Dogfight or Dominance?

[Andrew]

This topic isn't really suited to this time of the year, but I'll bring it up anyway.

When it comes to your favourite team, which do you prefer in terms of both games and playoff series - a closely fought battle that goes down to the wire or a simply overpowering performance?

I, like most people, prefer to see playoff series go the distance and enjoy watching games that are decided in the final minutes when the game does not include my favourite team, but instead two teams neither of which I favour over the other. If there's one good thing about being a fan of a lottery team (apart from past glory), it's that you can really enjoy the playoffs no matter what the outcome; though to be honest it is much better if your team is in the postseason, competing for the title.

While I loved watching the tougher matchups they experienced, I always preferred to see the Bulls getting through a playoff series swiftly. True, a seventh game adds an element of excitement that a four game sweep does not, but no one likes to see their team lose. As the Bulls were an aging team during the second three peat, getting a series over and done with quickly provided an advantage for the next round.

As far as the games themselves were concerned, both kinds of wins were entertaining in their own way. Watching the game live, a close game was certainly more exciting though they're not always as good to watch again when you know the outcome. Dominating performances are always fun to watch both live and after the event, though they don't have the same "edge of your seat" excitement that a back and forth battle has.

And of course these days, I'm happy to see the Bulls get a win whether it's by one point or ten.

So, what do you prefer when it comes to your favourite team? A dogfight, or dominance?

[j.23]

it really depends, when i see a series say suns vs. spurs i would love for it to end really quickly, mainly because one team is more fun to watch compared to other

however if you put 2 teams in a series, say the sixers and raptors 3 years ago i love games like that to go the distance. its more entertaining that way and i enjoy watching the superstars try to out do the other.. remember iverson scored 54 (correct me if im wrong) one night.. then carter bounces back and scores 50, scores like 8 or 9 three-pt fg's (correct me again if im wrong) then iverson bounces back once more, scores 50+ again and hits 7 treys (i stand corrected again i dont feel like doing the research). that was perhaps one of my favorite playoff series ever.. aside from the lakers/kings 2002 series, and bulls/pacers 1998 series

[Incubus]

Umm. The last years Pistons - Lakers, maybe . It was good to see that Pistons still have the power to be the top of the league and of course to see the sad Shaq-Kobe .

[allamerican08]

i really like to watch guard play more. If guards in the game are not playing good, then i dont realy like it. Or if duncan is going for his 20 10, its not realy iteresting. Comon who wants to watch duncan, unless he is going for 50?

[j.23]

i like watching duncan, he makes the game look so effortless.. i get a good kick seeing him nail bankers

[Matt]

If I'm watching a Detroit game I'd like to see Detroit win in a roll-over. But if I'm nuetral in a game I like it to go the distance[/quote]

[John-John Joe]

Dominance all the way. 2001 was the easiest post season for me as a Laker fan.

[.]

I really really really hate the close games, as a Laker fan I couldnt take it anymore during games like the 2002 WCF game game 4, last game of the season when Kobe made the 2 three-pointers, Fishers shot to win the game (I actually prayed to god for a miracle), Kobes game tying 3, game 2 of the NBA finals....when the Pistons took the inbound after the timeout, I just closed my eyes and turned off the volume because I was so damn nervous and didnt want to see the Pistons make a winning shot.

As Dre said, dominance all the way.....I dont wish any loses to my favorite team, even if it can make the playoffs or whatever more exciting. The 2001 NBA playoffs was the perfect example of something I like, they clearly showed who owned the NBA during that 15-1 playoff run.

[Sauru]

it depends for me. for every game that does not involve my team i definetly want to see a close game. now as for games with my team, i just wanna see a win. sometimes if they are blowing a team out i get bored and change the station. so i guess i want the close hard fought battle if they win.

[Jackal]

Hehe, I love the close games, ofcourse I love it more when LA wins. Hehe...yeah yeah fuck off.

It's always nice to see your team win but it's nicer to see your team win when everyone loves to hate them with so much passion.

So yeah, close games.

[Matt]

I really really really hate the close games, as a Laker fan I couldnt take it anymore during games like the 2002 WCF game game 4, last game of the season when Kobe made the 2 three-pointers, Fishers shot to win the game (I actually prayed to god for a miracle), Kobes game tying 3, game 2 of the NBA finals....when the Pistons took the inbound after the timeout, I just closed my eyes and turned off the volume because I was so damn nervous and didnt want to see the Pistons make a winning shot.

As Dre said, dominance all the way.....I dont wish any loses to my favorite team, even if it can make the playoffs or whatever more exciting. The 2001 NBA playoffs was the perfect example of something I like, they clearly showed who owned the NBA during that 15-1 playoff run.

hehe, i see that I'm not the only one that get's stomache ulcers and heart attacks when watching their fav team play

[John-John Joe]

hehe, i see that I'm not the only one that get's stomache ulcers and heart attacks when watching their fav team play

OMG, same here! Quick off-topic Question: Am I the only one who feels like he "jinxes" his team by missing the game or turning the channel?

For instance, if I fall asleep early or I'm tending to some other business and I happen to miss the Laker/Yankee/Giants game and they lose I feel like it's my fault! Like, "See, if I was watching the game this never would have happened!" Yes, my sense of self-importance can be alarming at times....

Seriously though, I am the only one?

[.]

hehe, i see that I'm not the only one that get's stomache ulcers and heart attacks when watching their fav team play

OMG, same here! Quick off-topic Question: Am I the only one who feels like he "jinxes" his team by missing the game or turning the channel?

For instance, if I fall asleep early or I'm tending to some other business and I happen to miss the Laker/Yankee/Giants game and they lose I feel like it's my fault! Like, "See, if I was watching the game this never would have happened!" Yes, my sense of self-importance can be alarming at times....

Seriously though, I am the only one?

Yeah I know where youre coming from.

Over here in the Netherlands we only get to see 2 NBA games a week (Pay tv), so I dont really get to see to many Laker games. Basicly when a Laker game is on I watch it untill the end of the game live (which is hell because the games start usually around 2 in the morning over here and you got school the next day).

Ohyeah, my friend causes bad luck. Everytime he comes over to watch a Laker game, they somehow lose. It happend against the Sacramento Kings during retro night, against the last game vs San Antonio during the regular season, and against the T-Pups some game in the playoffs where they eventually lost by 1 point. He is officially no longer welcome during a Laker game.

One time when the Lakers were playing the New Orleans Hornets at Staples, I forgot to set my alarm at 5:30 which was the time they showed the game over here, but amazingly I woke up out of myself 5 minutes before tipoff without using anything to wake me up, and let me tell you this, I never wake up during that hour. I guess I have some Lakers sense

The only time I really missed something from the game, was game 3 of 4 I believe from the WCF, I woke up with my alarmclock, and they showed that boring 30 minute show NBA Action before the game which sucks bigtime...goddamn I hate that show. So I though..."Well, I just close my eyes for a few seconds"..Then the horn to end the first quarter woke me up. I got pretty angry there, but luckely they show replays of the game the next day over here so it was all cool.

[Sauru]

hehe, i see that I'm not the only one that get's stomache ulcers and heart attacks when watching their fav team play

OMG, same here! Quick off-topic Question: Am I the only one who feels like he "jinxes" his team by missing the game or turning the channel?

For instance, if I fall asleep early or I'm tending to some other business and I happen to miss the Laker/Yankee/Giants game and they lose I feel like it's my fault! Like, "See, if I was watching the game this never would have happened!" Yes, my sense of self-importance can be alarming at times....

Seriously though, I am the only one?

lol for awhile i felt the exact oppisite. i felt i jinxed my team by watching lol. damn celtics, i demand they get better now. this held even more true with the redsox then i just remember they are cursed and everything so watching and not watching dont mean anything lol.

[J@3]

I remember back in about '97, I was watching a rugby league match over here between Manly and some team (possibly Brisbane) with my younger brother, who's a Manly fan. And he was sitting there with this bag of lollipops, and he takes one out, puts it in his mouth and Manly score a try. So we think it's just a funny coincidence. As soon as he finishes that one (being the greedy little prick he is) he takes another lollipop out of the bag, puts it in his mouth and Manly score another try. This happened 4 more times. It was one of the freakiest things I've ever seen.

Back on topic, dominance is more fun.

[NNpF]

Well if my favorite teams are playing then I can't stand close games. I always think the opposing teams will go on a big run. I also get a weird feeling in my stomach during close games, even if their not important, I just want my team to win so bad.

But when it comes to teams that I don't reall care about then I like to see close games, it just makes the game more interesting.

[Alcoholic]

When my fav team is playing, I want them to dominate, but if it's two other teams (like spurs/twolves) I want a close game. I don't want my team to have a close game, because it will be sooo agonizing to watch, but then again in the end if my team wins it feels sooo much better.

[Matt]

hehehe, in close games I'm screaming at Ben Wallace "my grandma coulda made that shot" but then on the other end he saves the day and i'm and I see Larry Brown on the sidelines all calm and i'm thinking that the dude doesn't have a pulse or doesnt care about the out come. Fortunately we won the Championship so i guess he just doesn't have a pulse

[j.23]

watch larry bird in the 98 finals.. that guy definately has no pulse.. when reggie hit that 3 pointer over jordan.. the whole place was in a frenzy, but larry legend still had his stone face on

then when they lost, the exact same face was still on.. that guy scares me

[Matt]

yeah, we have a zombie in the NBA!!!! except he doesn't feed on brains, he feeds on ROOKIES!!!!

[.]

watch larry bird in the 98 finals.. that guy definately has no pulse.. when reggie hit that 3 pointer over jordan.. the whole place was in a frenzy, but larry legend still had his stone face on

then when they lost, the exact same face was still on.. that guy scares me

Same with Phil Jackson, when Kobe shot that 3-pointer during the finals...even before it went in he just told J. Clemson: "its in"...and thats about it.