This is straight up sad...
Warriors "We Believe" fan no longer believes [Mercury News]
As if things couldn't get more shady for this organization, now even one of the most hardcore fans is finding his way out. Yes, the famous Paul Wong (didn't he do a song with Nelly?) is done with the Warriors. Just a few tidbits from the article,
Wong says he barely broke even on We Believe, and the Warriors had no interest in teaming up for 2007-08. He also says, though, that the Warriors promised not to use the slogan but went ahead anyway. He asked for some reimbursement; failing that, he wanted a thank-you from team president Robert Rowell, who sat a few feet away from where Wong paid $5,800 for two season tickets. No thank-you came. To top it off, Wong said, the Warriors told him he would be the fan of the night at the season finale in April 2008, then switched to another fan with no notice.
Jump for some more thoughts...
Yes, I do agree that this is a weird time for this article to be surfacing the scandal involving Raymond Ridder posting on many blogs, but this is still important. Paul Wong was the HEART of "We Believe" and the fact that this man didn't get the credit or respect he deserved from the organization is straight up shady.
He also says, though, that the Warriors promised not to use the slogan but went ahead anyway.
They promised not to use the slogan again? I'm pretty sure those two words ran rampant amongst the Roaracle, the fans, T-Shirts, and the national media. True GSW fans give the man credit, but I bet if we go ask Charles Barkely where it started, he wouldn't have a clue.
To be honest, if he's about to give up...I'm having second thoughts on it all myself.
Just to continue on with some reading...
-
The NBA’s Best Fans — and the Franchise that Takes Them for Granted [Fast Break]
- Polling GSoM: Are you really that surprised that PR director Raymond Ridder and the Golden State Warriors got caught "astroturfing"?
- The Death of "We Believe"
-
We Got Suck x13: Previewing Your 2k8-2k9 Golden State Warriors
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Oakland Magazine Interview: We Still Believe in the East Bay
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OPEN THREAD: Game #82 - Warriors @ Trailblazers - 1 Dub. 1 Luv.
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The W Column: Unbelievable, Unforgettable, and Unstoppable Baby!