Upper Deck: The Work And Pain Of A Mavs Fan

Steven Carter -- DB.com

The problem is they do not understand the depths of effort required to attempt to help your favorite team achieve victory by force of will alone. This requires, at minimum, intense concentration, the ability to discern by powers of observation alone, which player needs to be cursed, and which referee has obviously placed a bet on the current game. This ability is what separates the true fan from just the casual observer but it is not all that is required to be a fan. You also need dedication, to be there through thick and not-so-thick, to back your team win or tie. You need patience. Let's face it, your team will not win the championship every year, mostly because of the worldwide conspiracy headed by that sport's commissioner to deny you your God-given right to a championship. It is an established fact that David Stern hates the Mavericks, small children, dogs, and all that is good and right in the world. He is the Darth Vader to our own Dirk Skywalker.

Yes, fans must be willing to suffer, to bear the shame of the occasional loss. It is our lot in life. We live and die not just with every game but with every possession, from the fast-break slam dunk that will certainly build momentum to win a championship, to the improperly called fouls by Satan's minions, also sometimes referred to as "referees.'' We have to deal with this emotional roller coaster. Few have had to deal with the emotional gyrations of the Maverick fan which can only be prepared to martyrs like Joan of Arc who led the French to a victory at the Battle of Orleans and then was served a burned steak by some English guy that did not understand cuisine. That kind of pain is understood by the Maverick fan.

Fans also must be willing to display there association with the team in public by wearing authentic DallasBasketball.com merchandise when you go out in public after wins, and having the strength of character not to burn the merchandise after the team gives up 52 points to Andre Miller.

Yes, being a fan requires a great deal of emotional stress, but it also requires hard work: You have to get up and make popcorn. You have to get a beer out of the fridge. You have to put on your lucky hat. These things take time and effort. That hat does not get on my head by itself. It also takes hard work trying to keep my wife from throwing it out just because it has a few holes in it.

Perhaps the greatest challenge of all came in the middle of our most recent game. A friend and I were watching the game in our living room. We were both drinking iced tea. About midway through the fourth quarter, my tea glass was gone, I looked around and spotted my friend sucking the ice out of my glass and wallowing it around in his mouth. I was horrified, but not as horrified as he was when I informed him that he had the wrong glass. He looked as if someone had punched him in the face, or as if JJ Barea had turned the ball over. He sat straight up, spit the ice cube across the room, and said, "It is like I just kissed you."

Yes, we fans have to put up with a lot. If the players only knew how much we left in our seats, they would try harder.