It dawned on me after I posted my article on McNichols Sports Arena a few days ago that there are ways of thinking about your fandom, your team, and your approach to NBA thought. The Past, the Present and the Future … or maybe a little of all.
Here is a quick breakdown
The Past
Pro: Learning lessons from the past and reminding the young bucks about what came before is a good thing. Many aspects of Denver Nuggets history have been long forgotten by the NBA fandom at large, and people need to be reminded about some of the glory years. Additionally mistakes and glories of the past can educate and inform both the present and the future.
Con: Being a person who is prone to nostalgia tends to leave one stuck in the past. Pining for the "good old days" while taking a skeptical eye of anything that advances or is new. Progression of the game seems scary and you often think "well in MY day (insert name) would have just done (some unbelievable feat)".
The Present
Pro: You are the essence of being a "fan". Living and dying by every game and that brings passion to what you are watching. You want to see improvement now, and you are the one who tends to keep pressure on organizations and keep them on their toes. You want to see the Nuggets succeed more than anything and you want them to do it now.
Con: that sort or "living in the now" pressure tends to create short sighted, casual fans. People who live in the present tend to be the bandwagon jumpers and people who jump ship at the first sign on something going wrong. Living on the knife edge all the time has to be exhausting and will wear you out. Living in the now tends to lack sufficient perspective
The Future
Pro: Fans who believe in the future are the one's are in constant vigilance, looking for the next big thing and hoping that their team will get that prospect. Endless hope that their team will get that ONE guy and know that if their teams made the right moves that prospect will be there. People who live in the future tend to be optimistic about what they see down the line …
Con: … but that tends to make them overly pessimistic about the present and somewhat dismissive of the past. Living in the future can lead to a "nothing is ever good enough" mindset that leaves one wondering why they follow the team. This could mean a fan who puts down every deal for the present because it doesn't fit their vision of the future.
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Everything I listed above could be classified in many different areas. As with anything only a minority of fans fit into any one box. Most are a mixture of some or all of the three above. I tend to fall into a camp that is a mix of the past and the present. I’m naturally cynical and I do tend to get overly nostalgic. Hell … I was pining away at what a great series the Chicago Bulls vs New York Knicks was in 1993 at one point. I mean … But I understand the need for entertaining product in the present.
My view of the future is ok, but I’ve never been a guy who thinks everything is better than what I have on hand kind of person. However, I do realize the need to get better constantly. I’m impatient and I want it to happen sooner. So that has been the constant battle I’ve fought over the years I’ve been a fan of the Denver Nuggets. Is it cynicism to not live in the future … or is it foolish to dream? Who knows?
Anyway … this has been your trip through philosophy and existentialism with Jeff Morton. Stay tuned for my breakdown of Ingmar Bergman films and a review of the series Wallander. Until then …
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