The journey is definitely what makes things worthwhile. I’m not saying that everyone should be satisfied with a first-round playoff exit. The goal, as I said above, should still be the NBA championship. But the value of a team shouldn’t be based on whether they win four games in June.

Maybe fan’s are just deluded by the fact that there are only 30 teams in the NBA. It seems like a championship is just beyond their reach. I think the Boston Celtics of last year propogates the myth of “a quick, easy championship run.”

The mindset of collegiate basketball fans are definitely more grounded to me. Davidson, Illinois or Cincinnati know they don’t have a legitimate shot at a national championship. This realization seems forces them to value the team through realistic expectations.

On the other hand, collegiate football fans’ calls for a playoff system tell me that they want a chance to “win everything,” however slim it is, regardless of how incredibly difficult it would be for a football team to go through a single-elimination tourney after playing a dozen or so games.

So, yes, I agree that hope is very important to a sports fan or franchise. Hope gets people through tough times and makes them strive to improve. But hope can also cloud judgment without the benefit of objective analysis and performance measures.

The teams I find infuriating are the one’s who lock themselves into a 35-45 win range (Charlotte) and have no hope of advancing past the first round. This isn’t a problem it’s part of the path forward, but if it’s a ceiling, and you’re content with that, that’s a major problem for me.

That journey, the possibilities and dreams, that’s the fun part for me. It doesn’t really matter where in the journey the team is at (20 win team like Oklahoma City or the 55 win team like Houston), as long as there’s a legit possibility of contending for a title someday in the foreseeable future.

Take Phoenix for example, they didn’t win a title, but they had several long playoff runs and a legit chance at the crown. In my book that was a very successful team and joyful time for the fans of that club. Many folks would differ on that though since they didn’t win a ring, but I don’t like that line of thinking, you miss out on too much if that’s all you can see or enjoy.

Yes, a build-up is definitely refreshing. [Insert sexual innuendo here].

As I’ve learned more, I’ve really been married to the thought that sports attitudes are a reflection of our national values.

I’ve also been intrigued by how political sport is: Dwight Eisenhower once said, “The true mission of American sports is to prepare young men for war.”

I thought about that quote alongside the “win or bust” mentality and suddenly, actions around me become so much clearer.