Blowouts vs. nail biters?

[Spurs and Mavs fan]

As a Spurs fan:



Which is more satisfying or enjoyable to you: Soundly beating an opposing team, or winning a thrilling nail-biter that goes down to the wire and is decided by just one or a few points?



Conversely, which is more devastating to you: Getting blown out, or losing an extremely tight game that you know the Spurs could have / perhaps should have won?






For me, I prefer blowouts both ways. Steamrolling the other team makes for a much more enjoyable and less-tense watching of TV. And I actually find a blowout loss - in which there is no doubt - to be less painful than a nail-biter, close loss in which one is left wondering "What ifs" or "If onlys" for a long time to come - dwelling on just one or two plays that could have made all the difference.



The exception would be a truly ridiculous score, like, say, Magic 121, Spurs 60, in which it would be really hard to live that one down inwardly or outwardly.

[LakerHater]

Damn.... Good question.

[Libri]

Nothing compares to winning a thrilling nail-biter.

u1EL38SKyX8
BZdik09RGJI

[Dex]

I think this brings out why sports have an audience: the suspense.

On the winning side, I prefer watching close games because they are more entertaining. A blowout win is certainly a better indicator that the team is superior and executing better, but once you get up by a certain amount, the entertainment value is lost. I'm sure we've all kinda tuned out on games when we're up 20 or 30, at least much more then we would if it were tied.

On the losing side, one would think losing a blowout would be more devastating. They are perhaps even more embarrassing, but nail-biters like last night are the ones that really grind my gears. Being so close, and then falling just short...it's hard to shake off. There are no what-ifs with blowouts, and with the suspense removed from the equation, the personal commitment is lessened to an extent.

If all we cared about was really watching our team excel, we would hope for a blowout every night. But as fans of the game (or sport in general), I think the close finishes are the reason we really tune in.

[Budkin]

I have a harder time with the nail biters, but I have an anxiety disorder so that's a given.

[Fernando TD21]

I don't think it's about the margin of points but about in which conditions it's accomplished. Watching the team play great basketball > watching the team play bad basketball.

Beating a good team in a blowout > beating a good team by a few points > beating a bad team in a blowout > beating a bad team by a few points > losing to a good team by a few points > losing to a bad team by a few points > losing to a good team in a blowout > losing to a bad team in a blowout.

[romain.star]

Ever since France has lost to Italy in a penalty shoot-out in the 06 World cup final, i take a blow-out loss every day of the week

[TIMMYD!]

You read my mind OP. I'd much rather lose in a blowout than a nail-biter. At least with the blowout you know you never had a chance.

[stnick2261]

I'm not one for surprises..... blowout either way

[8FOR!3]

Nothing compares to winning a thrilling nail-biter.

u1EL38SKyX8
BZdik09RGJI

2 games I'll never forget. Robert Horry put on one of if not the greatest 4th quarter performances in NBA history and the Memorial Day Miracle is my oldest memory as a Spurs fan, I was 8 years old when we won our first title in 99.

[Lakers999]

hmmm good question...

do i prefer this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoCwN3AxTXY&feature=related

or this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpa-NZC_XKo


i guess ill say as long as the lakers win

[Frenzy]

I only like nail biters when they have won a good amount of games. So I'm stressing in a close game but its ok if they lose.

[itzsoweezee]

Blowouts. Nothing more satisfying than seeing the Spurs absolutely dominate their opponent. Especially when the opponent is a good team.

That's why 2003 game six win over the Lakers is one of my favorite Spurs' wins ever.