The Problem With Los Angeles Sports

Posers! Yeah, you heard me – posers! I had this conversation with some other natives and relocated sports fans recently. It started with the topic of the newer seats near the field in Dodger Stadium. I lovingly call them the Poser Seats. Ever since they put them in I’ve noticed that they are nearly empty for about 80% of the game. While I sit in my used-to-be-good, beloved field box seats these are occupied with mostly transplants that want to make a “scene” out of things. They couldn’t care less about the team and can’t name any player besides Nomar Garciaparra. In addition, they are the ones who arrive in the second inning and leave in the 7th because they think “that’s what we do in L.A.”! These are the people that spend the game looking for Owen Wilson and Jimmy Kimmel between hitting the beer stand and searching for a smoking section. In case you didn’t recognize them, they’re that coworker/acquaintance that you run into who tells you all about the fact that they sat behind Matt Damon at the game last night but can’t even tell you who the visiting team was.

This is not reserved for Chavez Ravine folks, the Staples Center is even worse! Those of us who grew up here are lucky to score seats in the middle section to see the Lakers a few times a year. In case you wanted to try the Clippers, that would be problematic as well! Ever since Billy Crystal decided to make it vogue to be a fan, seats aren’t much easier to get. You think college football games are any better? Try to get USC or UCLA tickets that aren’t in the nosebleeds.

Unfortunately, there probably isn’t any cure for any of this and my rantings will be mocked and poked fun at. I just had to get it out to the world that there are a very large majority of us who really do love sports in Los Angeles. We come to the games during the warm-ups and leave when it’s over. We are natives, longtime residents, and other diehards that truly appreciate the teams and not who is watching them.

I would like to ask a favor of all the poser star-gazers out there: would you please stay out of my stadiums? You don’t see me buying $500 t-shirts claiming to be an agent/actor/singer/model. You stay in your element and I’ll stay in mine. Thank you!