FanPost

How to alienate a fanbase


I remember the overwhelming optimism stemming from the New Jersey Nets fanbase right before the move to Brooklyn. With our star Deron Williams, we would challenge the supremacy of the Knicks in the New York market. Our owner was incredibly wealthy, and ready to spend. So how did the Brooklyn Nets manage to mess up so badly? I can't speak for anyone else, but looking at the current team, I am simply filled with a sense of apathy. This is a quick guide on how to create a disconnect between a team and its loyal fans.

1) No continuity: from players to coaches, it seems that from year to year everything is much different, and yet very similar. Much of this blame falls on Billy King, and by his influences in ownership. Just before the move to Brooklyn, the Nets traded for Gerald Wallace, bringing in a solid veteran, but robbing next year's team of any sort of youth to be excited about. Sure, they had Marshon Brooks, but clearly management and the coaching staff were less than enamored with this player. But the real issue here was the Dwightmare. This was poorly handled by every party involved. With that said, the Nets handled it well, with the exception of the way they treated Brook Lopez. The longest tenured Net has also been the subject of every trade rumor for years. In terms of players, it hasn't been easy to become enamored with many of the Nets players. When you lose the interest in the players, you're going to lose the interest in the team.

2) Boring/unlikable players: Of course, a general manager is going to make deals which he believes will benefit the team. However, if he only acquires players which are difficult to like, it will be hard to keep the fans interested. Deron Williams is poorly regarded by many, fairly or unfairly. Joe Johnson's personality is almost nonexistent from an outsider's view. Brook Lopez is likable, but his goofy nature is not universally liked. As for the "stars" Billy King traded for from the Celtics, KG is almost universally respected, but in his old age can't always back this up with his play. Additionally, I don't know any non-Cetlics fans who actually like Paul Pierce. The lack of youth also didn't help this. All in all, players who are hard to like make a team hard to like.

3) Never-ending trade rumors: I don't think there has ever been a Brooklyn Net who hasn't been the subject of trade rumors. If a player is playing well, he's in trade rumors. If he's playing poorly, he's in trade rumors. Why would I, as a fan, start to care about a player if he could be traded the next day? Additionally, why will a player be loyal to the Nets, or even consider himself a Net if he could be dealt at any point? This creates a marked lack of any sort of team spirit or chemistry.

Feel free to post any disagreements you have. Hope this follows all the rules, and I want everyone to know that we're all in this together, as sad as it may be.

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