I've said it before and I'll say it again: being a Sports fan is like being in a relationship.  For each level, for each league, you've got your favorite teams, players and coaches.  And every year you experience high's and low's as a fan of that particular team, athlete or coach.  The dynamic of a sports fan and a "Sports Relationship" is worth a look.

Just think about the way we progress as Sports fans in our lives.  We begin as impressionable kids, often learning from our parents as to what teams to like, what styles of play we enjoy.  And like anything else we learn in life, there is a progression as a Sports fan. More often than not, we tie ourselves to individual players as youth's, because we, ourselves, are learning who we are and what we like--the focus is on the individual aspect. 

This is probably the reason that as a kid I loved Michael Jordan, but was fairly indifferent to the Bulls.  While my heart was with Michael (as my feet were wearing Air Jordan's), my desire was with the Lakers in a way.  I loved the way the Lakers played, flashy and fast paced--completely different than my parents and there love for the Indiana University Hoosiers.  Even as a kid, it was too slow.  I was a hyper kid and I liked my basketball, well, hyper.  But my focus was still more on the individual--like Jordan, Dominique Wilkins (the Human Highlight Film),  and Magic.  In football, it was the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame (mainly locality reasons), Chicago Bears (because of the Super Bowl Shuffle rap after the '85 Super Bowl season).   

But as I grew older, like we do in our lives, I began to figure out who I was, what I liked and what I wanted to do.  It makes perfect sense then, that as a Sports fan you turn the focus outward and look at the team and not the individual.

This is where the Sports Relationship becomes a lot like dating.  You start shopping yourself around, putting yourself out there to different teams.  In the early 1990's, I'll admit I had a relationship with the Atlanta Braves.  What's not to like about the 'Tomahawk Chop', the playoffs every year and the sound of 60,000 people chanting "oooohhh, oooohhh, oooooooOOOOOhhh, ooooooohhhhh"? I flirted, but ultimately broke things off before they got serious.

I did the same thing in other Sports, until, just like in life, you find your match.  I found my true love at 23, and married her at 25.  But it wasn't my first marriage (well, it was in the traditional sense, of course).  In Sports, I'd already been married.  I married the Boston Red Sox at 19 after dating them off and on for four years.  I've been with the Arizona Wildcats for nearly ten happy years.  And after some rocky patches, I've stayed mainly with the Fighting Irish and the Bears (though I came dangerously close to having an affair with the Miami Hurricanes).

There are divorces in Sports Relationships.  In the mid 1990's, I divorced the Indiana Hoosiers.  It was an arranged marriage, anyway, one of those ones your parents set-up and say, "See, you'll like them--it's tradition."  At some point, I had to sit my parents down and tell them,  that unfortunately, the Hoosiers and I were divorcing--but that I would always remember the good times, like the 1987 National Championship, the magical trip to the 1992 Final Four and seeing Damon Bailey play for his hometown team.  There were irreconcilable differences with the coach and the players.

There are many out there who believe that a Sports Relationship is for life.  Most times I'd agree.  Except like in the above case where it was an arranged marriage.  Come on, let's get with the modern times.  Only I can pick the right team for me, my friends and family can't do it for me.

Or can I?  I'm beginning to think I made a mistake with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Like I said before, when you're young, you often don't see the picture clearly, in life or in Sports. 

It's only recently that I've begun to discover those values which I hold so dear as a Sports Fan.  I like teams and athletes who play hard.  I like some flash, some brilliance.  I like the under-dog most times.  It's why I like Pete Maravich so much.  And though it sounds completely irrational, I like teams that lose.

Think about it--do you always want to cheer for a winner?  How boring would that be?  Just like I mentioned a few days ago in another column, it's like a real relationship--it's the fighting, the ups and downs, the joy and the tears that make the Sports Fan's Relationship with their team all that more meaningful.  Who wants a championship all the time? 

As Sports fans, we sour on winners after awhile.  For some weird reason, we love to build people up and bring them down.  It's happening to USC and to their quarterback Matt Leinart.  Last year, he was an untouchable #1 Draft Pick Heisman Trophy winner.  One year later, the whispers about his team, his game and his characteristics as a football player are in question.  It's why people are sick of hearing about all the Yankees World Series championships.  The Indianapolis Colts season isn't even over yet, but as they sit at 12-0 people are debating their merits, why Peyton Manning has to audible so much, that their defense isn't that good, and oh yeah, that stupid "Sound Gate."

Sports fans like to suffer, admit it.  Would the Red Sox and White Sox World Series titles the past two years have been quite as sweet if they hadn't ended over 80 years of futility in the process?  Wonder why Florida Marlins fans don't attend baseball games in Miami?  It's because there's no sustenance in their team.  They've been around since 1993.  They've won two World Series championships and been uglier than sin the other eleven years.  Why should we care about them?  They're going to trade all there players, not try to be competitive and in five years they'll make a two year run at it and then just start all over again.

We like seeing the struggle to get to the top.  We like to see our team (or player, or coach) get as close as possible and fail a couple times.  It gives them character--it gives them a sense of realism. 

Sports is like a real life drama/comedy/action TV show.  It's never ending, it's comical, it's intense at times and boring at others.  There are moments where we wonder "What are the writers (owners) of this show (team) thinking?"  We get mad at the personnel moves, like we would if our favorite character left a TV series.  At some point, all of our teams are going to look like ER--it'll be unrecognizable.  But we hope the spirit will continue, even if the characters won't.

To truly be great, to be epic, to be memorable, then you've had to been bad.  Think about it: it's the difference between a 26 year old 4.0 G.P.A. Harvard grad with a law degree, a wife, 2.3 kids and a mansion in St. Thomas and a 26 year old, 3.5 G.P.A. City College grad with a meaningless history degree, a wife, 2 kids and an apartment.  Now which one's the more intriguing story?  Which one do you want to tell your kids you were so they'll work hard to get ahead? 

The point is this: I'm thinking of leaving the Los Angeles Lakers...for the Los Angeles Clippers.

It's not that I'm leaving the Lakers, it's just I want to see what the Clippers have to offer.  I'm drawn to their torture.  And I have to admit, I have been for years. 

In 1998, when they had the #1 pick in the NBA draft, I wanted them to take Arizona's Mike Bibby (my favorite college player on my favorite college team), just so I'd have an excuse to root for them.  But like all great losers, they botched it and took Michael Olowokandi.  They've been the ugly step-sister of the Lakers for over 20 years in L.A.  They've got an inept owner and a terrible franchise record.  During their years in L.A., they've had seasons that looked like this: 12-70 in '86-'87, 17-65 in '87-'88, 21-61 in '88-'89, 17-65 again in '94-'95, 17-65 yet again in '97-'98 and in a strike shortened 1999 season, 9-41.

Absolutely terrible.  And I'm strangely drawn to them.

They just can't catch a break.  They've over-looked (and rightfully so) every season, even in their hometown.  They have no winning tradition.  They've got a selfish point guard who's playing amazing right now (Sam Cassell) and two former Duke Blue Devils, Elton Brand and Corey Maggette (and I hate Duke).  But they're trying.  They make free throws, play some defense, pass a little on offense, hit timely shots and play fast.  All the things I used to like about the Lakers.

Currently, the Lakers run the "triangle" offense of coach Phil Jackson, which in most games seems more like some weird shaped offense where all lines lead straight to Kobe. In turn, this leads straight to Kobe taking 40 shots a game.  If I wanted to watch that every night, I'd be a Sixers fan. 

I'd rather see Kobe making his teammates as good as Michael Jordan made the Bulls.  As good as Larry Bird made the Celtics.  As good as Magic made my old Lakers. 

The current version of "Showtime" resembles nothing more than a one man show.  Which, as a Sports fan, is everything I now despise.  I kind of like wondering what it would be like to have hope that "this year will be different", like wondering what would have happened if the Beatles stayed together. 

Believe me, I've struggled with this.  I've got time in with the Lakers.  We have memories.  I have authentic Laker game shorts, key chains and championship t-shirts.  But as I've learned in life, there are times when the bad things outweigh the good memories.  Maybe I'll stay with the Lakers and try to repair what we have.

Or maybe, just maybe, the Clippers are the ones I'll always been looking for, but never knew I wanted.  I know if I do this, there will be whispers from my friends, cruel jokes and others who can't believe I did it--just like in life.

But in Sports, you can't be an empty fan.  Who wants to go through your Sports Life pretending to care?  Not me, and not anymore.  Lakers, I think I'm breaking up with you.