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Riptide has apparently been living in some naive dream world where we think that maybe, just maybe the rest of the world is warming up to the Heat. It’s been three years now since “The Decision.” The team proved itself by winning the championship last year. They went on a crazy 27-game winning streak during the regular season. You would think they’d have earned some respect by now, if not some admiration. Especially as they go into a Finals against the most boring team in the league. A team whose main core has already won three championships together.
Then as the Finals were upon us yesterday the casual basketball fans on my Twitter and Facebook feeds starting making their allegiances known, and more often than not if they weren’t from South Florida then they were for the Spurs.
This wasn’t a fluke. ESPN’s poll happy Sports Nation of course asked people who they were rooting for. Every state by Florida is rooting for the Spurs.
To makes matters worse, only 65 percent of Florida is rooting for the Heat (don’t be bitter Magic fans), while 76 percent of Texas is rooting for the Spurs.
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The only states that come close to rooting for the Heat are Mississippi and South Carolina at 43 percent apiece. Yeah, the two states Florida compares itself against to make itself feels better; and they’re only almost with us.
Even 67 percent of the rest of the world is rooting for the Spurs. Really rest of the world? Have you even heard of the City of San Antonio before?
Damn, it really is Miami vs. the World.
When asked who would actually win, more people came to their senses.
Of course these polls aren’t scientific, but rely on voluntarily responses of the kind of people who answer ESPN polls. Still, the pattern is unmistakable.
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