Speechless

I sat at my computer with a dramatic case of writers block, trying to muster the words for how I feel about the Lakers right now. After constantly changing the topic for my blog entry, I realized that I’m completely speechless at this moment in time. I mean, how can a fan come possibly come up with the words to express the feeling of their franchise having one foot dangling off the cliff? Not to take another whack at the deceased stallion, but after the Lakers shipped off Shaquille O’Neal for far less value then he’s worth, I figured they would have the common sense not to let it come down to this with Kobe. The organization proved me wrong, as they are on the verge of doing it yet again.

The Lakers are a team without an identity. Stuck between the present and the future, there’s nothing for the fans to be excited about. Laker games don’t have any meaning or significance at this juncture. If we win, it’s probably due to the heroic efforts of a player that no longer want to be on the club. If we lose, we are only proving Kobe’s point that this team is putrid as constructed. Win or lose, it doesn’t matter.

As a Laker fan, I try to look back on the not-so-distant past and remember the good times; it’s somewhat therapeutic to recollect and understand that we have it better than the majority of the franchises. But when each day passes and the duration between then-and-now grows, the nostalgia begins to become irritating, because you just shake your head and wonder why it had to come to this. The Lakers were notorious for building championship caliber teams whenever possible, because the only thing that seemingly mattered was that another banner was going to be raised to the rafters on opening night in Los Angeles.

Poof, enter the new era where dead presidents reign king and winning takes a backseat to egos. Watching the Lakers over the past three seasons has been like watching a car running over a glass bottle. Structure shatters, the driver tries to weave out of the way, but destruction is inevitable. The air is being let out of the tire slowly, and it won’t be long until it’s completely flat. Who knows how long the road will be until someone ushers in some fresh air.