Poll

Would you rather win ring then be horrible for 10 years, or 10 years of "contender" status?

Championship than 10 years of being unwatchable
21 (72.4%)
10 years of entertaining playoff battles but no championship
8 (27.6%)

Total Members Voted: 28

Author Topic: Championship, then be awful for 10 years, or years of relevancy but no ring?  (Read 6493 times)

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Offline BleedGreen1989

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Heard this proposed on ESPN "The Herd" and found it a pretty fascinating question.

So would you rather win a championship, but then be horrible for 10 years, or never win a championship but be in the conversation for 10 years

This is not in reference to the Celtics, just a general sports fan question.
« Last Edit: January 14, 2014, 12:34:40 PM by BleedGreen1989 »
*CB Miami Heat*
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Offline Clench123

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How about neither?

But if I had to choose, I will chose Championship every single time.  That's an accomplishment that can never be matched by any playoff run.  So yea, I'll take championship and ten years of irrelevancy

The Celtics sucked for over twenty years with one championship to account for in that time period but I can always hang my hat on the fact that we are a franchise with most championships when arguing with my friends

I always said when I left the Celtics, I could not go to heaven, because that would
 be a step down. I am pure 100 percent Celtic. I think if you slashed my wrists, my
 blood would’ve been green.  -  Bill "Greatest of All Time" Russell

Online Donoghus

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Gotta go with the championship. 

Those rides are the best and are never forgotten.


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Offline PhoSita

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Honestly, I think it depends on how long it's been since the last championship.

Getting banner 18, for example, would be great, but if it means the Celtics are unwatchably bad (i.e. like this year or even worse) for the next 10 years, I dunno if that's really worth it.

Of course, being "relevant" for many years doesn't mean much if you know the team is never going to win it all.
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Offline Clench123

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Nobody remembers second place.  As close as the Spurs were last season, who's remembering them. But people sure remembers Miami Heat.  Championship beats anything.  Just saying...

I always said when I left the Celtics, I could not go to heaven, because that would
 be a step down. I am pure 100 percent Celtic. I think if you slashed my wrists, my
 blood would’ve been green.  -  Bill "Greatest of All Time" Russell

Offline Yoki_IsTheName

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If someone tells me that he/she can see the future and our path will go either ways, I'll take the ring.

But of course we cant see towards the next decade, so I'd rather be in the hunt, in contention for the championship.

I dont want to be the Florida Marlins. I'd rather be the Dallas Mavericks of the 2000s. They probably only won one out there multiple Playoff appearances but they are always in contention, always in the hunt. With that it creates a positive outlook in the future, that the team will strive more, try to get better, and filling up the missing, fitting pieces to get us to the top.

And as a fan of basketball, I dont want my team in the bottom of the standing for the next decade. Of course, I'm looking at it in a sense that I won't know if we would wing the championship in the 10th year after being miserable for nine.

I don't have the power (or anyone else I think) to look in to the future. So from a guy who speaks in the now, I want to be relevant for the next decade. If we don't win, so be it. Better than being looked at as a team that sucks.
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Offline manl_lui

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I chose the 2nd choice. I don't have that many 10 years to throw to wait for a 10 year rebuild lol

Offline nickagneta

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Here's the thing with this question.

What happens after the ten years?

If in the first question you are guaranteed another ring and then another 10 years of unwatchability, I take that every time. One championship every 11 years would be okay by me.

If its there's no more guarantees for any championship, well.....

Then I have to look at part two. Ten years of relevance and playoff runs but no rings and then what? Am I guaranteed nothing but that forever? Then the answer is no.

But if after 10 years of relevance, there's a chance at a ring right away because they are so good for so long and future relevance, then that's probably my choice.


Offline D.o.s.

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I don't base my fandom on rings or success, but cheering for a bad team is difficult. I'll take  Option 2.
At least a goldfish with a Lincoln Log on its back goin' across your floor to your sock drawer has a miraculous connotation to it.

Offline furball

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I take the championship because to me there is no such thing as unwatchable.  I have watched every game the Celtics have played this season and will continue to.  I watched every game in 2007.  I have watched every game when the Niners had a 2-14 season.  I have watched as many games as I could of the Yankees in the early 90's when they were terrible before the Core Four (and Bernie Williams) came up. 

Offline Boris Badenov

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When all's said and done the greatest moments of my life as a sports fan are the championships...and nothing else even comes close. I'm picking #1.

Offline SCeltic34

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Championship all the way, no question about it.  I'd have a tough time knowing that we'd be a good team but never truly compete (e.g. the Atlanta Hawks).

As horrible as we are this year, the team has been really fun to watch.  I can deal with being bad for 10 years straight if we get chips in between.


Offline obnoxiousmime

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A better hypothetical would be would you rather have one guaranteed championship and 4 years of badness or 5 years of goodness but no championship guarantee?

Because once a team is pretty good the expectations rise and just making the playoffs becomes expected. Then when the team futilely keeps failing to win the title it's not necessarily a great experience either, because good or bad your team has to have hope. To paraphrase some bad movie, "Without hope, there is nothing."

Also the NBA is a bad example because more than half the teams make the playoffs each year. It's not necessarily so difficult to overpay some veterans and construct a team that can make the playoffs but can't get past the second round.

I understand the point of the question though. Some people just enjoy sports for the competition and aren't as hung up on the title part, or don't even strongly root for any particular team. Still, even those people would probably want at least a CHANCE at a title. That's why I think the question could be modified somewhat.


Offline ImShakHeIsShaq

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I take the championship because to me there is no such thing as unwatchable.  I have watched every game the Celtics have played this season and will continue to.  I watched every game in 2007.  I have watched every game when the Niners had a 2-14 season.  I have watched as many games as I could of the Yankees in the early 90's when they were terrible before the Core Four (and Bernie Williams) came up.

Yepppp. I'll be watching and rooting no matter what. I hate losing for sure, I just believe if you're a fan you are through the good and bad.

This season has been very entertaining, we have scrapped our way through it but when RR gets going and back into a flow we will win more. I think we would have a very good record with RR making the offense flow... we are so close to winning many games w/o him. We have like the 11th defense with defenders like Crawford out there for big minutes. Imagine a healthy RR. The offense is a big weak link. We win when our offense doesn't bog down. Come on RR!
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Offline Smokeeye123

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Championships are greater than all.