![]() ![]() You know, we were clicking on all cylinders. Because we were on fire before COVID came. But with COVID, you know, everybody looked at life differently. QUARANTINE!!! #LETSGO #FANTRUTH #CLIPPERDARRELLCARES /tnc4bINlZK Clipper Darrell, as one of the most visible fans of a team in the league after having attended nearly every Clippers home game for the previous 20 years, represents that separation anxiety. The team struggled with a variety of issues, culminating with a loss to the Nuggets in the Western Conference semifinals despite leading the series 3-1.įor the thousands of fans unable to see their teams in person this NBA season, a part of their recreation and leisure is missing. And as has been the case since the Clippers “hosted” the Lakers on March 8, 2020, their fans can only watch on TV.Ĭlipper Darrell is still hurting about how it all went down in the bubble. It’s the longest homestand any team has had all season, and the longest for the Clippers in more than six years. The Clippers are in the middle of a nine-game homestand that continues on Sunday against the Lakers. That’s about as close as Clipper Darrell has been able to get to the team in more than a year. Special thanks: Dara Siegel for .“I was mad I couldn’t hug him,” Clipper Darrell said. ![]() I drive, I live, I bleed red, white, and blue.” I can work anywhere else, but I’m happy here in Los Angeles. You have to be happy with what you do, and if you’re not happy, you can’t do it. Would Dallas fans love me as much as Clippers fans do? That’s what it comes down to for me. When I turned down his offer to be Maverick Darrell it was because-well, you can always have the money, but I wanted the satisfaction. “When Mark sent me out to Dallas, I felt guilty. Mark Cuban, renegade owner of the Dallas Mavericks, offered Darrell a position if he would bring his special brand of energy and commitment to Texas. The fallout turned into a widely covered spectacle in the sports world. They accused him of trying to profit from their name, conveniently forgetting the many years they put him up on the Jumbotron so their fans would have something to cheer to. In 2012 the Clippers decided they wanted to dissociate themselves from Clipper Darrell. “The loyal, the ones who were here from day one, are getting priced out now…It started as fun to come out here and cheer our team on, but now it has become a business.” The newfound success comes with strings attached. Concurrently, the Lakers are hitting a low-point during a transition period, ushering in a new fan base that’s bringing life to the Clippers. With tragedy on the court, he brought comedy to the stands, and over time he became Clipper Darrell.Īfter drafting Blake Griffin and acquiring Chris Paul, the Clippers are now legitimately a good team. Sometimes he was the only thing at a game worth seeing. He was committed to getting the team’s small group of fans excited about the game. But for Darrell, battling low morale was part of the fun. Until the last two seasons, the Clippers were consistently one of the worst teams in the NBA, with a notorious season of only nine wins. And I said, ‘This is my team we’re going to rise and die together.’”ĭarrell slowly transitioned his life into one of fandom. I was watching TV and the Clippers game came on, and they said the same thing about the Clippers-how horrible they were, and how they would never amount to anything. ![]() Over a pupu platter, he chronicles his life of fanaticism. He arrives in predictable garb-leather Clippers jacket, hat, and pants. He is, simply, Clipper Darrell.ĭarrell and I arrange to meet at the Trader Vic’s near the Staples Center in Downtown Los Angeles. Better known as the voice and face of Clippers fans worldwide, Darrell has been the unofficial, yet oh-so-official, mascot of the team since some Clippers fans were in diapers. He has given himself over, body and soul, to what is widely seen as not only the worst basketball team but also the worst sports franchise in history. chants, and Yankees fans.ĭarrell Bailey is the exception. The ones with real gusto often attach themselves to some perception of righteousness, power, or victory-think holy wars, U.S.A. There is something to respect about people who can dedicate themselves completely and unwaveringly to something-be it religion, a profession, even a team-treading the line between fanaticism and unbridled insanity. Don’t You Know, Baby, I Bleed These Colors ![]()
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