Sure there have been sprinkles of Dodger blue and Clipper Red along the way, but the Los Angeles Lakers have always been the kings of L.A.. But with the Lakers and Clippers exiting the NBA playoffs in the second round, L.A. fans haven't skipped a beat as they have hopped on the bandwagon for the Stanley Cup.
The new kings of Los Angeles have become, well, the Kings. Thanks to the recent success of the eighth seed, so-called "fans" have begun claiming their stake on the hockey team through these NHL playoffs.
Let's take a step back, though. Please.
There's a big difference in being a fan[atic] and a supporter of a team.
What am I?
I might be a huge fan of sports, but I'm far from a hockey fan. I haven't followed the Kings passionately until recently and, as a result, will refer to myself as a supporter of the team. I grew up in Los Angeles, still live in Los Angeles but have always been more of a hoops fan.
Nowadays, as I drive around L.A. and talk to sports fans across the city, I'm growing more and more tired of hearing people say they're huge fans of hockey and have been supporting the Kings since Day 1.
Please, Day 1 can't and doesn't mean a month ago when our Lakers or Clippers started showing signs of early playoff exits. Day 1 can't and doesn't mean last week when we all found out the magical run for Lord Stanley would continue on against the Devils. Staples Center might belong to the Kings now, but how many of you "fans" cared about that while the other L.A. teams were still inhabiting the arena for their playoff run?
There is an obsessed group of people, those who have lived and breathed Kings hockey before this post-season's journey, and it's time us Kings "supporters" understood that.
I have nothing against bandwagon fans.
Incre...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Kings
