All around the globe
by fantajohn on Feb 8, 2012 1:12 PM CST
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Hey guys!
First, please excuse my english, it's not my first-language.
I discovered this blog about two weeks ago, through a link from Benjamin Polk's awolfamongwolves.com. Oh Lord, thank you for that, I never thought there would be people out there, who cares as deeply about the t-wolves as i am doing. But I was wrong (not the first time) and it's so good too threw all that great stuff you put up on this platform. Also it costs me a lot of time, I could use for lets say, studying..
Over the last few days I recognized that more and more posts from t-wolves fans around the globe popped up introducing themselves to the timberwolves-community. So I simply decided to follow their lead.
I'm from Austria, a small country besides Germany. We are famous for our mountains and for our pretty old cities, especially Vienna is well known and well liked. Every year millions! of tourists spent their holidays and their money here.
As in almost every european country, in austria soccer (I just throw up a little: we call it football!) is king, but people here are also in skiing, snowboarding and stuff like that, mostly because we do not suck as much as in other sports. Basketball is not even an afterthought... Especially on the countryside, where I am from. But my best friend from back in the day, was one of those millions tourists enjoying our country, introduced me to the game. He was Jordan, I was Pieppen, even though I had no clue what they actually looked like.
I don't know why but our national television decided 1999 to show the finals, and I saw one game in which Latrell Sprewell played his heart out, but lost. That's my thing, tradgic heroes, so I decided to sent Pieppen into retirement and to pretend being Spree in our picup games. Thanks to the internet it was suddenly possible to follow the nba a little bit and I did just that, also the internet was so slow that it took minutes to get to one boxscore. Videos, no chance!
That changed exactly in the 2003/04 season. (in my school the internet was fast enough haha) spree went to the t-wolves, they played their best season ever, KG became my favorite player and I became seriously addicted to timberwolves basketball ever since. And I mean addicted. For example: I jobed a month, so that I could go to London by plain, when I heard that they would do a presaisongame over there. (I bought the tickets, when KG was still a member of hour team, luckily he went to the Celtics, the team they played against that evening)
Now it is only the third year where it is possible to get the nba league pass, and I watched almost every game in this three years. Highlighted by players like Nathan Jawai, Oleksy Pecherov, Ryan Gomes, Ryan Hollins.... When the playoffs finally came and the Timberwolves went fishing, I changed to playoff-basketball. The first games I needed time to adjust: I was always surprised how good basketball can actually be played. (F*** you Mr. Rambis)
As you all know, it was a long and winding road to the point where we are (one over .500).
But hey, we weathered the storm, sun is breaking through the clouds, let's enjoy the moment. I don't know if it will get any better.. (when we are not happy anymore that the wolves beat the the kings only by two points, because they didn't play that great, what if the opponent had been the Thunder blablabla..)
some notes:
→I hate the forum of the Startribune. I read the comments now for years, only negativity. And now they jump on the bandwagon. Tell me if I'm wrong but that seems one thing that sucks in the US sports-scene: it seems to me, that most of the fans support just teams which are winning. For example, now it is basketball in MIN because the Vikings, Twins and Wilds!? are not that great at the moment. In “soccer culture” you support your team, no matter what...
→I miss Corey Brewer. He was so much fun to watch.
→Is it allowed to drink alcohol inside the stadium?
→Give Kahnman some credit! I'm a believer!
→Souhan has no clue!
→ I have to be a wolves fan, my family-name is wolve... John Wolve in english. haha
→ Shootout to "Cynical Jason": I saw this man crossing swords for our team at http://www.sactownroyalty.com/
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great post and welcome
I am glad you came
by bsg007 on Feb 8, 2012 2:43 PM CST via mobile reply actions
Welcome!
This season is epic for so many reasons, but I’m really loving the world-wide fandom!
I like to go to other teams’ sites and chat during and after games, but the Sacto crowd was oddly inhospitable. They weren’t very nice to each other, either, though.
(Don’t worry about your English. You should hear me try to speak Austrian! (I keed! I keed!))
I'm going to brag. I drive the Nikola Pekovic fanwagon.
don't think there is any languahe called austian :P
by Souvik Roy Chowdhury on Feb 9, 2012 10:30 AM CST up reply actions
(That was a joke.)
I'm going to brag. I drive the Nikola Pekovic fanwagon.
by Cynical Jason on Feb 9, 2012 1:24 PM CST up reply actions
Why does every foreigner have you in their fan post?
by Doug West Domination!!! on Feb 9, 2012 10:54 PM CST up reply actions
Because I'm a welcoming dude.
I'm going to brag. I drive the Nikola Pekovic fanwagon.
by Cynical Jason on Feb 9, 2012 11:12 PM CST up reply actions
Welcome, and impressive story of fandom
But here’s my question: why do foreign fans assume we don’t know where their countries are? The guy from NZ, and now you from Austria? I think most of us know where Austria is, and Vienna and skiing. Americans can be pretty clueless, but here on Hoopus we’re reasonably well informed.
I've changed my sig. The Wolves are now like a reasonably decent meal.
I spent some short time in the USA and I heard at least three times the question: , a Austria, so you are a surfer? they assumed i would be from australia. but, I guess you are right, if I am honest, it is one of these stupid stereotypes a lot of europeans have about americans… but, it’s everywhere the same, a lot of you guys for example say players from Europe are soft and can’t play defense → In RR+Pek
Sometimes the most vocal
are the most stupid.
Welcome
I stayed in a hostel in Innsbruck when I was in my early 20’s and ended up playing in some kind of international pick up basketball game. It was an experience I will never forget. I also will never forget that the showers we used after the game had no hot water and the cold water felt like it was coming strait off the icy slopes of the surrounding mountains. Beautiful city but it was that basketball game that is my strongest memory of Austria.
I see, I greatly underestimated you Hoopus people! My hat's off to you guys...
Hope you had a great time. I personally love the city, cause my girlfriend is an Innsbruck-native….
There was a post
about a year ago asking what everyone on CH did for a living. It was astounding. It became really clear really quickly why the discussions on this board are so awesome.
I'm going to brag. I drive the Nikola Pekovic fanwagon.
You are right, sir....
.. I was pleasantly surprised at the collective academic knowledge and how well-traveled our CH brethren were!
Great post & welcome
I personally really like geography & hearing about other parts of the world. Would love to travel more.
Re: a few of your questions/statements at the end:
Supporting your team no matter what
I agree this is what a true fan should do. Fans who change their affections based on whatever team is winning at the moment are called front-runners or band wagon jumpers and are viewed very negatively.
However, it is certainly possible to remain a fan of only one team while being very frustrated with the players currently on the roster and the front office. The reason is that a huge portion of success or failure of an NBA team is due to drafting, trades, and free agent signings. These processes are becoming more and more of an open book, where fans have access to lots of data, interviews, videos, scouting web sites, trade rumors, etc. So when a team makes big mistakes, as the Wolves have repeatedly done under both McHale and Kahn, it is supremely frustrating as a fan. Many people wanted to draft Danny Granger, Rudy Gay, Steph Curry, DeMarcus Cousins, etc. They said so before the draft, and backed up their opinion with facts. Those players were available at our pick. So when the front office picks a player you know is not very good, and then you have to watch them not being very good while watching the guy you wanted excel for another team, it makes you quite cranky.
Is it allowed to drink alcohol inside the stadium?
They serve beer, but since it is standard American beer (not micro-brew) it is likely pretty bland and low in alcohol content to the Austrian palate.
Give Kahnman some credit! I’m a believer!
We are really happy with Rubio and Adelman. That is about all he has done though with his assets. Love and Pek were drafted/traded for by McHale. Lots of traded and blown draft picks and questionable use of salary cap space (Darko) with no roster balance (no wings) lead to the current dissatisfaction.
Souhan has no clue!
Likely true. I don’t worry too much about the opinion of guys who (1) write articles intended to draw strong reactions and (2) try to cover the gamut of MN sports (Vikings, Twins, Wolves, Wild, Gopher football/hockey/basketball) … egad.
"It's tough to make predictions, especially about the future." -- Yogi Berra
Thank you for your post and your thoughts...
I completely understand your frustrations, especially now after your statement. The difference between our views is that you have knowledge about the players who are entering the draft. I am just following the nba, not college basketball. So for me there is no frustration after the draft, because Kahn didn’t choose a player I badly wanted… (one exception was this year when we could have chosen Brooks, who was pretty hyped before the draft and we badly needed/need a SG)
But I am okay with his draft choices: Rubio awesome, Flynn terrible, but he was much hyped back then, Denver chose Ty Lawson, the deal was done before the draft. Of cause Curry would have been the pick, but I remember back than most of the timberwolves where not that sure about him. I’m okay with Ellington, no player after him (maybe Jerebko is better, but PF, so we don’t need him)is better.
In 2010 the Wesley Johnson Pick was allright. I now, I now, he is not playing well right now, but give him some time! He is a fine character and will be fine player in this league one day (I hope he will still wear a timberwolves uniform, when/if that happens) I am so happy, NOT to have Cousins on our roster! He is a cancer… Monroe would also have been a nice pick, but I can’t remember a lot of people screaming for him.
It’s too early to talk about 2011, but Williams was the obvious choice…
I know, Darko get’s a lot of money, but almost every center does. And I think he will be a fine backup. But maybe I am not objective: a.) he is from Europe b.) his story is awesome and I am rooting for the losers :) His first nba-game is a classic!!
I think Kahnman is doing a good job, I actually like the Love contract!
He took over one of the baddest rosters ever! And now we are in a fine position for the future. So for me he did a fine job and I’m okay with his mistakes. After all, it is not an easy job!
Maybe it is easier for me too like Kahn, (because I do not speak English that well) because it is been said his way of speaking is arrogant/annoying…
(once again, sorry for my english, it is not that easy for me, but it’s good to speak to you guys, because you have knowledge and you care about the team. That is hard to find in Europe, except maybe Spain…)
One of the craziest nights of my life
was spent in Kufstein when a bar owner kept his place open for us after hours because he was hoping to have sex with a Danish woman traveling in the small party I was with. I ended up having to crawl (while wickedly intoxicated) on a 2nd floor ledge outside the building to come in through the window of the room he had trapped her in. To me, that will always be Austria. Good times.
You forgot to tell the most important part of the story
Did you have sex with the danish girl?
I didn't mean it, i was forced by the little people living within my head.
by Joe Kozinski on Feb 10, 2012 12:42 AM CST up reply actions
Had I not woken up next to her
I would have no idea what the answer to that question is.
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