The Los Angeles Lakers' Derek Fisher, left, and Kobe Bryant. Photo courtesy SportsIllustrated..Nothing supports a player's legacy more than being a gracious winner while nothing destroys their reputation worse than being a graceless loser. While I don't consider Kobe Bryant to be an arrogant person, his public persona says otherwise. The pat he gave Phoenix Suns coach Alvin Gentry could be misconstrued as arrogance, a sign of "we own you" or "payback time". Kobe's media sessions both at practice and postgame are short, with the Black Mamba not being very talkative and at times can be aggressive toward reporters. Again, I don't think Kobe is inherently arrogant and graceless, but his public actions don't do anything to discourage the notion that he is. To contrast, teammate Derek Fisher is eloquent with the media, complimentary of the opposing team, and while he's not the best player on the Lakers, he's certainly one people can look up to. In a world of 24/7 media coverage, it is imperative that players realize they are role models both in attitude and conduct.
But the players aren't fully to blame. Success can breed arrogance and there's a reason why franchises like the Lakers, Boston Celtics, and New York Yankees are known for having fanbases that can get cocky. It is the unstated objective every season for the New York Yankees to win a title because that's what their fanbase expects and demands. The Lakers are prone to picking up bandwagon fans during their playoff runs, as evidenced by how many Laker flags magically sprout up on cars around Los Angeles in May. These fans don't help the matter. They pull the ol' "I've been a fan since Showtime!" routine, but can't name the current Lakers starting five then have the cajones to mock the opposing team and call it all sorts of things not fit for print. This weekend, I had a Laker bandwagoner slam not just the Phoenix Suns but the city of Phoenix and the state of Arizona itself, calling it all sorts of vulgarities. As someone who's originally from the Grand Canyon State, this did not go over well with me. This fan behavior is a shame for the team they root for, whether its the Lakers, Yankees, or the Kansas City Royals.
And for fans of teams that are on the losing end, it's best not to say any witty retort back. There's always another year. The law of averages dictates that a championship will come to you, eventually, unless you're the Chicago Cubs. By retorting back, the loser becomes just as graceless as the winner who brags or tries to pull a Terrell Owens-esque stunt.
What do you, my readers, think of the situation? Are there fanbases that have a reputation for arrogance? How do you deal with graceless winners/losers?
