The Heat Vs. The Public

"Seriosuly?!? We all need to root against the sheer evil that is the Heat". This is the text I received from my friend Matt after I told him I was boycotting the NBA Finals. I couldn't take it anymore... another frustrating year of bogus calls, inconsistent reffing, and watching my teams getting systematically dismantled and eliminated. Normally I would be in Matt's boat by this point however, cheering for the lesser of two evils in a Finals that would still keep me on the edge of my seat and bring me out every night to watch. What had changed this year? Why did I just not care? Well, I guess it was just because too many other people did.

These past playoffs have been the most watched in cable history. Games are averaging 5.5 million viewers, an increase of 29% over last year's numbers and a sign that the NBA is moving in the right direction. But this is my issue, I don't think it is. Now that we have reached the Finals the numbers are slowing down. Game One saw just a 3% increase in ratings over last year and Game Two, when Miami was ahead by one game, saw just a 1% increase over last year's game two matchup between Boston and LA. Although this still represents an increase in viewership, the numbers are not as drastic as they were throughout the rest of the playoffs. Why? Cause people like myself and thousands of other fans have decided one thing: we would rather not watch the Finals than to watch Miami win.

I must admit, I contributed to the higher ratings throughout the playoffs. I watched several series and was intrigued by runs from teams such as Memphis and OKC. But as the playoffs moved along I found myself faced with an odd decision. I was no longer choosing my favorite team in each round's matchups, but was instead choosing which team I disliked more. And when it really came down to it, the team I liked the least was the Heat. I was watching games just to root against them. The reason viewership is still up: everyone is still hoping to watch Miami lose, like my friend Matt.

The problem with this whole situation, and why I am boycotting the Finals, is that these higher ratings are something the league looks at as a sign of progress. Stern looks at the offseason hoopla surrounding "The Big 3" and believes these numbers represent what people want, that fans are watching because of them. Unfortunately, most people are watching not to root for Lebron and company,  but to hope against them. Lebron's popularity has dropped substantially, from over 9% at the end of the playoffs last year, to 50% lower, 4.5%, at the end of the regular season this year. And while it's always good to have the bad boys in the league, a la the Oakland Raiders or Detroit Pistons of the past, it turns the game into more of a spectacle than a sport. How long can the league ride on the coattails of a disliked team? I have already stopped watching.

For now the NBA is safe. ratings are up, everyone's watching, and Stern and his minions are happy. People in Miami and the remaining Lebron fans who still recognize him as the most talented player in the league and can overlook the storm surrounding him, are enjoying themselves. The rest of us are rooting against the Heat and hoping they lose. But what if they win? Well, people watch because they have favorite players and favorite teams that they enjoy seeing win. The ratings during the Jordan era were great because he was a player whose fan base was massive and even if you were hoping for the opposing team, his personality still made it OK if he beat you. In the case of Miami and Lebron, the same rules do not apply. If Miami wins there will be fans who will be quite simply outraged, much like myself. I won't watch next year, and I believe many other won't as well. We wanted to watch them lose, not win.

Back to the boycott. I am not watching to not inflate ratings. I don't want this to be the direction the NBA moves, towards "The Big 3". I don't want eight competitive teams with superstar players playing the same games every year. I want thirty teams fighting for playoff spots, fighting their way through a grueling couple months of playoffs, and I want parity. I know I'm just one person, but I do not want my rating to count. I want Stern to realize that this may only be temporary. That if Miami wins, the ratings may, and probably will, go down next year, much like they did after Jordan retired and people lost interest in the game. Fans are still watching right now because we want what's right to happen. We want Miami to lose because, as my friend Matt put it, they are "the sheer evil that is the Heat". I want Stern to realize this; I want him to realize it now before the next Big 3 comes around, and then the next, and then the next...