Yeah, yeah, I know.

But please believe me, it's not about killing the fun or wielding administrative power just for the sake of wielding administrative power, I'm just trying to make sure that everyone can post without being attacked. I would like everyone to get the most enjoyment possible out of the forum. I feel it is my role to make sure that everyone can post freely without being abused and that a certain level of civility is maintained.
I understand that some of the rules and the enforcement may seem strict, but EG has recently shown me some forums where there is no moderation, and frankly, the discussions suck. They are thrown off-topic with flames that rage through pretty much every thread.
I know everyone understands this, but I want to say again that I'm not trying to be nasty or abusive of my position as admin, I'm just try to maintain civility and enforce rules as fairly as possible. I certainly prefer a bet like this since it's a bit of fun and the forum doesn't stand to lose any members (believe me, no matter how that bet turned out I wasn't keen on losing such loyal and eager-to-contribute members), I just don't want it to erupt into a flame that takes over the NBA Talk section. I've seen enough flames to know how they can ruin good discussion and how they can start from the smallest (and sometimes silliest) disagreement.
So in summary, please be civil and follow the forum rules. I don't like handing out severe punishments, but I will if I have to.
Now then,
I won't be taking part in this bet, as I don't feel strong loyalty to either team. Given that I have the power to jinx teams, it wouldn't be fair, either.
