NYT: Miami Fans Suck a Lot

[Juggity]

I had no idea it was this bad in south beach...


Smoke, no Fire (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/15/sports/basketball/15miami.html?_r=1)

Clusters of red-and-orange seats remain blindingly vacant, making American Airlines (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/business/companies/amr_corporation/index.html?inline=nyt-org) Arena appear half-empty on television.


Texting is rarely interrupted for cheering. And when P. Diddy claims his courtside seat — midway through the second quarter, usually — his presence creates more electricity among the nearby high-paying fans than any alley-oop dunk by the Three Kings, as The Miami Herald has christened James, Wade and Bosh.


“In general, and I’m sorry to say this and sad to say this: Miami fans are not true fans,” Torrente said. “I have never seen a team work so hard to get people to cheer.”
So why, exactly, did LeBron pick this franchise?

[Fpoonsie]

So why, exactly, did LeBron pick this franchise?

It's not as if LeBron has a hard time garnering fans. The move had nothing to do w/ receiving more fan accolades.

[toki9]

I had no idea it was this bad in south beach...
So why, exactly, did LeBron pick this franchise?

The 3B's: Beaches...Bi*ches...Benjamins

[Juggity]

It's not as if LeBron has a hard time garnering fans. The move had nothing to do w/ receiving more fan accolades.

He feeds off attention to the same extent that Kobe/other self-obsessed sports superstars do, thus why he went on national TV to announce his decision, etc. I have a hard time believing he is happy with the fact that he's doing his powder toss routine in front of a bank of empty seats like the article mentions.

Obviously fan accolades weren't his first priority, but I can't imagine him playing basketball in a fanless world, I have to think that provides a good deal of motivation.

[jeebus]

They just want to chill.

[baseline bum]

I had no idea it was this bad in south beach...
So why, exactly, did LeBron pick this franchise?

Tough call, tbh

http://www.agent-mls-homefinder.net/wp-content/miami-beach-resort.jpg

vs.

http://www.clemson.edu/caah/history/FacultyPages/PamMack/lec124/cuyahoga.jpg

[Fpoonsie]

He feeds off attention to the same extent that Kobe/other self-obsessed sports superstars do, thus why he went on national TV to announce his decision, etc. I have a hard time believing he is happy with the fact that he's doing his powder toss routine in front of a bank of empty seats like the article mentions.

Obviously fan accolades weren't his first priority, but I can't imagine him playing basketball in a fanless world, I have to think that provides a good deal of motivation.

If he thought keeping fans or acquiring new ones would be a problem, he wouldn't have shat on his old, rabid fan base in that fashion.

He doesn't care. The powder thing is for his own satisfaction...otherwise, he wouldn't have done it in front of his old CLE fans.

[HarlemHeat37]

Lebron picked Miami, because winning > anything else, in his opinion..

He could have played in the best city in the world, with some of the most dedicated fans, but he declined..

[rayjayjohnson]

Tough call, tbh

http://www.agent-mls-homefinder.net/wp-content/miami-beach-resort.jpg

vs.

http://www.clemson.edu/caah/history/FacultyPages/PamMack/lec124/cuyahoga.jpg

isnt about 99% of miami shit though?

[Venti Quattro]

I had no idea it was this bad in south beach... So why, exactly, did LeBron pick this franchise?

http://forum.cheatengine.org/files/csi-miami-horatio-caine-sunglasses_108.jpg

[dbestpro]

Most fans live vicariously throug the players. The more the fanatic the less likely they have a very good life.

The better their life is, the less likely they are to be a fanatic because they do not need to value themselves based off of the performance of someone they would like to see win.

The same thing happens in San Antonio with the fans on the floor verses the fans in the upper deck.

[Ace]

Sold out on season tickets and just about every home game. If the players and coaches treat the regular season as it doesn't matter, why would the fans?

[hater]

http://whygo-amr.s3.amazonaws.com/www.floridalogue.com/files/2008/09/babies_036-300x199.jpg

[JoeTait75]

That picture of the river burning is like fifty years old, FWIW.

[Bill_Brasky]

CIA fans, tbh...

[spurs_fan_in_exile]

CIA fans, tbh...

http://landofpunt.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/Michael.jpg
An appropriate choice of words for Miami.

[j.dizzle]

http://blogs.trb.com/sports/custom/business/blog/FanUpDicountCard1.jpg