BK,

Is it possible you actually misunderstand me this much? I am a blogger for a reason. I sit in my dark basement amidst filth hating all these rich athletes and anyone else who can function properly in the California sun. I sit at my keyboard cursing anyone who is successful, and sometimes even you.

Why would I want an event in pubic with bright lights where I talk to people in person? As a relatively anonymous blogger I can say what I want, criticize players, blog hosts and bloggers. In person I would be too afraid to speak to anyone.

Please, let's keep this whole blog thing as it was intended, a place where social misfits like me can function on even footing with the socially acceptable. Or even sometimes you.

Thank you,

Tom D.

tomk,

>>> Why is it Boston fans always think that any player that signs with the
>>> Celtics instantly becomes the best player on the planet at that position ???

Because they are green with envy over the Lakers’ younger and better star players.
Why else would anybody think adding Rasheed Wallace was like adding Pau Gasol?

- - - - -

VMan,

>>> I especially like the guy that just believes in leBron. Because of the bronze medal?

Bunch of out-of-touch East Coast writers who can’t stay up late enough to watch the Lakers.
Instead, they pull these crap predictions from their rear ends and think they smell like a rose.

- - - - -

yellofever,

>>> had luke never volunteered to come off the bench
>>> i doubt ariza would've started even in the playoffs.

- - - - -

Tom

Tome Daniels,

I do agree with your post. However, I will not totally consider ourselves as social misfits and/or would not have an even footing with these millionaires whether the blog hosts, LAT honchos or Lakers' hierarchy. I would rather consider ourselves as the unspoken voice of majority of fans. Our criticisms and point of views are fair and constructive that runs into veins of passion inherited from the late Chick Hearn. WITHOUT THESE FANS, THERE WILL BE NO LAKERS. Tom, I know you are just kidding and I'm playing the contrarian advocate in defense of other bloggers. Let us give credit to a great number fans here who populate this blog not only in our city but throughout the nation and international too. Thirty two is an Aussie, Kiwi is now a Briton, Tsphere is French and so on, let us also elevate our status as bloggers in this blog. Some of us are college graduates, some may have received higher degrees, others are professionals with higher educational attainment than our typical millionaire athletes. We come here to express our Laker passion not necessarily as jobless punks , irresponsible junkies, sports fanatics nor raking millions out of celebrities. We are the lowly humble true fans (hoi poloi) that earn a decent living with good family support and proud to represents the hodgepodge of Laker fans in general.

A few thoughts/questions for feedback...

1. BYNUM ~ FOUL TROUBLE... WHAT FOUL TROUBLE? There is no arguing that Bynum's returns following knee injuries were both disappointing compared to pre-injury peformances. But if memory serves me correct, I seem to remember foul trouble being the main culprit for keeping him off the court BOTH before AND after injuries, during good and bad times. Soooo, does anyone else see any significance in that fact that he is putting close to 30 minutes per game in this preseason while not once facing any significant foul trouble? It's not like he hasn't faced penetrating guards ad nauseum (Warriors THREE times, and small-ball Kings and Hornets once each).

2. ODOM ~ 3-POINT SHOOTER? I won't waste space with the detailed stats. We know Odom's rep for career low percentage shooting from beyond the line. BUT, remember late last season? Then again this preseason? Is it possible that Lamar has actually figured out how to be a steady sniper from beyond the arc? If so, the ramifications are staggering for spacing in the triangle with Lamar, Drew, and Pau on the court together.

3. FARMAR ~ IT'S ABOUT THE ASSISTS. If Jordan is to best benefit the Lakers this year, isn't it much more about his assists than his points? Second unit he leads (when the game is still competitive) will most likely include either Pau or Drew at all times... Lamar at all times... PLUS at least one shooter (Ammo/Sasha)... PLUS either Brown or another starter (Kobe/Artest). Doesn't that require him to be the PLAYMAKER much more than a SCORER?

4. D-FISH ~ "CAN'T STAY IN FRONT OF QUICK POINTGUARDS". I have read this criticism of Fisher with frustration time and time again. Do those who offer this quick-hit observation fail to watch any other NBA games besides Laker games?! Parker cannot stay in front of CP3. Williams can't contain Nash. Nelson watches Rondo blow by. Switch those combos around,,, and the beat goes on. The fact is, with today's rules, NOBODY can stay in front of the quick pointguards! Isn't it time for those who disparrage D-Fish to use some other unit of measurement to put him down? (For those who only watch Laker games, pay attention to how many quick pointguards Jordan stays in front of... or how well Kobe accomplishes that trick. Hmmmmm, not so easy, is it?)

5. STEPHEN JACKSON ~ "KOBE IS A DIRTY PLAYER... I DON'T LOOK UP TO HIM... I AM JUST AS GOOD A PLAYER AS HE IS." Wow, I wonder if Nellie plans on a FedEx recant to Kobe before regular season match-up arrives. If not, then what we saw in the first quarter of last night's game (was Kobe ALL OVER Captain Jack or what?!?!) was only the appetizer for things to come. Can you say . . . EIGHTY-ONE?

Mike

Common now Tom D, We are not misfits in anyway. We are the cream of Lakers Fan Blog.

It hurts me to read your post however eloquent it was. this is who we are, millionaire or not, we are what we are, La Lakers fans who loves blogging.

"Greenie weenies" is not a take. It doesnt make your post better or make you look smarter."

Neither is calling my basketball team Fakerz. Neither is tainting our championship with imaginary green asterisks. Neither is disrespecting bloggers by adding insults to their online handles (Banner Folder, Little Chicken, Floor Matt).

Y'all Bostonians can dish it out, but you sure can't take it. Pot meet kettle.

First off- sad to say I had to back out of the blogger forum at the last minute- day job stuff came up and it's killing me!

Second- I was at the game last night and I have to make one statement: Shannon Brown is ridiculous to watch in person. I've seen him previously, but last night I got to sit in row 2 and see the action up close. Of everyone on the floor, Shannon Brown simply explodes off the floor every time he jumps. It's amazing to see, and I've watched every Laker game he's played in.

Last- That fall that Gaffney took last night was awful. He stayed on the court through the entire commercial break and the arena was completely stunned. Poor kid most likely won't even make the team and had to deal with that.

Addendum- I sat about 10 feet behind the warriors bench. Stephen Jackson is as big of a douche as I thought, and everyone in SoCal seems to still love Turiaf just as much as when he was a Laker. Can't blame 'em- the guy is a good person with a great attitude.

Banner Folder-

Greenie weenies" is not a take. It doesnt make your post better or make you look smarter."

Neither is calling my basketball team Fakerz. Neither is tainting our championship with imaginary green asterisks. Neither is disrespecting bloggers by adding insults to their online handles (Banner Folder, Little Chicken, Floor Matt).

Y'all Bostonians can dish it out, but you sure can't take it. Pot meet kettle.

Posted by: utzworld - THE BANNER HOLDER | October 21, 2009 at 09:55 AM

You are kidding me right? I have never called the Lakers ... Fakers. I have never tainted your championship with a green asterisk. And as far as disrespcteding their handles goes ... like Rambo said ..."They drew first blood"

Go back and read the post where I call Matt "FloorMatt" he called me 1 and Done first. I wonder what non basketball takes genius he learned that from? So I returned fire and called him FloorMatt. Same with LittleChicken ... he runs his mouth ... I run mine.

All Ive ever called you is Banner Folder. You have called me all kinds of names from 1 and Done to a Jackass to Uncle Rico. I challange you to give me 1 example of something other then Banner Folder that I have called u. Or does that hurt your Folding feelings because if it does ... Ill stop.(NOT) Ill take anything you bring Mr. Folder.

Let the record reflect I want no part of the "no insults" policy. Im not hurt by what you call me. Give me a break ... you think too much of yourself. And to quote my man Tony Montana ... "You wanna go to war ... I take you to war!" Say hello to my little friend!

AND IM NOT A BOSTONIAN! DONT ASSUME. BECAUSE YOU KNOW WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT ASSUMING? AND SINCE IM ALREADY A JACKASS THAT ONLY LEAVES YOU!

Good Morning Everyone,

i just got my issue of SI's NBA Preview for the 2009-2010 season and low and behold, the East Coast Bias has struck again. apparently there are more Laker Haters working for SI than the entire breadth of Henry Abbots true hoops blog (granted, we all know Abbot is a diehard Blazers fan, so maybe we can cut him some slack). In it, they declare that when the season's done, those old, AARP card carrying Celtics will defeat our fresh, young, experienced Lakers in the Finals, not to mention the love they have for the Spurs, which they always do, in even thinking they will upset our Lakers. Gotta love it, especially when in the end the Lakers are hoisting the ol' LB to the elated crowd at the Coliseum next June.

by the way, Andy K, heard the pregame shoot-around show yesterday, loved it, especially since it was only technically half a show (what with the Lakers stuck in traffic and all...)

"And to quote my man Tony Montana ... "You wanna go to war ... I take you to war!" Say hello to my little friend!"

Didn't he die in a cocaine filled flurry of bullets at the end of that movie?

LakerMike,

"We welcome your presence here on our blog. Iron sharpens iron, and so will a continued fervor to Lakers-Celtics rivalry benefit both organizations, not to mention the entire NBA. BRING IT ON!"

I disagree. I believe we are giving these trolls far too much time and respect.

The Celtics (particularly in the 60's) have caused the Lakers far too much pain over the years and now these trolls come here and try to distract us from our cause. It's annoying. We don't need to rationalize our enthusiasm for the Lakers and reason with these idiots and haters. These people are trolls. They are FRICKEN CELTICS FANS WHO SPEND ALL THEIR TIME ON A LAKERS BLOG? WHAT KIND OF PERSON DOES THAT?

They gain joy from attempting to frustrate and insult people like ourselves. THAT is what brings them joy in life.

Let me ask you this, if you knew a person in the "real world" whose primary joy was found in frustrating and insulting the love and enthusiasm of other people, would you want that person in your life? Would you want to continuously engage that person?

Hell no!

You'd cut that person off and ignore them.

That's what I say we do with these trolls. Ignore them. They won't change and they misuse our respect to rationalize their own twisted ideals.

The maxim "Don't feed the trolls!" is more true than ever.

What do we play for? RINGS!!!

Lakers Today... Lakers Tomorrow... Lakers Forever.

GO LAKERS!!!

JON K said ~ "Let me ask you this, if you knew a person in the "real world" whose primary joy was found in frustrating and insulting the love and enthusiasm of other people, would you want that person in your life? Would you want to continuously engage that person?"

Jon, in the "real world", if I am given the choice, in a dignified manner I just ignore the ignorant, insulting, derisive people to whom I owe nothing. BUT here on this blog, OUR LAKERS blog, I find it more enjoyable to let the fools rave. Something emotionally secure I suppose about reading their fodder on my screen as opposed to having to be in their physical presence. Especially when we are operating with a HEAVY DOSE OF CONFIDENCE regarding what is about to unfold between now and mid-June of 2009! I have often said that my favorite meal is the one where my opponent eats their own words!

No matter the East Coast bias, hopeful puffing, or snarling threats of "you can't beat us when we are healthy", all of us in Laker land can confidently smile at the contenders AND pretenders to the throne and with passion and enthusiasm shout, "Bring it on!" It makes that future championship meal all the more enjoyable!

Jon K: I truly do see the light, brother. Nothing we (Laker Nation) do will ever stop this. Not even winning.

Starve The Troll, indeed.

According to Wikipedia, "A troll is someone who posts controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant or off-topic messages in an online community."

By this definition, 131, Red and balloons barely qualify as trolls. Controversial? That's a matter of opinion, but I'd say no. Inflammatory? Perhaps, but only if we're inflammable. Irrelevant? No. Off-topic? No.

Posters become trolls not based on their posts, but based on our response to their posts. If we choose to be offended, annoyed, or angry, we have made them trolls.

Solution? If you know their posts will annoy you, don't read them. If you simply cannot help yourself and absolutely MUST read their comments (my category), either choose not to respond OR simply choose not to take offense at whatever might be said and their comments can no longer be controversial and inflammatory, thus stripping them of their effects as a troll.

Whether they post on here or not is not our choice, but how we respond to them is.