When I called them “Faker Fans” a few years ago, this is exactly what I had in mind. While the hardcore fans are sitting in the 300 level or watching the game at home with friends or at the bar, you have the Hollywood-type, Faker Fans misrepresenting the Lakers fan base.
The AP recap of the Lakers 104-99 Game 1 win over the Jazz noted that most fans discarded the t-shirt they were given at the gate. Fans were supposed to put on the shirt to show unity and support of the Lakers. As the Associated Press noticed and as anyone watching could tell, the fans in the arena were hardly clad in white. Why is that the case? Because attending a Laker game is every bit as much a Hollywood scene and fashion show as it is a chance to support a team and watch a basketball game. Any wonder why many other fan bases can’t stand the Lakers and have difficulty relating to them? Go to most other arenas — Miami, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, Oklahoma City — and you’ll find fan bases decked out in the giveaway shirts to support their teams. In LA, you don’t see that.
What makes matters even more confusing is the thought process behind giving away white shirts to fans at Staples Center for a Lakers game. First off, they turn the lights out in the crowds and focus the spotlights solely on the hardwood during games, so it wouldn’t even matter if fans were wearing the shirt. Secondly, the whole “white out” thing is played out. If you’re going to do the t-shirt thing, at least make it gold or even purple for Lakers fans. Not that it would make any difference for the Hollywood type that waste space in the lower bowl anyway.
Sources:
Kobe rallies Lakers past Jazz in 2nd-round opener [AP/Yahoo! Sports]
Photo Credits: Getty Images, Getty Images
