Lately I have been accused of being a fair weathered fan.
Psssh. I just don't like to watch a team lose. Does that make me fair weather? Okay fine, then I am. But in my defense, isn't everyone "fair weather" in the literal sense? Does anyone spend all day outside when it's freezing cold? (Okay, snowboarders and skiers, you win.) Like my brother once said, I'm just a fan of excellence. And if a team isn't performing "excellently" then I don't necessarily think it's my duty to continue to show up to watch them lose.
Cue the Utah Jazz.
I've long been a jazz fan. (See here here and here.) But this season I might be acting a bit fair weather. To start with, I don't think the coach has any clue how to coach. Secondly, the Jazz pretty much decided they were going to throw their season down the tube when they traded all their good players in hope for a good pick in the draft next year. So they basically decided to suck this year. I don't think I have to support that.
The result is that we started the NBA season off with a pathetic 0-8 record. OH AND EIGHT. We were the only team in the NBA to not have a win. I watched the first five games in their entirety and then just up and quit. The players weren't trying so why should I? I have since devoted my time to things that make me happy like my puppy and bubble baths and sparkles. Being a fair weather fan sure feels fine and dandy to me!
The problem is Greg. He's the most loyal person I've ever met. In terms of our marriage, it's awesome. No complaints! In terms of our relationship with the Jazz, it is agonizingly painful. He insists on watching every possible game. Today when I came home from school, Greg was all up in my grill.
"Let's go to a jazz game tomorrow!" The boy had our weekend all figured out. You see, he hasn't had a Friday night off from rehearsing or performing for months and he won't have another one off until January. We must celebrate this free Friday night in style. Jazz tickets for everyone!
I groaned.
"You really want to watch the jazz? You know they're the worst in the NBA."
"Oh, come on Bon! Show some loyalty for crying out loud!"
"Who are they playing?"
"The spurs."
"Yah, no way." (The Jazz can't beat the Spurs even when the Jazz have a decent team, let alone this group of misfits we've got running the court this year. Spurs are currently 8-1 and Jazz are 1-8. Doesn't take a genius to figure out what the score on that one will be.)
Greg was offended. "You really need to figure out your loyalties, Bon."
"I am loyal to good teams! But what's the fun in watching them play terrible and lose by 30 points? I am not required to support mediocrity!"
"Supporting a team isn't always fun, Bonnie. Sometimes it's work, but it's worth it in the end."
Sounds like a freaking marriage speech, doesn't it? I told you. Greg decides to be loyal to someone or something and he is full throttle pedal to the metal balls to the walls all the way do or die sickness and in health sunshine or rain until death do us part and I think I'm out of metaphors.
So that's where I'll be tomorrow night- if you're wondering. Paying $20 to sit in nosebleed seats watching men who get paid 26 times what I do miss jump shots and free throws and turn over the ball.
In other news... it's group giveaway time! I've changed the way I am doing the monthly giveaway. In the past, sponsors have all given an individual prize- a candle or a $15 Target gift card or a pair of earrings. Last week when I was out to dinner with some blogging buddies I figured a couple of things out. My buddy Kelsey has won countless giveaways. She let me in on a little secret and that is that winning group giveaways isn't all it's cracked up to be. Sometimes it's not even worth the hassle as sponsors send the gift card to the wrong address, strangely disappear, etc. And sometimes, she said you just get sent stuff that you would never use- coffee cards for someone who doesn't drink coffee, necklaces that are broken, nail polish you would never wear. And I thought, sheesh, all that hassle and sometimes the girls don't even like the prizes? THEN WHAT IS ALL THIS HOOPLAH FOR?
Bing. An idea was born: pool all the gifts together for one grand prize and let the winner spend it how she wants. I sat on that idea for a few days, decided I loved it, and then fully converted. This is how I will be doing my group giveaways in the future, a wad of cash. If a sponsor has a handmade business, she can of course give that prize instead, but this way it keeps the whole process a little cleaner.
So I present to you, November's giveaway! 180 big ones to be spent any way you want, sister. Sponsors who contributed are listed below. Mandatory entry is to follow Life of Bon on facebook and the rest is optional. This month's sponsors are top notch so make sure to send them some love as they are all giving their own money and resources for this giveaway. (Giveaway ends November 22.)
My husband is the same way with his Boston/NE teams. I guess it works out though since they seem to do well. The only team I've had any lifelong fandom of is the STL Cardinals. All in all though, I don't care too much for sports.
ReplyDeleteSo on the giveaway... why do people bother entering if they don't like the prizes? And since they're free, why complain if it turns out you don't like what you've been given? Not trying to be a snot about it, I just think it's kind of funny, since it's no loss to the winner. :)
Good point April! I think they like most of the prizes but not all and so the people who send the prizes they don't like go to a lot of hassle for nothing. Also a lot of the problems were with people just receiving the prizes in general... some sponsors will go MIA or say they mailed it but it never shows up, etc. Since I have promised a winner the prize it looks poorly on this blog and the readership so I just decided to eliminate that. Given, it happens rarely, but when it does it will leave a pretty bitter taste in your mouth.
DeleteThat happened to me once! I've won all of two giveaways in my life and the second one I got in touch with the sponsor and things were awesome and then she never replied to my emails one day. I think a couple months later she closed up shop, so I never got offended or anything, but I was pretty excited about the necklace and was slightly disappointed.
DeleteHi!
ReplyDeleteIs this open to international followers who might have a PayPal account?
Thank you!
YES!
Deletehaha...that conversation cracks me up! Enjoy the game!! hehe
ReplyDelete"Sounds like a freaking marriage speech, doesn't it? I told you. Greg decides to be loyal to someone or something and he is full throttle pedal to the metal balls to the walls all the way do or die sickness and in health sunshine or rain until death do us part and I think I'm out of metaphors."
ReplyDelete...THANK you for the giggle fits this morning with the metaphors. Loved it!
Well thank you dear! I always love your comments on this blog!
DeleteI don't do sports, but I think I'm ashamed to say that if I did I would be a fair weather fan....period. LOL. Maybe it's for the best. Anyway, wahoo! I'm glad it's open internationally. A wad of cash is a much better gift than a broken necklace, haha!
ReplyDeleteI have been a Sacramento Kings fan since I was about six years old and they had a two or three year stint when I was in middle school when they were phenomenal, but then they did what the Jazz did and traded all of their good players and they've sucked ever since. I'm still a loyal fan, but I can't handle loss after loss after loss, so I check out most of the time. Two seasons ago, my grandpa converted me to be a Jazz fan and now I have two teams that I love that suck. Such is life.
ReplyDeleteWhen my teams aren't doing well, I still like to show my support but in a less active way, haha. It just pains me to have to physically sit through every second of their pain - that's gotta be some form of ancient torture!
ReplyDeleteAs for the giveaway, I'm definitely a bigger fan of this newer version! It makes you feel like you won a "bigger" prize as well, even though the value might be the same!
This is the best type of giveaway. Yeah, I love the gift cards and such - but whenever someone does clothing or jewelry I usually don't enter. Especially this time of year. I need cash and gift cards for the holidays!
ReplyDeleteSo my mom is TOTALLY a fair weather fan and I can't lie, I totally give her crap for it!! Fair weather fanhood is actually one of those things that kind of pushes my buttons out here in AZ, because I feel like our entire state are fair weather fans and it drives me crazy! AZ is one of those states that soooo many people relocate too, or snowbirds are out here all winter long and what have you. People actually FROM AZ are hard to come by. So naturally, someone who moves out here is still gonna be loyal to their hometown teams...making die hard AZ sports fans few and far between. When the cubs are in town they pretty much have homefield advantage. I'm hoping that momentum will change with new generations growing up and stuff, cause yes, it totally bugs me! hahaha! My dad always told me, "Rissa, you're not a true fan unless you're still a fan when they're losing"...and I feel the conviction every time I think about it! hahaha!...I just wrote entirely too much on something that really doesn't even matter...I'll go now =)
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I'm just happy you're watching some basketball :) not a jazz fun (ugh) but I love my NBA
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