honesty where you admit what you might have really been after when it came to the national media spotlight. Definitely rec’d.
And Rodney McCray got his ring… with Chicago. Isn’t it ironic? :-)
Ed (dfjmed) - February 10, 2012
Nice write up, chief. What made you switch from Rockets to Spurs though? I remember you telling us before but I’ve since forgotten.
Josh Guyer (completely deck) - February 10, 2012
The short story is that the way the Houston Rockets franchise parted with Hakeem ended my relationship with the team and I was a ronin NBA fan for a number of years — wandering, team-less and alone.
J.R. Wilco - February 10, 2012 via iPhone app
I agree with Sh!fty about not following major news outlets to get my sports info anymore. I don’t have League Pass anymore, so I can’t watch the games that I used to be able to… PTR, thankfully, sates my appetite. I got tired of going to Yahoo or ESPN and hoping that they would throw in a good word about my team. Now, I’m blissfully unaware in the loving embrace that is the collective PtR kingdom. Thanks for doing this site.
Jordan Leithart - February 10, 2012
Nice write-up. I do have one major concern. I am afraid that in 30 years, no one will remember this team, that dynasty. People will look at the stats and they might think that Garnett or Shaq or better then TD. or that those championships were just a gaping hole between the LA’s dynasty to the impending[hopefully not] Heat’s dynasty.
No one will remember that this team was just one stupid foul + 0.4 secs away from being a 5-times straight champs.
ironm8 - February 10, 2012
That’s something that bothers me when people think the Lakers were better for the last decade. Sure they won 5 rings but they actually missed the playoffs and were barely in the playoffs several seasons. The Spurs were always a contender and were probably 2 plays away from winning 5 straight and 6 in 9 years.
Sh!fty - February 10, 2012
rec’d
spursfan87 - February 10, 2012
JRW your in Austin me too. I can remember why I started watching basketball. When I started watching MJ play. I was a huge fan of 23 but could never really root for the Bulls. I watched Houston but they never could really root for them either sorry JRW. The Mavricks well I didn’t care for them. Then I saw this guy named David Robinson. Been hooked ever since. It’s so true about how the media is with the big market teams and small market teams. I truly believe if Ray Allen played in LA he would be the one the media would be saying is the closest to Jordan we have ever seen. I believe we have the closest player to Jordan we have seen to this point in number 20. PTR is such a wonderful site and I for one feel very privliged to be able to participate in it. Thank You JRW for being a part of what makes PTR what it is.
spurlover - February 10, 2012 via mobile
BAH! Rationality.
Seriously, though… this is what a lot of us need to hear. Stop looking for Big Media recognition; we’re not going to get it. Even if we win this year, someone will just give us another asterisk and dismiss us. It doesn’t matter what we do—we’re predisposed to be ignored, because that’s how this team operates, and how our players carry themselves.
And you know what? That’s fine. That’s part of the charm of the Spurs—the fans, the TRUE fans, are part of a select group that can knowingly smile at each other when we pass on the street. The paradigm-shifting experience of being a Spurs fan is the best-kept secret in all of professional sports.
Besides, if we became one of the media’s “anointed,” what would we have to band together to complain about?
DrumsInTheDeep - February 10, 2012
A valid point complaining about ESPN’s lack of spurs coverage is what gets me out of bed in the morning. On that note those assholes at espn still aren’t recognizing the spurs!
The Calvinator - February 10, 2012
Rec’d! Thanks for sharing, JRW! On a positive note, the Spurs not being on a popular market, means that their game coverage is a bit cheaper compared to the Lakers and the like. This means that BTv (basketballTV) the partner channel for NBA coverage in our place will buy more Spurs games because they’re relatively cheaper. :-) But then again, there are live streams on the net, of course.
Reylan - February 10, 2012
Nicely done. I’ve been a Spurs fan for over 25 years for many of the reasons you explain.
TX2NC - February 10, 2012
Off topic but will there be a thread for tonight’s games?
Marky G - February 10, 2012
thank you. I’ve been at yahoo ESPN nba.com and I see little talk of the spurs popping up. not much but its there, but on ESPN you have to buy a membership to read the article. once again thank you PtR
RJSpurs20 - February 10, 2012 via Android app
You’re welcome
Manuwar - February 10, 2012
Hah.
LatinD - February 10, 2012
Well said, Dale.
Question: Where the heck did the FanPosts go?
LatinD - February 10, 2012
Nice write up, boss. I’m not only fed up with being ignored by the main stream media, but the sponsors identified with the NBA as well – almost never show a Spur in their ads, and NBA also rarely uses a Spur in its promos and the plays of the day are short on Spurs as well (because we are not known as a thunder-dunking team). But, hey – it doesn’t bother the team at all.
janieannie - February 10, 2012
I had my own self-confession of PtR love recently. Blog sites and internet communities are really an under-rated media resource for every sports team in the world. I personally know about a dozen NBA fans, most of which support the Lakers/Celtics, I’ve never come across a Spurs fan in my life. Poundingtherock and a few other internet communities have been the only consistent place where I can get my San Antonio basketball fix. Media coverage is one thing, but the lack of respect for the Spurs(in terms of play style, players etc..) simply is dis-respectful and rude. Especially since we have the greatest team in all of sports : )
Afterglow - February 11, 2012
Being just a kid, I never fully understood why the Spurs dont get any respect. They seemed so flawless and graceful and exciting with Tony driving in at will, Manu being Manu, Bruce taking LeBron to school, and Timmy being the hero in the end.
When I discovered the internet and other mass media I was jolted by the disrespect and the attention they got only because they are boring and old. My meaning of basketball felt discredited and furiosly looked for any evidence supporting the fact that the Spurs were boring and uninteresting and found nothing.
Then I discovered Jeremy Lin…
Spurs4life - February 11, 2012
*Furiously
Spurs4life - February 11, 2012
Even when the Big Bad Media mention the Spurs, they just repeat some variation of what has been already beaten to death at PtR. So why bother? By now, I get about 90% of internet basketball news from PtR and another 10% from PtR links. So I think the Spurs have a lot of media attention, and are covered as no other team in the NBA. It may be somewhat biased view, but I am fine with it.
Kondor - February 11, 2012
Huzzah!
Joe deLarios - February 11, 2012
This is great!
DewNO - February 11, 2012
Mad respect for Olajuwon, but I have to say I really hated seeing what he did to the Admiral in the playoffs.
Been a Spurs fan ever since David put on the #50. It was especially sweet to see him retire with 2 rings.
JonnyJam - February 11, 2012
Great post JRW. As a foreigner there’s another reason why it’s so important for us to have access to blogs. I’m sure most of you guys know people that love basketball and get to discuss the game and the Spurs regularly. I’m surrounded by soccer people so to be able to come here and talk about hoops feels really good.
Edg5 - February 11, 2012
For me, it was a black & white Zenth. And, I think these seminal influences so define some of us, and make blogging a welcome oasis later in life. Very cool piece.
Dave M.. - February 12, 2012
These comments make me wonder if we were separated at birth. Plus I was a big Rockets fan in the ’90s…
…although I have been less inclined to root for teams located within close proximity than you have, JRW. My home state team growing up was the Sonics and, while I always rooted for them to do well, they were never my favorite team. My local team now is the Jazz, and the same thing applies. It’s funny, but if you haven’t/don’t live in SA people don’t seem to understand why one would be a Spurs fan. I remember someone asking me why the Spurs were my team. I could have gone on and on, but the person got bored of me trying to expain it within a matter of seconds.
BTW I do think the Spurs get a lot of respect from most media, players and knowledgeable fans. These are the people who recognize and appreciate what the Spurs organization and players are all about. The Spurs just don’t get the biggest national coverage because they don’t have the most marketed stars, the most surprising headlines, or the “sexiest” story lines. “Slow (medium paced) and steady” may not win over the casual fine, but it has won many a race!
Gino20 - February 12, 2012
Thanks to everybody for the kind words. I really appreciate them. I’m being serious when I say that this story has been either on my mind, or in a half-written state, for longer than just about any other half-written piece I’m working on.
It’s very gratifying to know that you guys enjoyed it.
J.R. Wilco - February 13, 2012
Glad you worked through it. Today, your are using this blog as a tool and reaching out like no one before. Like Pop tells Tony..keep taking it to the hoop.
indiancharlie - February 14, 2012
Heh, thanks.
I’ll try to stay aggressive, Pop.
J.R. Wilco - February 15, 2012
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