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Why You Should Boycott the Miami Heat
Posted by: James Seaman on July 28th, 2010
The author's views are entirely his or her own and may not reflect the views of the Utah Jazz.Don’t watch the Miami Heat this year. Change the channel when ESPN broadcasts their games, turn the page when you see LeBron and D-Wade in the newspaper, and stay home when they come to town.
I know, I know…you’re curious, perhaps even fascinated. You want to see what becomes of this lopsided experiment where two of the game’s three best players (Kobe has his own thing going) team up with one of the league’s better big men to throw down against the rest of us hapless NBA wannabes. And some of you have stated clearly that you have no problem with Miami’s wildly unbalanced accumulation of basketball talent. To those who fit this second classification, enjoy the show.
For the rest of us, I have a challenge, a sort of poor man’s call to arms if you will. (Yes, I am writing this blog from my soapbox; I haven’t stepped up here for a while, but the view seems nice). Boycott the Miami Heat in 2010-11. If you dislike what Miami has done and what has become of the NBA, voice your opinion in the only way a consumer truly can—don’t buy it.
Four years ago, the Heat became “champions” after their army of mercenaries fended off all comers. That team meant so much to the history of basketball that it fell apart almost immediately; the Heat won a pathetic 15 games just two years after hoisting the Larry O’Brien Trophy. Now Pat Riley, who made a coaching name for himself in plastic Hollywood, wants to show that he can once again remake the Heat the way a plastic surgeon artificially constructs beauty in the bodies and faces of South Beach. Eschewing the values of patience and perseverance, LeBron James has joined Riley in looking for the shortest possible route to a title. James provided instant gratification to Miamians with his announcement. For long-suffering Clevelanders, however, the words to Bruce Springsteen’s Thunder Road never rang more heartbreakingly true: “Don’t waste your summer prayin’ in vein for a savior to rise from these streets.”
Those who justify Miami’s ill-gotten gains continue to argue that it’s a business; They say LeBron, D-Wade, and Bosh acted within their rights, and the Heat are simply playing by the rules. Fine—fight fire with fire. It is a business, one that feeds off consumers like you and I. So don’t buy the product if you don’t like it. Can you imagine if Miami’s traveling circus went on the road to empty arenas? Only then could the majority of NBA fans who hate what’s happened truly voice their collective opinion.
Before you yell at your computer screen that boycotting the Heat won’t actually do any good, I’ll concede the point. So many NBA tickets already go to corporate sponsors that socialites, fat cats, and aspiring reality TV stars who care more about being seen than about seeing basketball will undoubtedly fill the league’s arenas when LeBron and D-Wade come to town. But Salt Lake City may be one of the few communities where true basketball fans own most of the seats. Show David Stern that we disagree with his assessment that Miami’s Big Three is good for the sport. We care about professional basketball, and we believe it has strayed from the path of competitive balance that once made the NBA great by allowing small markets like Utah, Sacramento, and Milwaukee to compete.
Maybe these words don’t carry enough weight. Maybe all of your friends and neighbors will ultimately tune in to see LeBron, D-Wade, and Bosh play together. You should still stand your ground. Consider it a matter of principle. ESPN and ABC will serve a constant diet of Heat games, but you don’t have to swallow it. You can say no. You can say that the values of healthy competition and fair play mean something to you. That a championship earned means more than a championship bought. Do you want your kids, or your younger brothers and sisters, to lose sight of what’s valuable about sports? Karl Malone and John Stockton toiled for years only to twice fall short in the final battle. They lost gloriously. Historians will never recognize them as champions the way they will do with LeBron James if he hoists a trophy in Miami. But if he does, he will win shamefully. The NBA may be about dollars and cents, but basketball—the game itself and the life lessons it teaches about how to work, how to carry yourself, how to win and lose with honor—mean more than money. And they can’t take that from us.
Boycott the Heat out of principal and some cynics will laugh at you, call you foolish, and shout you down while they hand over their money to LeBron, Pat Riley, William Wesley, and Maverick Carter. Shout back. Shout that you love basketball and the Jazz, and you will hold onto all the good that they stand for. But even as you shout, inside you must silently gather the resolve of a lonely conscience preparing for a hunger strike. No matter what they say, regardless of how much they promote this seemingly unstoppable machine, turn away from it. Don’t watch the Miami Heat. Don’t read the stories about LeBron James and Dwayne Wade and Pat Riley. They represent none of the good that the Utah Jazz have brought to our lives and our community. You have a voice, and it counts for something.
Replies: 22
Views: 670
22 Responses
well if we jazz fans all boycott it, then when we play miami this season then the ESA will be packed with new bandwagon miami fans and no jazz fans. I say we buy all the tix before any miami fans can! lets pack that house and support the jazz and destroy the miami hate! (i know i spelled it wrong)
@Kyle…you certainly have a valid point in terms of wanting to support the Jazz; we are on the same page in that regard. I just want basketball fans who don’t like what’s happened in Miami to be able to express this in a meaningful way. If we write it on message boards, that’s one thing. But if no one watched the Heat this year, it would send a clear message to David Stern and NBA brass that we do not like this.
This may be one of those instances where I’m letting my heart rule over my head, but I am trying to think of it in terms of what fans can actually do to make sure this nonsense in Miami doesn’t become a trend.
Kyle has a point, plus I’ll cheer on miami just as much as any other team if they can destroy the Fakers and their overall NBA support. Killing that 3-peat is the first step. Even if it takes the Heat to do it.
Although, I’m not to worried. My dad makes an excellent point when he says that those 3 will not be able to work together. All three want to be the star of the show, especially Bosh, and won’t work well with other people that want the same.
Also look at it like our Stockton-Malone. 2 All Stars who knew how to work together and play together, and the rest of the team was mediocre. We never got a Championship. They have 3 All-Stars. 3 of which are un-proven when it comes to playing with people of their same status. 3 of which will want to run the show. AND the mediocre back-up. I honestly do not think the Heat will pose much of a threat.
But whatever happens, I’ll be supporting the Jazz as much as I can.
I am personally one of those who is in slight disagreement on this topic. I do think that in the long run this kind of roster stacking is not fair for everybody, and that it does really “cheapin” the championship experience. I will agree on those points. However, its not going to hurt the NBA and neither is your boycott. My guess is that some of those luke warm basketball fans that mostly watch NCAA games will probably tune in this year to see how flashy the heat are.
The other thing that I have to remind myself of, is that if the Jazz were in a position to do something similar none of you would have complained.
In any case if you really want to make a statement the league cant ignore, someone needs to talk Greg Miller into getting tee shirts for the Miami game that says something clever like “cant buy me love” with a pick of the Championship trophy. Hand them out to all the fans the way we do for playoff games. Dont hurt the Jazz by not purchasing tickets. Thats counter productive.
Do you know what this reminds me of? All those forwarded emails telling everyone to do this or do that in order to make a statement on the world and to pass it on to everyone’s friends so that the world can see their point and if you don’t pass it on, you’re a pathetic person. Do you honestly think that would work? You honestly think that if all the fans on UtahJazz360 who hate the heat boycott them that it will do anything? No. Even if it did work and every single fan who hated the Heat boycotted them, do you know what it would do? IT WOULD MAKE THEM KICK TRASH BECAUSE THEY HAVE NO ONE TO STOP THEM!! If you want to stop the Heat then go to the game and give them negative energy to slow them down. If all the Fans in the country who Hated went to every game that the Heat played and booed their lungs out, now you’re talking. If every time the Heat played a game the opposing crowd was booing like crazy, that’s what’s going to make a statement. Not boycotting. Get your mind out of the cloud and back into reality, James. Your whole post was a bunch of nonsense that made no sense whatsoever. Stop being a hater.
boycotting wont happen to many people want to see what will happen when they play together, better than reality tv…I hope Boston or even Chicago have better seasons that crap would be funny.
@ Adam…I’m definitely not a hater, as you claim in your comment. Read any of my posts here or on Jazzbots over the last 2+ years and you will know this. Rather, this post is driven out of pure love for the Jazz and the game of basketball. I appreciate your opinions and welcome the disagreement. However, just because your opinion is different from mine doesn’t make me a “hater.”
To your comments, simply rooting against the Heat fits within the confines of what’s accepted practice…the problem is that the threat posed by this current trend in basketball (the game’s handful of elite stars migrating toward a few select franchises) threatens to destroy the very competitive balance that makes sports great. I boo the Lakers, I boo the Spurs, I boo the Nuggets, but I accept these teams as part of the rivalry and competitive nature of sport. What Miami has done (and what Chris Paul and likely others want to do) is beyond the pale. I don’t want this to become Major League Baseball where the Yankees and Red Sox get to poach the best players from each team simply because they can. I love the Jazz and I love basketball, so I’m not going to accept what the Heat are doing.
I agree that LBJ and his orchestra have crossed the red line.
But I have a request: can I just watch the Miami@Cleveland games ? I’ll switch off the TV (or my PC) if Cavs fans does not invade the floor, I promess !
Yeah I get the point, James. I know there are many disgruntled NBA fans and I’m not going to get into this silly argument again for the sole purpose that I have argued this in several blogs now on this site in the last few weeks and I get tired of repeating. My sole point is that boycotting will do nothing and you know it. People won’t do it. Despite how much they hate the move, curiosity will kill the cat and they will somehow have to find out how things turned out so they will tune in and/or go to games. If I’m wrong and they do boycott, it won’t change a thing.
Yes, I love the NBA. Yes, I love my smaller market Jazz. Yes, I also like the decision LeBron, Wade, and Bosh made. Yes, they will have competition. No, they won’t slaughter ever team they play. No, they won’t win 7 straight titles. No, it won’t hurt the Jazz that much at all. No, the NBA won’t turn out like the MLB as long as they have a salary cap in place. No, the NBA won’t crash.
Sorry if me calling you a hater bothered you. Maybe we have a different definition of hater. I define a hater as someone who hates something or someone and consequently makes irrational decisions or comments because of it. You seem to hate the Heat right now for the move they made. You admitted that this may be one of those instances where you are letting your heart rule over your head, thus admitting to making an irrational statement based on your anger towards the Heat right now. Sounds like a Miami Heat hater to me.
Hmmm, I have mixed feelings on this. I don’t like the Miami move in the slightest because it grates against the core of the basketball that I grew up watching. That’s the kind of basketball that I love. You remember right?! When teams used to building a squad, develop talent, find collective chemistry and the like to via for that ultimate goal. I’m sure that my ideas might be archaic and old-fashion to some but I am only 26. Yeah maybe I’m being naive or I’m “not able to relate to the game and players” anymore like so many people accuse Coach Sloan of. I’m okay with those criticisms because at the end of the day basketball is still basketball and competitive excellence, heart, hard work and determination are still what I love about the NBA. I think Miami’s move, while legal and within their rights and blah blah blah, just is against what I love about basketball.
That being said, I don’t think a boycott would work to the scale that would impact the NBA. However, I won’t be watching those games because, as you said James, its a matter of principle (I know, I know another one of those archaic and old fashion ideas: principles). I still hope that they knock off the Lakers, I still will watch the Jazz even when they play Miami and I agree with Adam that there will still be some competition. However, one would be naive not to admit that this does present a problem to the balance of power.
@Boondock…Alright! You and I will be an army of two. Glad you quit identifying your self as Zak Davis or whoever. You are the Boondock Saint.
@Henri…Cavs v. Heat…alright, go for it. But only their first meeting!
@Adam…thanks for the clarification.
Alex – I disagree. They were all on the olympic team together and Wade + Bosh on the floor was some of the best play by stats in the games. In fact there were 5 all stars on the floor then and if you can find some of the stat lines, all 3 of those guys still managed to put up numbers. Granted this is NBA and 82 games and not the olympics, but the model is there for success in my opinion. Not that I like it.
I’m with you. I will do it. I don’t like what the NBA is becoming. I love the Jazz and always will but the league is shaping up in a way that it is getting hard to watch.
It is frustrating to know that even though we have a great organization that will alway put together a very competitive team, we can only go so far.
We will advance in the playoffs but in the end, because the league lets the big market teams spend so much more on players than we can afford to and because the superstars are deciding to gang up to dominate, we are not going to be able to win a championship.
I am going boycott with you. The NBA needs to fix their product if they want my attention. Hopefully they fix some stuff in the upcoming CBA.
Everyone applauds the “purists” of Baseball, but when an NBA purist (James) trys to keep the league “pure” we hang him.
James, consider the channel changed and the page turned in my home.
I love the drama and passion of sports… that includes what we as fans can bring.
I was happy with “the decision” for one reason only: to watch Kobe, Fisher, Gasshole, and every loser Laker fan be denied a title. If the Heat can pull it off, MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!
I will watch them, and maybe i will like their play coz i think they can be great together….. and for those who says that will happen in the 80’s or 90’s with all the big stars of the dream team i just have 3 names and a year for them: OLAJUWON DREXLER BARKLEY 96-97
So stop crying it’s not a first time
@Connor…what’s up? You’re not gonna like this…I hate Miami more than the Lakers. Sorry man, can’t help it. It’s like Ray says on Ghostbusters when he thinks of the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man: “I couldn’t help it. It just popped in there.” I have always hated the Lakers more than anything (other than a little football operation known as the team down south), but I can’t help this one…the Heat stand for all that is wrong in professional sports.
@French Dude…”Crying? There’s no crying in basketball!” (Not sure if you’ll get that reference). Anyway, this is not simply useless whining…it’s a call to action. Come on buddy, we’re storming the Bastille…er, I mean, we’re changing the channel when the Heat are on!
As for the Olajuwon-Barkley-Drexler experiment, I would say that was different because those guys were all well past their primes. I think it’s more accepted practice to go somewhere for a year or two late in your career when it’s your last chance to win a title.
James I love your blogs and have agreed with everything I have read to this point, sorry my first comment is argumentative, but. . . I think the reason we are pissed at Lebron, the Heat and the NBA is simply because we are Jazz fans. We know that this would never happen to us, and it drives us crazy. The Jazz and its fans are like small business owners that are constantly pointing their fingers at “the system” for making their lives so difficult. If we were Miami fans or the Jazz pulled off a coup like this, we would be ecstatic. We would be buying our Jazz jerseys with JAMES written across the back and finding it difficult to sleep in anticipation for the season. We wouldn’t be boycotting or talking about what basketball should be about. Basketball, like any sport, is about winning! Lebron is the most fun player to watch in the NBA. I think “the decision” is good for the NBA and basketball in general, but unfortunately it sucks for our beloved Jazz!
@Connor…you definitely have a point; it’s interesting to think about how we’d react were the Jazz to pull off this sort of thing. The only thing I can compare it to is the Yankees. I grew up a Yankees fan because my dad is from Schenectady, NY, so he imparted his passion for the team, and I loved the Yankees unconditionally growing up. But I have to say, both of us have kind of fallen away from the Yankees, and baseball in general, because of the grossly unbalanced playing field. Don Mattingly is still my favorite player of all time, and I’ll always love Jeter, Posada, and Mariano Rivera (all brought up through the minors by the organization). But I have no interest in rooting for A-Rod, Teixeira, or any of these other guys the Yankees have essentially bought over the years. I don’t know how I’d feel if the Jazz started doing that sort of thing. One thing about LeBron–yes, he’s fun to watch. But I can’t stomach supporting a guy who decided to drag his free agency out to the point of absurdity before going on national TV to dump his fans.
You know James i have a problem with that, it’s a JazzFan site and i think the great majority of us are not Clevevand fan or Miami Fan, but every day someone post about Miami or the Devil LBJ…… Man i don’t care with that, all of you are Crying… or Whining if you prefer about the fact that it’s not fair to have 3 allstars in 1 team to win…. and after all of you are saying, they can’t play together, so they can’t win…….
So where is the problem ????
Before 3 allstars in 3 teams = 3 potentiel contenders
Now 3 allstars in only 1 losing team = 0 contender
It’s better for us, so be happy people, Eastern conf is dead, now we just have to pass over the lakers…
@French Dude…you didn’t think my joke about storming the Bastille was funny?
Seriously though, I didn’t write this piece because I think lots of folks reading it are Cavs or Heat fans…I did it because the larger issue of what this means for the NBA seriously impacts that Jazz and, as basketball consumers, I think we should do something about it. And I don’t think we’re all saying that the Heat’s superstars can’t play together. Some had said that, but I think they will get along since they’re all buddies and decided to make this move together.
It’s not against you James, but there is just too many article on that for me, i mean, this team never play a game but it seams like everyone in the world pretend to be an insider, know everything and need to share his so interesting opinion to the universe…. one day okay, one week but guys ??? one month on the Eastern conference, man it’s just the second division of the NBA, they don’t deserve one month of my attention……
And one other thing, Miami is going to begin the season under the luxury tax, and the Lakers with 92,5 millions of salaries.
I think the Lakers is the biggest problem of the NBA, not Miami.
And yes, as a spare time writer myself, i had notice and appreciate your joke (great allegory my friend)