Jay Mariotti feels we've been insulted

Meh:<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>I hope John Paxson doesn't really mean what he seemed to suggest Monday, that the only fans who are dissatisified and chanting ``Kobe! Kobe!'' are those in the more affordable upper reaches of the United Center.</p>

Because that is an insult to the entire fan base, a socioeconomic commentary as snobbish as it is inaccurate. This isn't about which fans have money and which don't. This isn't about 100 Level fans having a well-heeled comfort zone and 300 Level fans having less patience. Simply, this is about the Bulls starting a putrid 1-5, frustrating an entire metropolis with their listless play and putting themselves at risk of losing Chicago this winter to the hot, young, home-telegenic Blackhawks.</p>

Everybody is booing the Bulls, Pax -- wealthy and working-class, young and old, male and female, black and white. The only thing you're correct about: They have every right to boo and bounce Bryant's name off the rafters of Michael Jordan's house, a chorus that might persist until a pummeled front office grants the wish.</p>

``It's an ugly thing,'' Paxson said. ``But they have the right to do it. They're the ones that pay my salary, the coaches' salaries, the players' salaries. If they're not happy with what they saw, they have that right. Sometimes we get comfortable going to the United Center and seeing the 100 Level full, and you know those people probably have money. But sometimes you forget the people sitting up in the 300 Level that use their entertainment income on coming to see us play.</p>

``And when you play the way we played the other night and the way we played earlier this year, they have every right to go after us. And you hope that players don't go in a shell on that. You want them to say, `I'm going to have some pride and we're going to get this together and we're going to make these people who are booing us today happy.' ''</p>

The dissatisfaction goes beyond a rough two weeks. Customers are sensing that Paxson's master plan is flimsy and falling apart, not what anyone expected when the organization talked so confidently about making a quantum leap to the NBA Finals. Suddenly, people are realizing this is Year 10 since the Jordan dynasty was dismantled prematurely.</p>

Suddenly, people are remembering the 341 losses in six years, the false promises that Tracy McGrady and big-name free agents would be delivered, the embarrassment when Jerry Krause dispatched Benny the Bull to greet Tim Duncan at the airport. When the Bulls finally won 47</p>

games three years ago, there was legitimate promise that the learning curve would produce more titles. But now they are regressing and stuck in the quicksand of no man's land, with Paxson's collection of tough, hard-working overachievers from prestigious college programs topping out before our sore eyes.</div></p>

I'm not quite sure what the insult is, actually. Is it that, as an older "professional" white guy who can afford 100 level seats (I can't, but that's another sob story!), I'm not smart enough to boo a team that's giving a sucky effort?</p>

 

Must have been a slow news day. Coincidentally most of the time I'm insulted by Marriotti's writing</p>