ESPN news reporting

[AsUdUdE]

If you haven't found out by now, Ric Bucher doesn't know one damn thing about the Lakers. Seriously...the only thing he's been right about is that the team is located in LA and is named the Lakers. Everything else is horsecrap. What was it..."Kobe will never play for the Lakers again" and "Kobe will never wear a Lakers uniform again" and "bynum might be gone for the season and that's why they got Gasol" (when Mitch said Bynum is healing fine, and so did Bynum.) Just because Ric is talking about the Lakers a great deal doesn't mean he has been right. In fact, he's got a loooooong track record of being wrong recently.

He can't get any more injured on it, just experience pain...he's had more pain before. He's figured out how to play with it now (as evidenced by his last few games) and he's no stranger to pain. LA radio is saying that he said he won't get it worked on until AFTER the Olympics.

Kobe will be fine...I'm not worried one little bit. He's been playing with the injury during this road trip, where he played great after he stopped taping it. They've likely known about its status as needing surgery for a bit now, and are only bringing it up to keep him very limited in the ASG. I watched the Minny game...never saw him "re-aggravate" it. In fact, he shot better later in the game (sat out the fourth in the blowout).

First the Bucer quote was said more tongue-in-cheek than anything...

However, IMO, Kobe is either

A. Faking the injury (or making it out to be worse than it really is), to get out of the All-Star game
B. Will elect to have the surgery in a couple weeks after he has 3-4 sub-par games...

a TORN ligiment in your shooting hand, of a 2 guard is a BIG deal.... and I am not convinced Kobe will be able to "play through the pain".....but we will see.... And if he really does have a torn ligiment, and wants to play through it, why hold a press conference and announce it? Because I agree with a lot of other people, Kobe's pinky is fair game now, and defenders such as Bowen, Bell, Howard, the entire Spurs/Jazz teams will all be gunning for that pinky now... (hence why I am a little skeptical as to the seriousness of the injury)....

Just my opinion....

 

[azsouthendzone]

why are there lakers fans on arizona sports fans network? I thought this site was for arizona sports fans?

 

[Darth Llama]

why are there lakers fans on arizona sports fans network? I thought this site was for arizona sports fans?

You know what? I try to be nice here and be respectful, but I'm getting sick of this. Some of us are here just to talk basketball and be respectful of the "home fans."

To answer your question though, there are a good deal of Laker fans in Phoenix, being that a lot of people moved here from other states. The Suns and Lakers are in the same division, so things that affect the Lakers have an effect on the Suns, therefore making a lot of the discussion relevant. I have a problem with Laker fans that come here and are disrespectful and troll the forums, but the rest of us have just as much right to post here as you do. When the Laker "trolls" come here, I'll jump their asses just as fast as anyone here.

 

[azsouthendzone]

You know what? I try to be nice here and be respectful, but I'm getting sick of this. Some of us are here just to talk basketball and be respectful of the "home fans."

To answer your question though, there are a good deal of Laker fans in Phoenix, being that a lot of people moved here from other states. The Suns and Lakers are in the same division, so things that affect the Lakers have an effect on the Suns, therefore making a lot of the discussion relevant. I have a problem with Laker fans that come here and are disrespectful and troll the forums, but the rest of us have just as much right to post here as you do. When the Laker "trolls" come here, I'll jump their asses just as fast as anyone here.

So why aren't Raiders fans treated the same as Lakers fans on here? I just want to know what goes through the mindset of being die hard about the Arizona Cardinals but not the Suns. It baffles me. No different from Dallas Cowboys fans, but accepted for some reason.

 

[Chief]

I have to admit it does seem strange to run the risk of missing the entire playoffs while playing with this injury. Not the smartest of moves. Im thinking he did injure the finger in NJ but not as severe as being reported. Looks like he just doesnt want to play in the ASG. James Worthy made a brief commment to that end during the Minny game.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

So why aren't Raiders fans treated the same as Lakers fans on here? I just want to know what goes through the mindset of being die hard about the Arizona Cardinals but not the Suns. It baffles me. No different from Dallas Cowboys fans, but accepted for some reason.

I want to disagree with you on this, but you bring up a valid point.

 

[Steel Sun]

You know what? I try to be nice here and be respectful, but I'm getting sick of this. Some of us are here just to talk basketball and be respectful of the "home fans."

To answer your question though, there are a good deal of Laker fans in Phoenix, being that a lot of people moved here from other states. The Suns and Lakers are in the same division, so things that affect the Lakers have an effect on the Suns, therefore making a lot of the discussion relevant. I have a problem with Laker fans that come here and are disrespectful and troll the forums, but the rest of us have just as much right to post here as you do. When the Laker "trolls" come here, I'll jump their asses just as fast as anyone here.

This is true darth.It's just that "respectful" and "Laker fan" don't usually go together .

 

[D-Dogg]

why are there lakers fans on arizona sports fans network? I thought this site was for arizona sports fans?

Because I love the Cardinals and the Diamondbacks.

And this message board.

 

[D-Dogg]

So why aren't Raiders fans treated the same as Lakers fans on here? I just want to know what goes through the mindset of being die hard about the Arizona Cardinals but not the Suns. It baffles me. No different from Dallas Cowboys fans, but accepted for some reason.

Because some of us carry ourselves with class and dignity, and others come and troll you.

There are fans of other teams on the Cards board, like Migrating Osprey, who we don't give any issue to because he brings good things to the board.

Different opinions are valuable. Sorry you can't see that.

 

[Darth Llama]

So why aren't Raiders fans treated the same as Lakers fans on here? I just want to know what goes through the mindset of being die hard about the Arizona Cardinals but not the Suns. It baffles me. No different from Dallas Cowboys fans, but accepted for some reason.

I guess we have a difference in Philosophy then. If a Raiders fan posted here on the Cardinals board, but he wasn't being rude or trolling and was just here to talk football, I personally wouldn't have a problem with him. I'm on this forum because I live in Arizona and I love the Cardinals and I also follow the Coyotes. My loyalty to the Lakers is from my childhood, it was a loyalty that I had when I moved here in 1989 and I'm not looking to change it. I post on this forum because there are a lot of good posters here that know a great deal about the game, and some are welcoming of others that come here to exchange ideas.

I fully understand your frustration in having to hear it from the Laker fans that just come here to troll. I also try and make it a point to discuss basketball in general and discuss the Suns regularly, as no one comes to this forum to read about the Lakers. I'm not here to gloat or brag, just to talk basketgall with other fans. Yes, I happen to like the Lakers as well. It gets old hearing what a crime it is to live in Phoenix and not like the Suns. Some of us base our loyalty on more then our street address, that's all.

 

[azsouthendzone]

Well, being a fan of the LALakers, and supporting the D-Backs instead of the Dodgers is strange. How does one randomly support an LA sports team when they have a competing team in their backyard? It isn't like the Suns just moved here and you are having a hard time attempting to switch allegiences. It appears that at one point the bandwagon welcomed you, whether it was in the Magic or Kobe/Shaq era. I just don't get it. How can fans have these random allegiences to teams like the Lakers yet cheer on the other home teams? It seems like if you do, you have a lot in common with the Cowboys fans that used to show up at Sun Devil Stadium. If there is a difference, please explain.

Now as for the topic of the Laker love on this board, it is one thing to be a fan, but to have avatars and to star entire threads about their season is a little over the edge for what (I think) this board was intended for. To talk about the Lakers, where you need entire threads devoted to them....I just think there are much better places for it than "Arizona sports fans Network"...Am I way off base? I created a Cowboys thread right next to the Lakers thread. How does that make you feel? What if we added a detroit Red Wings and Yankees thread?

Just an observation. I think having entire threads devoted to Lakers basketball on ASFN is like having a monster trucks thread in the Cards section. It just seems out of place.

 

[LakeShowMan]

Well, being a fan of the LALakers, and supporting the D-Backs instead of the Dodgers is strange. How does one randomly support an LA sports team when they have a competing team in their backyard? It isn't like the Suns just moved here and you are having a hard time attempting to switch allegiences. It appears that at one point the bandwagon welcomed you, whether it was in the Magic or Kobe/Shaq era. I just don't get it. How can fans have these random allegiences to teams like the Lakers yet cheer on the other home teams? It seems like if you do, you have a lot in common with the Cowboys fans that used to show up at Sun Devil Stadium. If there is a difference, please explain.

Now as for the topic of the Laker love on this board, it is one thing to be a fan, but to have avatars and to star entire threads about their season is a little over the edge for what (I think) this board was intended for. To talk about the Lakers, where you need entire threads devoted to them....I just think there are much better places for it than "Arizona sports fans Network"...Am I way off base? I created a Cowboys thread right next to the Lakers thread. How does that make you feel? What if we added a detroit Red Wings and Yankees thread?

Just an observation. I think having entire threads devoted to Lakers basketball on ASFN is like having a monster trucks thread in the Cards section. It just seems out of place.

I am confused. Are you an Arizona fan or a Dallas fan? Obviously, no one is 'allowed' to like teams from different states in your little world.

With that in mind, I am confused as to why you have a Dallas Cowboy avatar, have az (I am assuming it refers to Arizona) in your screen name, and are posting on the Arizona boards about not allowing fans of other teams on. Either you are being sarcastic, ironic, or you are just plain confused. Which is it?

 

[Rab]

This has the potential to be very bad news for the Lakers. He has been playing fine, but if he were to fall on his and and tweak the finger, or even just jam his pinkie on the ball or something, it's not going to be good.

But, he has my respect for troopin through it.

 

[azsouthendzone]

I am confused. Are you an Arizona fan or a Dallas fan? Obviously, no one is 'allowed' to like teams from different states in your little world.

With that in mind, I am confused as to why you have a Dallas Cowboy avatar, have az (I am assuming it refers to Arizona) in your screen name, and are posting on the Arizona boards about not allowing fans of other teams on. Either you are being sarcastic, ironic, or you are just plain confused. Which is it?

I am making a point. I hate the Cowboys. But why, on Arizona Sports Fans Network are there threads dedicated to the Lakers, as well as fans living in Arizona that support the other major local teams but not the Suns? It is out of place and very similar to the local Cowboys following that gets bashed and ridiculed on here. If there is a place for entire threads dedicated to the 2007-2008 lakers season, than there is room for the Cowboys, Yankees, and everyone else on here, and if not, than it is a double standard. Hell your screen name is "lakeshowman" I doubt you are here to discuss ASU football

 

[D-Dogg]

Well, being a fan of the LALakers, and supporting the D-Backs instead of the Dodgers is strange. How does one randomly support an LA sports team when they have a competing team in their backyard? It isn't like the Suns just moved here and you are having a hard time attempting to switch allegiences. It appears that at one point the bandwagon welcomed you, whether it was in the Magic or Kobe/Shaq era. I just don't get it. How can fans have these random allegiences to teams like the Lakers yet cheer on the other home teams? It seems like if you do, you have a lot in common with the Cowboys fans that used to show up at Sun Devil Stadium. If there is a difference, please explain.

Now as for the topic of the Laker love on this board, it is one thing to be a fan, but to have avatars and to star entire threads about their season is a little over the edge for what (I think) this board was intended for. To talk about the Lakers, where you need entire threads devoted to them....I just think there are much better places for it than "Arizona sports fans Network"...Am I way off base? I created a Cowboys thread right next to the Lakers thread. How does that make you feel? What if we added a detroit Red Wings and Yankees thread?

Just an observation. I think having entire threads devoted to Lakers basketball on ASFN is like having a monster trucks thread in the Cards section. It just seems out of place.

The Lakers thread is in the Smack Shack. Laker fans don't start threads in here...but since the Suns fans like to start threads about the Lakers, we'll chip in.

I think it's great that you have a Cowboys thread on there. And the Patriots thread is also pretty cool. I happily bash the pats in that thread. Create all the threads you want..if there is interest, people will post. If there isn't, the thread will die. There is a TON of interest in the Lakers on this board, as evidenced by the threads.

This forum is a community of people who share SOME interests. Go look at the P&R section and see that that doesn't mean we share ALL interests.

And I'm a fan of the Lakers because my dad was a Californian who grew up in Long Beach and I still have a ton of family in Anaheim. I used to talk to my great-uncle all the time as a kid about the Lakers and the Angels. I grew up loving Showtime, and have never left the team because of how much it meant to me growing up. I don't really care all that much about baseball, but I do like the Angels still just based on my great-uncle's long suffering fandom of them. I like the dbacks because they were new here and I had no real affinity for another team. I became a hardcore cards fan working the training camps for them in 95-98 in college, and knowing the players.

I don't care for the Suns because a) Dennis Johnson and Danny Ainge and b) their fans were aholes where I grew up and soured me on the team. Plus, again...the lakers are part of my childhood. I can measure moments in my childhood by the team...where I was when Magic hit the hook vs. Boston. Drafting James Worthy. Magic's announcement. Just like I'm sure you can do with the Suns.

If you move to Detroit, will you become a Pistons fan? Check that. If you move to San Antonio, will you become a Spurs fan? Why or why not?

 

[Trophytown]

He's doing well IMO with that pinky finger. He's logged over 100 pts within the last four games with that pinky. Its not an issue until Kobe makes it an issue, so im not worried about Kobe or the finger cuz apparently it hasnt affected his shooting (he did hit a couple treys from beyond the arc vs Minny). Expect the media to run with this thru the playoffs--- Kobe's pinky vs Shaq hip.

 

[D-Dogg]

I am making a point. I hate the Cowboys. But why, on Arizona Sports Fans Network are there threads dedicated to the Lakers, as well as fans living in Arizona that support the other major local teams but not the Suns? It is out of place and very similar to the local Cowboys following that gets bashed and ridiculed on here. If there is a place for entire threads dedicated to the 2007-2008 lakers season, than there is room for the Cowboys, Yankees, and everyone else on here, and if not, than it is a double standard. Hell your screen name is "lakeshowman" I doubt you are here to discuss ASU football

Why are there suns fans here that hate the Cardinals? Are they any less of fans?

There is room for the Cowboys thread, and all the others in the Smack Shack.

Oh, and there ARE cowboys fans with cowboys avatars on the Cards board...haven't you seen them? They comment on threads that involve the cowboys too. LorenzoTexan is one, and he's a great poster.

 

[zett]

Well for one, I am a cowboy fan and a Suns fan.
because when I grew up in phx the cardinals were in St. Louis
The cowboys were America's team, and most of the people in AZ rooted for them, my loyalties never changed, I moved before the cards came to town, but I'm not sure if I could of rooted for a former foe. even if I still lived there.
I guess thats the great thing about living in America, your free to choose which ever team you want to root for.
Baseball was another thing for me, we didn't have a baseball team either, so I never really had a true loyalty to any other team. I had a friend I knew who played for the brewers, and then the mets so I rooted for those teams until Arizona got a team then I became a Dback fan, my only loyalties were to my friend until he retired, then I had no more connection with those teams.

 

[TheHopToad]

Well, being a fan of the LALakers, and supporting the D-Backs instead of the Dodgers is strange. How does one randomly support an LA sports team when they have a competing team in their backyard?

I will weigh in on this issue and state that there are several reasons why people may be fans of different teams in different cities.

I grew up in the Valley (Mesa) and lived there in the 70's and 80's. Naturally, I was and still am a huge Suns fan. But the Suns were the only pro team in the area the entire time I lived there. However, I loved and played baseball, and at the time, the popular Major League team was the Dodgers. Their games were broadcasted on KTAR and I got hooked on them in the mid 70s. I wasn't enough of a football fan growing up to root for any particular team, so I just watched the games from a neutral perspective.

Eventually, work took me away from Arizona, but not my allegiance to the Suns (or Dodgers). I moved away right before the Cards came to the Valley, but since I didn't have an NFL team to root for, I accepted them as my home team since I still consider the Phoenix area my home. The same can't be said for the D-Backs. I have invested too many years as a Dodger fan, have been to too many games, met players, have had jerseys, memorabilia, autographs. I am a loyal fan and can't and won't leave them.

So now I am in a situation where I live in Southern California, root for the Suns and Cards, hate the Lakers, and love the Dodgers. Maybe it seems strange, but you can't just change your emotions and feelings at the drop of a hat when a different team sets up shop in your hometown.

As for this board, I mainly stay in the Suns, Cards, and ASU forums. I respect D-Back fans and mostly stay out of there, but if I do post, it's never to make fun of them or "troll".

So there's five paragraphs (now six) about why/how this can happen.

So that I'm not totally off-topic, I think Kobe is smart enough and experienced enough to know what is best for him and the Lakers. If he can still bring his game and pain is the only issue, then he's enough of a warrior to make it happen. I don't see him missing six weeks over a freakin pinky finger. Jordan would never let him hear the end of that one.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

The Lakers thread is in the Smack Shack. Laker fans don't start threads in here...but since the Suns fans like to start threads about the Lakers, we'll chip in.

I think it's great that you have a Cowboys thread on there. And the Patriots thread is also pretty cool. I happily bash the pats in that thread. Create all the threads you want..if there is interest, people will post. If there isn't, the thread will die. There is a TON of interest in the Lakers on this board, as evidenced by the threads.

This forum is a community of people who share SOME interests. Go look at the P&R section and see that that doesn't mean we share ALL interests.

And I'm a fan of the Lakers because my dad was a Californian who grew up in Long Beach and I still have a ton of family in Anaheim. I used to talk to my great-uncle all the time as a kid about the Lakers and the Angels. I grew up loving Showtime, and have never left the team because of how much it meant to me growing up. I don't really care all that much about baseball, but I do like the Angels still just based on my great-uncle's long suffering fandom of them. I like the dbacks because they were new here and I had no real affinity for another team. I became a hardcore cards fan working the training camps for them in 95-98 in college, and knowing the players.

I don't care for the Suns because a) Dennis Johnson and Danny Ainge and b) their fans were aholes where I grew up and soured me on the team. Plus, again...the lakers are part of my childhood. I can measure moments in my childhood by the team...where I was when Magic hit the hook vs. Boston. Drafting James Worthy. Magic's announcement. Just like I'm sure you can do with the Suns.

If you move to Detroit, will you become a Pistons fan? Check that. If you move to San Antonio, will you become a Spurs fan? Why or why not?

I also agree with this. Call me John Kerry.

 

[azsouthendzone]

The Lakers thread is in the Smack Shack. Laker fans don't start threads in here...but since the Suns fans like to start threads about the Lakers, we'll chip in.

I think it's great that you have a Cowboys thread on there. And the Patriots thread is also pretty cool. I happily bash the pats in that thread. Create all the threads you want..if there is interest, people will post. If there isn't, the thread will die. There is a TON of interest in the Lakers on this board, as evidenced by the threads.

This forum is a community of people who share SOME interests. Go look at the P&R section and see that that doesn't mean we share ALL interests.

And I'm a fan of the Lakers because my dad was a Californian who grew up in Long Beach and I still have a ton of family in Anaheim. I used to talk to my great-uncle all the time as a kid about the Lakers and the Angels. I grew up loving Showtime, and have never left the team because of how much it meant to me growing up. I don't really care all that much about baseball, but I do like the Angels still just based on my great-uncle's long suffering fandom of them. I like the dbacks because they were new here and I had no real affinity for another team. I became a hardcore cards fan working the training camps for them in 95-98 in college, and knowing the players.

I don't care for the Suns because a) Dennis Johnson and Danny Ainge and b) their fans were aholes where I grew up and soured me on the team. Plus, again...the lakers are part of my childhood. I can measure moments in my childhood by the team...where I was when Magic hit the hook vs. Boston. Drafting James Worthy. Magic's announcement. Just like I'm sure you can do with the Suns.

If you move to Detroit, will you become a Pistons fan? Check that. If you move to San Antonio, will you become a Spurs fan? Why or why not?

No I wouldn't...but i wouldn't start Suns thread and have a Suns avatar on a San Antonio Sports Fans website either. I just don't see why there is a need for it here. I get that you all have similar interests, but is the Lakers one of them? I mean you have a whole thread dedicated to them. I just don't get it, but to each his own. Your story of why you love the Lakers has been told by Cowboys fans, Raiders fans, and every other transplanted fan in PHX but for whatever reason, the Lakers love on this board is treated much differently on this board and in person. I guess natives like myself relate to this differently than transplants. For me its all or nothing.

 

[LakeShowMan]

I am making a point. I hate the Cowboys. But why, on Arizona Sports Fans Network are there threads dedicated to the Lakers, as well as fans living in Arizona that support the other major local teams but not the Suns? It is out of place and very similar to the local Cowboys following that gets bashed and ridiculed on here. If there is a place for entire threads dedicated to the 2007-2008 lakers season, than there is room for the Cowboys, Yankees, and everyone else on here, and if not, than it is a double standard. Hell your screen name is "lakeshowman" I doubt you are here to discuss ASU football

Still not sure why it is a big deal to you, I was just a litlle confused.

Just so you know, this Suns board had been together long before the Arizona Sports Fan site was put together. It originaly started on the rivals site, which linked a lot of team boards together. I have frequented this site since then, since I actually got along really well with a lot of the poster (Joe Mama, Chaplin, etc.). After rivals shut down, the board moved here, and since I liked and respected a lot of the posters, I continued to come over and continue to interact.

Also, My family moved to Phoenix when I was a toddler. My Dad was a huge Laker fan (Jerry West/Elgin Baylor era) so I became one too. Since at that time there was no other professional sports teams in PHX, I ended up liking many different sports teams (Dodgers, Cleveland Browns). I have lived in many different places since then, including Boston, New Jersey, and Reno. Should I have switched allegiances because I moved to those places? That is not the way I am, so I have stayed with my favorite teams that I have had since I was 5 years old. My older brother still lives in Phoenix and loves all the Arizona teams, does that mean him and I can't talk about each others' team?

Not sure why I felt a need to let you know that, but there it is. I find it sad that you don't think that like minded people, with differing favorite teams, can't constructively and civily talk about a similar interest (in this case NBA Basketball). Are there jerks/trolls that come in from time to time? Sure. However, usually you will not see guys like me, Donald, or abomb condone their behavior. To each their own I guess, but to me it seems pretty petty and a little ridiculous that you feel the need to police boards from 'outsiders'.

 

[D-Dogg]

However, IMO, Kobe is either

A. Faking the injury (or making it out to be worse than it really is), to get out of the All-Star game

He's not faking it, or making it out to be worse. However, he is using it as an excuse to not play this weekend and get some rest. I watched the Minny game, there was no re-aggravation. He was just fine there, and actually shot better later in the game than in the start.

I think he's talking about the pre-existing injury "flaring up" to reduce his time in the ASG, absolutely. But he is hurt...he looked like crap with it all taped up, but the electro-therapy has been working wonders.

 

[nowagimp]

so i guess we will play the lakers without bynum and kobe? damn, that will be a hollow win.

These games only have meaning in their impact on the playoff seeding. Both the lakers and suns are in the process of integrating new pieces. It may be a month or two before those pieces finally mesh and the teams are playoff ready. The true test will be the playoffs as usual. I am eager to see shaq in action, but I dont expect to see him performing at his potential for a month or two.

 

[D-Dogg]

I get that you all have similar interests, but is the Lakers one of them? I mean you have a whole thread dedicated to them.

There are quite a few Lakers fans on this board. We do commiserate on the Lakers thread, yes. The only times when I post on the Suns board are when you are talking about the Lakers, a player that used to be with the Lakers, or to generally give you a compliment (as I posted a "nice win for you guys" on the Dallas game thread). There are a lot of posters here that I like, either from great back-and-forth during Suns/Lakers games or from the cards board (guys like cheese).

I am sorry you have to deal with single-minded trolls though, and I don't know if you have ever noticed but when they show up I'm usually one of the ones saying to treat the posters here with respect or gtf out of dodge.

I guess I like this board a little bit more than I do any perceived hatred for teams in general. Hence the stupid high post count.