Real Home Court Advantage

Kenyon Martin’s mother was recently ambushed by Dallas fans and made very uncomfortable at game 4 of the second round of the NBA playoffs. So was Carmelo Anthony’s fiancé. ‘F’ bombs were dropped in front of children. America was appalled, but I say it’s about time. Your team is down 3-0, you’re getting beat inside like ya stole something, and you’re getting hammered by terrible officiating. Hope has to come from somewhere, as we have seen before in sports. Dave Roberts stealing Mo’s lunch was all the Red Sox needed. The Mav’s needed their Dave Robert’s moment. Then Dirk got hot, then hotter, and before too long Dirk had taken over the game and Denver was on their collective heels. Where was K-Mart? He was watching his mother get harassed by rabid fans and couldn’t concentrate on either end of the court. What effect this had on Dirk taking over the game is difficult to quantify, but any slight advantage is a good one. For this, I say kudos Dallas. You have officially evolved.
An NBA arena, like most sporting venues, can impact the game being played. But as the game’s get more important, and the playoff ticket prices go up and up, there are more Jack’s and Spike’s at the games than the Jose’s and Uncle Vinny’s. Jose and Uncle Vin are the ones who will make noise on a big defensive stand, count down the shot clock at the top of their lungs, and do the necessary internet research to find out why Dwight Howard’s 8th grade girlfriend dumped him at the Winter Dance. More than anything they bring passion. Vinny and Jose feel every possession, and could care less what they look like as they paint a purple ‘L’ on their chest. They are there to see, not be seen. The more passion found in the stands… the better. You want to watch a game in a comfortable, safe environment Mrs. Martin? Great! We’ll see you at the Pepsi Center. Or you could sit yourself right there on that couch K-Mart bought you. Because in Dallas, the fans are there to win, and help their team win by any means necessary. I do not care if your child is offended. Leave him at home. Maybe hearing an “F – You Melo” chant will burn the game into his memory forever, making him a lifelong supporter. Do you have to use the “F” word to be a passionate fan? Definitely not. Do I feel all chants need to use profanity? By no means. Just recently, one of my favorite Italian football teams was reprimanded for using such racists profanity against a rival’s striker, they were forced to play the following home game behind closed doors. The fans were being punished for being TOO passionate and hating Internazionale Milano FC TOO MUCH. I dream of the day in which Americans hate their rival too much on a major level. I can count the major rivalries in American sports, both college and pro, on one hand. Game 4 at Dallas was a start. It’s about time a city says “Our backs are against the wall, this is our LAST chance to watch our boys play, and we will do WHATEVER it takes to get them to game 5.” And as I watch Game 5 right now, I have the city of Dallas to thank. Thank you Dallas, for hating Denver so much you affected the outcome; a REAL home court advantage.