Attending Laker games

[Wolverine]

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/100505&sportCat=nba

For our Laker fans on the board, I'm curious as to how accurate a picture Simmons' article paints?

Every time I see a Lakers game on TV, the director cuts to the standard 'celebrities in the crowd' shot, and I wonder what percentage of fans at Staples fall into the die-hard group?  If stereotypes have taught me anything, the majority of L.A. sports fans are the type who show up late, leave early, ect.

Is there a large portion that are brain-dead,' front-running bimbos (and I'm not just talking about the women)?

[westkoast]

He sits right next to the bench and is complaining about seeing rich people and women with breast implants?  This guy is so annoying and writes more like a shock jock it gets on my nerves.  I only got half way through his article and decided I got to the point you were asking about.    The fact he expects very rich people to get out of hand in 400-1200 dollar seats is dumb.  Now add to the fact people just assume everything he is saying is how it is everywhere and you can see why I think he's an idiot (this time)

Simply put no, if you go up higher where there are cheaper seats youll hear people yelling, getting too drunk to make sense, and all around being the typical fans you'd see at Raider games or Dodger games arguing about sports.   Those loud, drunken people he so desperately wants to seek out because it reminds me of his own city where everyone is a drunk exist in areas he never steps foot in....the seats above and below the boxes.  Hes a bourgy  sportswriter who sits next to the posh of LA in seats 95% of the fans cannot even afford.  Often a lot of those seats go to the rich and their hot plastic surgery done up wives and they treat it like going to the movies more than a sport.  It is entertainment.  It was nothing to do with 'intelligence' because quite frankly people in those areas are very successful people in the area and everything to do with "classy" people sitting in that area because the average fan was priced out before Staples was built.  LA is not a drinking town like Boston is so why he expects to see guys hammered, arguing about sports, and cheering so loud the guy in fronts ear drums pop in thousand dollar seats makes me question his intelligence.  Or at the very least point out that he is writing a sensationalize article because he has nothing else to write about.  I honestly wish he would just go back to Boston so he could write about the Cavs/Celtics match up instead of this.

The reason Jack gets a lot of cheers is 1) its tradition to see him on the screen during the game  2) hes arguably the coolest die hard NBA fan.  I actually walked right next to him to leave after one game, said hello, he said hello back, we both said good game, then he jumped into his limo and took off.  Wasn't rude to other fans, doesnt act better than anyone, and even though he is bigger than life he is still a die hard Laker fan like most of us.  He's like the Lakers mascot cuz no one has any idea what a 'Laker' would look like lol

[Laker Fan]

Interesting article, written for entertainment but not too far off in some assessments.

I'm a Lakers gear wearing, cheap seats (yeah, cheap seats at Staples HAHAHAHA!) upper bowl type of fan and as such, I ABSOLUTELY LOATHE the cult of celebrity that takes over Lakers games, especially during the playoffs, I hate celebrity anyway but it is so much worse this time of the year, it really does look like "date night" at a basketball game. These are the clowns that price the real fans out of the lower half of the arena, the ones that the camera's focus on, the national TV audience sees, hence the stereotype of LA fans as being merely silicone injected, barely dressed, disinterested, narcissistic shallow flakes that only come around when it is popular to do so. I detest these types and couldn't care less if these pathetic losers show up and quite frankly wish they would go away, yes I'm talking to you David Bekhwhatever your name is, like soccer is a real sport, you too Toby Maguire, Andy Garcia, et al. GIVE ME BACK MY LOWER BOWL SEATS!!! These are the fickle clowns that give the town a bad name, the ones that will jump ship as soon as it is no longer popular to be seen at Staples, the type of bandwagon fans who will switch from being a Trailblazers to Kings to Spurs fan as long as it is the "in" thing.

Say what you want about Jack Nicholson, Dyan Cannon, Flea and these types, but they are RABID fans, there through thick and thin, true fans who follow the game and know the team. Jack and Dyan (wasn't there a song by that name?) have had season tickets for decades and Jack schedules everything he does around Lakers games, travels to playoff cities to watch his Lakers play, rarely misses even a regular season game, THAT'S a fan, doesn't hurt that he can afford to do so.

I mostly agree about the 3 types of fans, the type B's are the ones that take over playoff games and give Laker fans such a bad name, but trust me Wolverine, they are in the minority, they are just the most visible, a pox on all of them, then maybe the REAL fans can filter down into their seats and you can see that at least 3/4's of the fans at Lakers games are legit, I hate that they don't wear Lakers gear but rather the latest fashion trend, that they show up late and leave early, I've seen these pathetic, sorry excuses for fans talking on their phones, texting, getting up to go get a beer or simply leaving early, during a playoff game, WHEN THE GAME IS STILL IN DOUBT!!! Don't need 'em, don't want 'em.

Just my observations.

[Laker Fan]

You posted before me 'Koast, so a thought or 2 based on your opinion, you nailed it about the difference between Boston and LA, and about his inability to stand up and look behind him at the real fans, but his breakdown really isn't that far off in some respects. It is what I have observed, 3 types of fans, but I think the same applies in most larger markets, just not to the degree it does in LA LA Land and his description of the "type B" fans pretty much mirrors my opinion of these wannabe's.

[westkoast]

You posted before me 'Koast, so a thought or 2 based on your opinion, you nailed it about the difference between Boston and LA, and about his inability to stand up and look behind him at the real fans, but his breakdown really isn't that far off in some respects. It is what I have observed, 3 types of fans, but I think the same applies in most larger markets, just not to the degree it does in LA LA Land and his description of the "type B" fans pretty much mirrors my opinion of these wannabe's.

Of course. I totally agree there are 3 types of fans.  The ones he focused in on in the article were the minority. What he said applies to the type of people he sits around at the game.  He is sitting around the really rich in Los Angeles or Orange County.  The types of people who sip wine, talk quietly at the Ritz Carlton, and wear 3000 dollar designer dresses.  Did he forget what happened with the rest of the Laker fans in oh so many playoff wins where they messed up the city? Those are the guys arguing about sports and cheering insanely loud that he wants to see.  Those rich people and those stars are not going to get rowdy and drunk for any number of reasons I don't need to point out.  Some of those celebrities are only there for publicity or to plug a project so you can't expect them to be rabid about something they are not into.  The only celebrities you forgot out of your list that I also consider big time fans is David Beckham (he's a really big fan) and Andy Garcia (who actually doesn't even sit court side)

You know your point about the celebrity cult and the eagerness of fans to see stars really is lame.  I can't think of any other word to sum it up.  Just lame. I understand  during nationally televised games why it comes up.  I just don't get why it's such a huge deal even still.   New York has a lot of those same rich, posh, stuck up types who are at Madison Square Garden but they don't get it pointed out nor do New Yorkers get all giddy when a famous person shows up.  

[Reality]

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/100505&sportCat=nba

For our Laker fans on the board, I'm curious as to how accurate a picture Simmons' article paints?
Is there a large portion that are brain-dead,' front-running bimbos (and I'm not just talking about the women)?

Simmons article mentioned "I learned quickly that there's a special dress code that you see only at Lakers games: "sporty hot." That covers any super-attractive woman wearing an expensive T-shirt and tight jeans, and maybe even a hat, so it looks as though she just rolled out of bed, even though there was a ton of thought (and time and effort) put into that night's look."

Laker posters, Is what this gal is wearing an example of "sporty hot"?

[WayOutWest]

Of course. I totally agree there are 3 types of fans.  The ones he focused in on in the article were the minority. What he said applies to the type of people he sits around at the game.  He is sitting around the really rich in Los Angeles or Orange County.  The types of people who sip wine, talk quietly at the Ritz Carlton, and wear 3000 dollar designer dresses.  Did he forget what happened with the rest of the Laker fans in oh so many playoff wins where they messed up the city? Those are the guys arguing about sports and cheering insanely loud that he wants to see.  Those rich people and those stars are not going to get rowdy and drunk for any number of reasons I don't need to point out.  Some of those celebrities are only there for publicity or to plug a project so you can't expect them to be rabid about something they are not into.  The only celebrities you forgot out of your list that I also consider big time fans is David Beckham (he's a really big fan) and Andy Garcia (who actually doesn't even sit court side)

You know your point about the celebrity cult and the eagerness of fans to see stars really is lame.  I can't think of any other word to sum it up.  Just lame. I understand  during nationally televised games why it comes up.  I just don't get why it's such a huge deal even still.   New York has a lot of those same rich, posh, stuck up types who are at Madison Square Garden but they don't get it pointed out nor do New Yorkers get all giddy when a famous person shows up.  

Laker games are not the only place where "Celeb-Watch" is in play.  They do it at baseball games, I remember when that skinny girl from Allie McBeal was in the news for being too skinny and they showed her on TV at a baseball game and almost every time they flashed to her she was eating.  I'm pretty sure the network that was airing the game is the same one where she had a new show and they were trying to do some damage control  I think it was a New York game so in that regard they are more sophisticated in that they take celeb-watching to another level, they do it with an agenda.  LA needs to pick up the page.

As far as the article, it was for entertainment purposes only IMO.  I have read some of his articles bashing the Clippers and they are pretty funny even if they are not 100% acurate.