Earlier this month, I had to write a personal narrative essay for my English class and decided to write it on my experience of becoming a "hardcore" Hornets fan in the 2010-2011 season. Anyways, I saw iNolaNightmare post his essay (which was good btw man), so I figured why not post this. I had to tie a theme/message behind the narrative so that's why I go away from just talking about the Hornets towards the end. Hope you enjoy
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The Nature of Tribalism in Sports
In the summer of 2010, I was alone. I was single, my best friend was in Ireland, and my other friends and I didn't particularly hang out much back then. I was bored, and spent countless hours on the Internet, searching for something to pass the time on. Eventually, I ran out of things to search for, until I decided to search for news on the local NBA team, the New Orleans Hornets. I had always enjoyed basketball since the Hornets relocated to New Orleans, but I wasn't passionate about it by any means. However, I did watch the games on occasion, and had recalled the Hornets playing well to end the season and giving some hope towards the future that maybe, just maybe, the upcoming season would be very successful.
So, I searched for the latest news, rumors, and Summer League results. To my unfortunate surprise, the news that was far and beyond covered more than any other was that the Hornets' best player, Chris Paul, wanted out of New Orleans and was seeking to be traded.
I was confused. Why would he want to leave? The rumors pointed to his desire to win, and a belief that he could not do so in New Orleans, but I wasn't sure if I was willing to believe that. The Hornets had made the playoffs two years in a row, and would have made it for a third had Chris Paul not gotten hurt halfway through the last season. Additionally, our younger players really stepped up during that stretch without Chris, and looked quite promising for the future. So, feeling dissatisfied with the winning didn't make sense to me. However, what did make sense was that he felt that the best option for his career was to play for a big market city such as New York or Los Angeles. There was a lot more money and fame to be gained there than a city like New Orleans. Reading the responses to this news, I concluded this is what many other fans were thinking as well. However, despite the rough news, there were still fans that remained as optimistic about our future as I was previously, so I tried to remain positive. I continued to read any articles that came out on the team. I wanted to give myself hope for the upcoming season and, quite frankly, something to keep busy with.
Not long after, it was time for the season to begin. The fan morale and national expectations were low thanks to the rumors of Chris Paul wanting out. I had high hopes though. After spending weeks of trying to build up optimism, I felt obligated to. Otherwise, that time would have been put to waste. The season began and, to the shock of many, the Hornets were wildly successful. They began their season with 11 wins and only 1 loss, best in the NBA. I felt vindicated. I was joyful seeing the team defeat the odds. In a sense, I was proud in the way that a parent is proud to see his or her child succeed. I began to go to more and more games, becoming emotionally invested in the team's success, and so did a large number of others in the city. Attendance numbers began to shoot up, and the vibe at the games was different than it was at the start of the season. There was hope, belief, and excitement now encircling this team, something that the team had not experienced previously. Eventually, though, the Hornets began to lose more. All progress that was made in the community was beginning to be lost. Attendance numbers dropped significantly, morale was low, and games felt completely different. Due to all of this, couple with an unstable ownership, rumors of a possible relocation began to form. What started as a terrific season for the Hornets was beginning to spiral downwards. Despite the rumors, the Hornets started winning again and the roller-coaster of a season continued on, experiencing highs such as a ten game winning streak and lows like David West, the team’s second best player, tearing his ACL, an injury so severe that it required him to miss the season.
At the season's end, the Hornets had made the playoffs and were set to face the “mighty” Los Angeles Lakers in a best of 7 series. The Lakers were the big market phenom, with a rich history and a quest to win a third championship in a row. The Hornets, meanwhile, were not given any attention in the media, had never won a championship before, were a key player short. Entering the series, the Hornets were not given a chance. Mainstream media outlets such as ESPN or Yahoo Sports predicted a quick and easy victory for the Lakers. Simply, it was David versus Goliath. Despite all of this, however, the Hornets came prepared for battle, and won the first game of the series in convincing fashion, defeating the Lakers in Los Angeles. The city and its fans were excited. The opportunity to defeat this juggernaut was there. When the series came to New Orleans for games 3 and 4, the city completely supported the team. I bought my tickets for both games, and at these games, I experienced something I will never forget. The arena was filled to capacity and nearly everyone wore the yellow Hornets t-shirt that was provided by the arena. A perfect visual of togetherness was formed through this image, an image that was able to encapture multiple personalities bonding together and supporting this team. We took a stand against the mainstream. For us, it wasn't just Hornets vs Lakers, it was New Orleans vs Los Angeles. Throughout the games, chants of “Beat L.A.!” ensued, becoming by far the most used chant.
I began to talk to people I had never met before, engaging in dialogue over the facets of the game and the team. Groups of very different people shared a bond between this common interest, the Hornets, and were able to connect seamlessly. Any social barriers that may have prevented us from talking to each other previously was dropped. There was a great sense of pride, bordering on tribalism, among us. This was our team and our city, and we were proud of it no matter what anyone said. All that mattered was the team's success because they represented us; they were us. The Hornets eventually did lose the series in the sixth game, and Chris Paul was later traded to the Los Angeles Clippers, but that didn't matter at that point. We were all proud of our team and our hometown. Evidence of this can be found in that the sale of season tickets for the following season were the highest in Hornets history, even with the trade of Chris Paul.
This coming together of a community was founded upon by a sport, an activity that is commonly viewed as petty and fruitless when judged on a social-political scale. However, sports have provided an opportunity for a great sense of tribalism, an ideology that has insinuated great debate on whether it is good or bad for a community. In my own experience, though, sports and tribalism have brought me comfort in a time of loneliness and despair. While tribalism and sports may deservedly face great criticism, it is crucial that we also focus on the positive aspects it brings to communities and re-evaluate the sense in which we portray sports. Sports are not just an activity enjoyed by “meat-heads” because they are incapable of engaging in anything else worthwhile. Instead, sports are a critical and important social outlet that provides the opportunity for communities of different personalities to unite together as one unique and special entity.
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Originally Posted by 42
