The only thing that might suck sometimes is knowing the Heat has ruined local fans for the rest of eternity with its consistent success. There is no way any other team can possibly replicate some of the things this team has done. But if that's the worst thing a Heat fan ever has to deal with, they'll be OK.
Being a Heat fan is so glorious we've put together a list of our favorite things about it:
1. The Heat has pretty much always been awesome. It's actually difficult to remember a time when the Heat was terrible at basketball for more than a fluky two-year stretch. It just doesn't happen. The Heat was birthed into the NBA in 1988 and proceeded to lose 189 games in the first three seasons. It didn't feel like the team was bad, though. It was more like watching a toddler continually fall while learning to walk. In its fourth season, the Heat made the playoffs. Since then, little has gone wrong.
Heat fans know that each and every season, their team will compete for a championship. Making the playoffs seems like an afterthought, so fans can focus on just how far the team will go. Heat fans take it for granted that their team will be in the playoffs. And every year when the mediocre seasons of the Dolphins, Panthers, and Marlins begin, Heat fans realize how thankful they are for their NBA team.
2. All of the Heat's greatest heroes own a championship ring. From Alonzo Mourning to Udonis Haslem to LeBron James, Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade, every one of the Heat's made men possesses a championship ring. There are no losers here. Dolphins fans are still wincing at the fact that Dan Marino never got to experience a title.
When it comes to the Heat, those Tim Hardaway-Alonzo Mourning teams left fans wanting for that final victory. But a lot of those demons have been exorcized thanks to Wade and an assortment of NBA All-Stars who have passed through the Heat organization. In a lot of ways, Dolphins fans feel bad for Marino. There is so much regret. Heat fans never have to feel that pain.
3. Other fans hate us because they ain't us. Before LeBron James came to Miami in 2010, you couldn't find many people, inside or outside the NBA, who really disliked the Heat or its fans. The list was basically the Knicks. Since then, everyone has a joke about Heat fans, and other teams are constantly trying to find a way to replicate the blueprint that makes the Heat what it is.
Miami fans get to brag about how their favorite team is the cream of the NBA crop. They get to come into a season expecting to kick ass and take names.
Alex Broadwell
No basketball team will ever generate the sort of hype, hate, and the media circus that surrounded the Big Three-era Miami Heat. It's truly a part of sports history, and Heat fans will forever be intimately linked to that amazing moment.
George Martinez
The Heat is a pleasure to root for. Every year, we're thankful the team is here to take our minds off the others in South Florida.
