If I'm honest, I'll admit I don't really care that much about sports. As a fiercely competitive alpha female, I probably should. So today, in Miami, known as the bandwagon fan capital of the sporting universe, you can add one more fair weather fan who's mainly in it for the bright lights and cocktails.
Every year when we get to the NBA Finals, if the HEAT is in the mix, I get caught up in the excitement most of my friends have been feeding on since the regular season started. I invite myself to HEAT watch parties, when all I really want is to watch my friends watch the game while I sip on a vodka cran, eat cheese and pet the dog.
Then all of sudden, I get caught in "it" and I find myself hashtagging #goheat, keeping track of final scores and trying to have intelligent conversations about how LeBron is not the next Jordan or Magic; he's both put together because he can score, pass and defend! Or how smart do I sound when I compliment Wade's lock down perimeter defense? And of course why can't Bosh please get back in the paint and stop trying to shoot 3s? Don't I sound like I know what I'm talking about?
I can even go deeper. The brand manager in me loves the juxtaposing of the Spurs' old school-like watching paint dry-but cohesive style to the HEAT's searing new flashy-bling- superstars-whatcha-gonna-do-about-it-in your face style. And there it is. The #boom #goheat #AAA #whitehot pixie dust that gets in everyone's eyes during the Finals.
So Thursday, out of the corner of my left eye, I watch the 4th quarter of first Finals game. I see Tony Parker make that crazy shot at the end, the constant rewinds and the final thumbs up. I see Bosh try and miss that late game shot. And when the Spurs beat Miami, I, the bandwagoner, post this Facebook status "This is going to be a serious series." Because I want to sound very immersed and intense about "my Miami Heat." Because for once, I'm not the leader, I'm a total follower, not wanting to be left out of practically every single status update from my 4,256 Facebook friends.
I've lived in image obsessed Miami for over 20 years and while I was born and spent my childhood in Jamaica, I moved to San Antonio when I was a tween. My puberty was spent on the river eating tamales and my young adulthood at the University of Austin. I have real generational ties to Texas. But I've lived in Miami three times longer than I ever lived in San Antonio.
So after my post, I get this response from Mari, a girl I went to high school with in San Antonio, "Suzan, and being from SA you're a Spurs fan... yeaaaoooohhh! Go Spurs Go."
Hmmmmm... she has a point. My response? #GOHEAT
We've got five games to go and as "we" fans say, the series doesn't really start until you lose at home. I heard Grant Hill say that on Morning Joe so I can regurgitate it like I'm an expert.
So, Miami Heat or San Antonio Spurs? Whatever, just please pass the cheese and we'll see how Bosh does in Game 3.