"But give me a perennial contender over a magical season or two. I know this isn't the predominant view. I was one of the rare Target Center attendees who was very happy with the Saunders/Garnett tenure here." - Britt Robson, Secrets of the City
Ladies and gentlemen...I present your Lake Wobegon Timberwolves! Where, in this current professional sporting environment, leagues move franchises if cities don't pony up public financing for local arenas, increase ticket prices for even the most awful of teams, as well as charge full price for preseason games, above average performance--not championships--is the goal.
Of course, this begs a few questions:
1. Were the Timberwolves true contenders during the Garnett/Saunders years?
2. Would Garnett/Saunders themselves be content with their tenure in Minnesota?
In my view, the answers would be: Only one year, and, of course not.
3. Was it my imagination or was one of the reasons Garnett became increasingly dissatisfied with this franchise was its inability to truly compete for a title?
4. Why, after the Wolves fired him in 04-05, Saunders rejected a Milwaukee Bucks rebuilding offer to take a high risk, high reward coaching job with the Pistons?
The answers: it wasn't my imagination, and, the Pistons job offered him a better chance to win a ring.
Ultimately, if teams at the professional level don't consistently strive for excellence, they stagnate, and the great players--becoming increasingly concerned with their sporting legacy--look to achieve greatness elsewhere. In this small to mid market, where there are four professional teams competing for an increasingly expensive ticket, if teams can't legitimately compete for a title, they stagnate, and the fan base dwindles slowly over time.
This doesn't mean they have to win it all. Utah is a great example. During the Malone/Stockton years, they were at the doorstep, but never won. Now they have retooled, and again are in the mix in the competetive Western Conference. Despite being the only major league team in their market, they haven't taken themselves--or their fans--for granted. With so much riding on professional franchises--tax revenue, public subsidies, the surrounding businesses who depend on the fan base for increased patronage and profits--is it too much to ask that our teams strive to perform to the highest level, and be judged on the result?
Any standard lower than that seems rather D-League to me.
Ladies and gentlemen...I present your Lake Wobegon Timberwolves! Where, in this current professional sporting environment, leagues move franchises if cities don't pony up public financing for local arenas, increase ticket prices for even the most awful of teams, as well as charge full price for preseason games, above average performance--not championships--is the goal.
Of course, this begs a few questions:
1. Were the Timberwolves true contenders during the Garnett/Saunders years?
2. Would Garnett/Saunders themselves be content with their tenure in Minnesota?
In my view, the answers would be: Only one year, and, of course not.
3. Was it my imagination or was one of the reasons Garnett became increasingly dissatisfied with this franchise was its inability to truly compete for a title?
4. Why, after the Wolves fired him in 04-05, Saunders rejected a Milwaukee Bucks rebuilding offer to take a high risk, high reward coaching job with the Pistons?
The answers: it wasn't my imagination, and, the Pistons job offered him a better chance to win a ring.
Ultimately, if teams at the professional level don't consistently strive for excellence, they stagnate, and the great players--becoming increasingly concerned with their sporting legacy--look to achieve greatness elsewhere. In this small to mid market, where there are four professional teams competing for an increasingly expensive ticket, if teams can't legitimately compete for a title, they stagnate, and the fan base dwindles slowly over time.
This doesn't mean they have to win it all. Utah is a great example. During the Malone/Stockton years, they were at the doorstep, but never won. Now they have retooled, and again are in the mix in the competetive Western Conference. Despite being the only major league team in their market, they haven't taken themselves--or their fans--for granted. With so much riding on professional franchises--tax revenue, public subsidies, the surrounding businesses who depend on the fan base for increased patronage and profits--is it too much to ask that our teams strive to perform to the highest level, and be judged on the result?
Any standard lower than that seems rather D-League to me.
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