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(Editors Note: This sponsored post from Sonic worked out really well, as I was thinking this week about the evolution of basketball, and how we as fans appreciate the swagger that has become so evident in the way the game is played. We don't like the jackasses (otherwise known as the guys on the other team) but we love it when our guys get out there and add a little flavor to the game.)
We as fans need to be constantly entertained. It doesn't matter what sport we're watching, really. But with basketball especially, we'd rather see our team play with a little flair than stick to the fundamentals of a game. We naturally graviate to the point guards who are breaking ankles the high-flyers on the wing who are going to throw down 2-3 dunks a game.
AND WE LOVE WHEN THEY CELEBRATE AND HOW WE CELEBRATE WITH THEM!
Think about it? How many of the stars in the last few years have been quietly confident on the court? I know we had one in Scottie Reynolds. He hit big shot after big shot, but never played with much swagger in my opinion. He had ice-water in his veins, and we loved him for that.
But in talking to a lot of my Villanova friends, many of them said they preferred watching Kyle Lowry don the 'Nova blue and white. Why? Because he was a star in his own right, and he let you know about it. He was in the opponent's face all game long, yelling after he made a good play, and was a generally a bit of a cocky asshole on the court.
Frankly, we love the the players who are hot doggin' it up and down the floor.
More on this after The Jump.
Watch the two videos above, and then ask yourself (and be honest with yourself, I'm as much a fan of Scottie as anyone), who is more enjoyable to watch? That's not a knock against Scottie Reynolds, but even while these two played together, Corey Fisher drew more ooohs and aaahs from the crowd.
Sure, we all go to the game to see our team win. But moreso, we like to tell our friends rooting for the other team to go and pick up their player's lingerie off the court because our guy just undressed him with a crossover.
We love to see the big play, and we love to see our player fired up with us after it. As a crowd, we feed off it. Without it, it's just a win. You want more than just the win. You want to talk about the plays after.
30 years ago, you didn't have that. You had consummate professionals playing the game, and playing it with respect. Then came the 80s (which I wasn't even around for, I've just read about it). Rivalries grew, the Showtime Lakers showed up, fights broke out, and personal rivalries meant almost as much as the game at hand to players.
'Hot Doggin' it to show up your opponent and get the crowd alive had finally arrived. We'd rather see the backboard shatter or a ferocious alley-oop than a wide-open 3 or a layup. Sure, they all mean we scored, but we want to get up and scream with the players.
So get out to your local Sonic, grab a hot dog, and come as close to 'hot doggin' it like the pro's as you ever will!