Recently there was a FanPost here on Silver Screen and Roll titled “Poll: Second Favorite Team?”  There were quite a few different answers and quite a few interesting comments.  I voted for the Spurs with a bit of a caveat…..”I don’t have a second favorite team, but I have only one other team that I respect so I voted for them. Spurs.”  Apparently 8 other people agreed with me since as of now there are 9 votes out of 172 for the Spurs.  I took a little bit of crap (very little actually), but it got me thinking.

Why do Laker fans hate the Spurs?  I understand why I should, but I just don’t.  I think my feelings about other NBA teams can be summed up in three ways.  Hate. Pity. Indifference.  I hate the Celtics (of course), Nuggets, Rockets, Suns, Mavericks (with a passion), Blazers, and a few others as well.  I pity a few like the Clippers, Warriors, Kings, Grizzlies, Nets, and a few others.  I am indifferent about a few as well like the Pacers, Thunder, 76ers, Knicks, Magic, etc.  However I just can’t seem to fit the Spurs into any of these categories.

In reality they fit into their own category…….Respect.  Why do I respect them?  Glad you asked.

To answer that question I have to pose another question.  What do we hate about other teams and their fans?   a) They want respect but they haven’t earned it. (Nuggets, Blazers, Rockets, etc) b) They have beaten/embarrassed the Lakers in the playoffs, and then choked.(Suns).  c)Their fans blame losing on officials or league Bias. (Nuggets x1000),  d)Their fans troll our site and start trouble, disrespect our city, our team, and our fans. (Celtics, Nuggets, Suns, etc).  e) Their team is full of a-holes that don’t deserve our respect (Nuggets……are we sensing a pattern here?) f)They don’t play the right way……or at least most people’s idea of the right way “defense wins Championships right?” (Suns, Warriors, Knicks).

So let’s go through the list and see where the Spurs fit.  Have they earned respect?  I think so.  Of their 4 championships only once did they “take one away from us”.  And when they beat us, they win it all.  Do you ever hear/read their fans blame losing on officials?  I don’t remember seeing it.  As a matter of fact when Fisher fouled Brent Barry in the playoffs most Spurs fans I heard said something like this…..”You can’t expect to get that call in the Playoffs” or “We shouldn’t have put ourselves in that position to begin with”.  In short, they blame their team not the League (sound like another team you know? Think Purple and Gold).  Have you seen any Spurs trolls around here lately?  Seen any anti-Lakers posts on Pounding the Rock lately?  Me neither.  Think about Duncan, Ginobili, Parker, Jefferson, etc…. Any a-holes in the group?   Any DUI’s.  Any arrests for domestic violence?  I don’t remember any.  Lastly, do they play the game the right way?  I think so.

In conclusion, I understand the rivalry, I agree with rooting against them, but I just can’t HATE them, I just can’t.  I respect them too much.  To be honest they are the only other team I do respect. 

I am curious to read what any of you think…….thanks.