And New Jersey only had one team anyway; the Nets (and their fans) were a myth.
Screw you. :(
I was literally heartbroken when the Nets left. It was looming a while, and it always felt like it wasn't gonna happen.
I grew up about 20 mins away from the stadium and went to a ton of games growing up (tickets were always cheap, shock shock). I stuck through with all the horrible 90s Nets teams, and the absolute wonderfulness of the early 00s teams.
I consider myself a bigger Mets fan and Giants fan before I consider myself a Nets fan, but the Nets were literally home to me. Back in those days I was a bigger basketball fan than football at least. Nowadays, its harder for me to get into basketball but, the Nets were such a huge part of me and who I was. Though I liked the Mets more at the time (and always was a Knicks fan too... loved Pat Ewing), I felt more emotionally connected to the Nets than any other team between like 95-05. They felt more like *MY* team playing in *MY* backyard more than anyone else.
I went to the last game and was literally fighting back tears... Okay, yes part of it may be due to watching what the 2012 Nets called "basketball", but I actually got really emotional knowing that this was it. The last game they'd ever play in NJ. Seeing many of the ex-players, the guys I loved, especially from the 2002/2003era teams, all the video messages from the guys who couldn't be there and the nice things everyone had to say. And when the arena announcer said "For the last time, your NEW JERSEY NETS".... it just got me man. I only wish we had gotten one championship... we had the Spurs. We had them.
I'll miss those guys.
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~Wigs~: You Shoulda Put a Ring On It
Johan Santana: Pitcher of the New York Mets First No-Hitter