Are Denver Nuggets fans spoiled?
“The fact that they have remained so painfully close to being a contender year after year is impressive. It’s also frustrating – and that’s why they continually get bashed.”
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Despite their success so far this season, the Denver Nuggets are surrounded by negativity. The local sports media cuts them down to size on a regular basis and fans complain about them non-stop, even after they win. They’re 39-22, on pace for well over fifty wins this season and headed toward the playoffs for the tenth straight year. The buzz around them on a national level is quite favorable, but in Denver it’s piss and vinegar.
Fans and analysts who aren’t hard on the Nuggets are thought to be pandering to them. It’s not hip to praise the Blue and Yellow. Before you rush to the comments section, I willingly acknowledge that I have been part of the problem for the past three years. Listening to people bark about the Nuggets lately, though, has me singing a different tune.
There is an un-escapable reality in the NBA: only a few teams ever win championships. When it comes to parity, the Association sucks. Nine teams have won it all in the past thirty years! That’s ridiculous. Twice that many NFL teams have won the Super Bowl. It’s a top-heavy league and the Nuggets have never really been in the mix.
The fact that they have remained so painfully close to being a contender year after year is impressive. It’s also frustrating – and that’s why they continually get bashed.
Would we rather be Timberwolves fans? Minnesota hasn’t even made the playoffs since 2004. Still, it seems like their fans are more inclined toward optimism than we are. Maybe we’re spoiled. Maybe we’re too far removed from Bernie Bickerstaff and fifteen win seasons to appreciate what we have going on around here.
The Nuggets are a fun team to watch. They’re electric and they’re dynamic. But, wait … that doesn’t work in the playoffs. They’re deep. But wait, they don’t have a superstar. They’re young. But wait, Andre Miller is too old.
At some point shouldn’t we take time to smell the God damn flowers?
The 2012 / 2013 Nuggets campaign has the potential to be special. The Nuggets won’t win a trophy and we all know it, so let’s agree to set that aside and have some fun watching basketball. We deserve it.
The post-season is right around the corner and we will have a chance to watch some great basketball. Hopefully the Nuggets will even make it through to the second round. Hell, who knows, they might even make the Western Conference Finals. That would be about as good as it could possibly get and that’s OK.
