How The New York Times’ negligent, shoddy reporting whitewashed the Warriors’ fan base into bandwagonning, gluten-free, Tesla-driving tech bros
Fun with stereotypes…
In a Jun. 9 New York Times story, Sarah Lyall shares her experiences visiting Oakland’s Oracle Arena and Cleveland’s Quicken Loans Arena during Games 2 and 3 respectively of the 2017 NBA Finals.
Lyall paints the two fan bases and arenas as “night and day” — fetishizing hardscrabble Cleveland while assailing the Bay Area’s lifestyle in a comparison rife with stereotypes on both sides, casting loyal diehards who view the Cavaliers as “symbiotically linked” to the culture, tradition, and identity of Cleveland’s “backwater parochialism and Rust Belt decline” (read: white, multi-generational American) vs. fairweather nouveau riche gluten-free technophiles from San Francisco who happen to cheer for the Warriors among other “attendant preoccupations” (read: money-grubbin’ tech bros in attendance for the spectacle).
The piece epitomizes reductive, reckless, uninformed reporting.
…negligently omitting some obvious, fundamental truths…
Diversity is #DubNation’s strongest suit, representing the entire Bay Area
Oracle Arena is the NBA’s most diverse venue — and perhaps one of the most diverse worldwide. On any given night, the crowd reflects all skin colors, races, ethnicities, and sexual orientations — many of which are celebrated on affinity nights. Warriors fans pride themselves on this, as fans of all walks from around the Bay Area (not just San Francisco), from multi-generational residents to 1st-generation immigrants, gather to watch the team with “Golden State” in its moniker (again — not just San Francisco).
Lyall completely ignores this.
Oakland, where the Warriors play, has a deep industrial history
In fact, Oakland was once known as the “Detroit of the West,” home to many industrial facilities, such as automotive manufacturing for GM, shipbuilding for the Naval presence in nearby Alameda, and shipping (The Port of Oakland is still the 5th-busiest in the country!).
No mention of this, either, even though it’s all on Wikipedia.
They don’t call it “ROARACLE” for nothing
Warriors fans at Oracle have been well-known as loyal diehards —the loudest in the league. Through thick and thin, they have stuck with their team. Hell — opposing coaches have been known to complain about the noise! In fact, while regular-season crowd noise has diminished lately, by the time the NBA Finals roll around, the crowd is mostly packed with lifelong fans — both season ticket holders (there’s been a waitlist since 2013 — no bandwagonners there) and other intense fans digging into savings to witness history.
Anecdotes are a poor substitute for research and… y’know, facts. Lyall, an experienced, decorated veteran reporter, is better than this.
… while setting up a false dichotomy…
Location
As is so often the case with places in California, Oracle is situated right off the highway. It’s hard to get there without driving or using public transportation. In Cleveland, by contrast, Quicken Loans is right downtown, next to the Cuyahoga River.
Um… Cavs fans aren’t exactly promenading to the game. They’re driving and using public transit, too.
Food
“Gluten-free” vs. “bread crumbs and deep-fried.” “Whole Foods” vs. “Quaker Steak and Lube.”
Silly. Arenas are supposed to feature local specialities, and they do. Let’s be real: the most popular concessions sales at both arenas are still beer, hot dogs, chicken tenders, and french fries.
Naming rights
You might start with their names: Oracle Arena, named after a multinational computer technology company based in the rich community of Redwood Shores, Calif.; and Quicken Loans Arena, named after a national mortgage company based in downtown Detroit.
What exactly is the point of putting this in the article? Oracle purchased naming rights in 2006. Quicken Loans purchased naming rights in 2005. Both companies are owned by billionaires. Hell — let’s not forget, Quicken Loans’ major innovation was online mortgages — gasp — making it a tech company!
There are real contrasts to be made — but rather than find them, Lyall resorts to stereotypes.
…only serving to polarize our country further…
Do we really need another “coastal liberal (godless immigrant) elites vs. (Christian White male) heartland” piece?
Why the fuck are we still doing this?
…but the truth getting in the way of this story is actually even simpler.
At the end of the day, the Warriors and Cavaliers are three rounds into a historic rivalry of epic proportions.
Can’t we just leave it at that and enjoy the glorious, joyous, wildly entertaining basketball without chasing non-existent stories?
Ryan Ko is a lifelong Bay Area resident and Warriors fan. He has been a Warriors Season Ticket Holder since 2012, which he purchased with his first post-college paycheck. He was in attendance at Quicken Loans Arena and Oracle Arena for Games 4 and 5, respectively.
