Public perception of the NBA

[minks77]

Why is it that on every online NBA article the comments section is always filled with non NBA fans who feel the need to login and post some half baked, ill informed, often racist (esp on Yahoo/ESPN etc) vitriol? I have never posted on an NFL/MLB/NHL story just to crap on the sport or tell the fans of said sport how dumb they are.

The ones I just shake my head at are the NFL racists who act all indignant when an NBA player gets busted for weed. The fallacy that NBA players are thugs while NFL players are saints boggles my mind. The NFL is so thugged out it’s getting ridiculous. Players killing girlfriends, raping groupies, shooting themselves in clubs, dog fighting... And all the NHL fans who were dissing Jalen for his DUI aren’t any better. It’s not like he KILLED HIS BEST FRIEND while D&D.

What is it about the NBA that brings out the simpletons?

[Fully]

Why is it that on every online NBA article the comments section is always filled with non NBA fans who feel the need to login and post some half baked, ill informed, often racist (esp on Yahoo/ESPN etc) vitriol? I have never posted on an NFL/MLB/NHL story just to crap on the sport or tell the fans of said sport how dumb they are.

The ones I just shake my head at are the NFL racists who act all indignant when an NBA player gets busted for weed. The fallacy that NBA players are thugs while NFL players are saints boggles my mind. The NFL is so thugged out it’s getting ridiculous. Players killing girlfriends, raping groupies, shooting themselves in clubs, dog fighting... And all the NHL fans who were dissing Jalen for his DUI aren’t any better. It’s not like he KILLED HIS BEST FRIEND while D&D.

What is it about the NBA that brings out the simpletons?

There's misinformed/racist/half baked vitriol to be found in every corner of the interwebs. I wouldn't let random anonymous comments bother me too much, since I think a lot of them are made for the sole reason of getting other people riled up. Don't feed the trolls, basically.

Also, I don't think the public perception is that NBA players are thugs and NFL players are saints. Far from it actually. I'd say football players have as bad of a rap as any major sports league when it comes to poor behavior.

[minks77]

Oh, I disagree 100%. When following NFL media the idiots are more than happy to look the other way but as soon as an NBA player jaywalks there'll be pages and pages of hate. If Mike Vick were a star small forward instead of a star QB there is no way he'd ever play in the NBA again. Especially if you peep the US sites. I don't reply to those comments and I usually avoid reading them because I know what I'm gonna see. I'm into the business of starving the trolls basically.

Beyond comments sections filled with squeaky wheels there is also a heavy bias in the mainstream media. I understand Football is king and bball is the bastard child but the media is much less forgiving of NBA players who cross the legal line. The Canuck version is the NHL vs NBA treatment that goes on in the media here. Especially interesting is listening to media members on call in radio. You start to see how they actually think: 1.NHL, 2.Football, 3. MLB, 4.Curling, 5. MLS, 6.NBA. They'll often crucify NBA players for minor things but give passes and "reserve judgment until all the facts are known" (ie when the story dies down and no one cares anymore) to hockey players.

[Tim W.]

It's called the internet. It has nothing to do with the NBA. Go to any popular site for ANY topic and the majority of posts are ignorant. Have you ever read some of the posts on IMDB.com? If you read those you'd assume the human race has an average IQ of about 50.

[heinz57]

It's called the internet. It has nothing to do with the NBA. Go to any popular site for ANY topic and the majority of posts are ignorant. Have you ever read some of the posts on IMDB.com? If you read those you'd assume the human race has an average IQ of about 50.

THIS.

it's easy to assume that humanity is civilized when you put it in the context of the people within your own social groups... but the global connectivity of the internet doesn't have a "no imbeciles" clause... and unfortunately, the largest group of people who feel they need to voice their opinions are the ones with retarded opinions

idiots and porn = the fuel of the web

[minks77]

Again, I disagree. I agree that comments sections are filled with idiots though. IMDB is pretty bad though.

There is a wide spread perception that the NBA is a bunch of spoiled, ignorant criminals playing a largely unimportant/irrelevent game. It's not just the comments sections as I know they attract the unwashed masses. I just don't get it. The NBA works harder than any of the other major NA sports to build bridges in communities and help the less fortunate but they still get short shrift.

[Tim W.]

Again, I disagree. I agree that comments sections are filled with idiots though. IMDB is pretty bad though.

There is a wide spread perception that the NBA is a bunch of spoiled, ignorant criminals playing a largely unimportant/irrelevent game. It's not just the comments sections as I know they attract the unwashed masses. I just don't get it. The NBA works harder than any of the other major NA sports to build bridges in communities and help the less fortunate but they still get short shrift.

I wouldn't say that ANY of the 3 major American sports have the best reputation among the general public. I don't know why you think the NBA has a worse reputation.

[Stahmenah_Vybz]

Why is it that on every online NBA article the comments section is always filled with non NBA fans who feel the need to login and post some half baked, ill informed, often racist (esp on Yahoo/ESPN etc) vitriol? I have never posted on an NFL/MLB/NHL story just to crap on the sport or tell the fans of said sport how dumb they are.

The ones I just shake my head at are the NFL racists who act all indignant when an NBA player gets busted for weed. The fallacy that NBA players are thugs while NFL players are saints boggles my mind. The NFL is so thugged out it’s getting ridiculous. Players killing girlfriends, raping groupies, shooting themselves in clubs, dog fighting... And all the NHL fans who were dissing Jalen for his DUI aren’t any better. It’s not like he KILLED HIS BEST FRIEND while D&D.

What is it about the NBA that brings out the simpletons?

I agree with your argument here but what does it have to do with the Raptors? Just asking.

[minks77]

I wouldn't say that ANY of the 3 major American sports have the best reputation among the general public. I don't know why you think the NBA has a worse reputation.

Tim, I spelled out why I think as much. The L gets crapped on and casually dissed/insulted far more than the NFL, NHL or MLB despite having the strictest player behaviour rules and doing the most work in the community and committing the least amount of crime (opinion) and getting into the most number of slapping contests (the other leagues actually fight). I don't know why but EVERY time there is some isht with the NBA it brings out the haters like crazy. This doesn't happen nearly as much with the NFL or NHL (which are true thugs leagues).

[Tim W.]

Tim, I spelled out why I think as much. The L gets crapped on and casually dissed/insulted far more than the NFL, NHL or MLB despite having the strictest player behaviour rules and doing the most work in the community and committing the least amount of crime (opinion) and getting into the most number of slapping contests (the other leagues actually fight). I don't know why but EVERY time there is some isht with the NBA it brings out the haters like crazy. This doesn't happen nearly as much with the NFL or NHL (which are true thugs leagues).

The NFL is far more ingrained in the American culture than the NBA. Same goes for the NHL in Canada. Both football and baseball are sports that have a very broad fanbase. Basketball's popularity is relatively new, so the demographics of the fanbase are skewered younger and more urban. Even the music associated with the NBA is younger and more urban. It's not a leap in logic to realize that a large, mostly white and older demographic doesn't really get basketball.

[mcHAPPY]

In the late 70's and early 80's the NBA was an afterthought on the US sports scene. The league had a very bad rap - and probably rightly so. The combination of Bird and Magic in addition to the evil David Stern has propelled the NBA to where it is today.

Unfortunately it appears that level is still far below other leagues. Personally I'm o.k. with this. Trying to push or 'make' others embrace the NBA is like trying to force your favourite artist - say Lady Gaga - on a hard rock kind of music lover. Or trying to force a square peg through a round hole, or vice versa. Or insert any other cliche.

As for those who show up on a site just to bash someone or incite others, that is where the filter comes in to play. Around here those types of comments quickly lead to a good-bye - which is why I like it around here. I don't think there are very many discussion forums like this one.

(BTW, I'm going to send this one to 'Let's NBA')

[Joey]

This isn't going to help anything:

Javaris Crittenton wanted for MURDER.

[mcHAPPY]

This isn't going to help anything:

Javaris Crittenton wanted for MURDER.

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