Twitter was all over it as soon as the moment above was aired — “good job, good effort” quickly became a punch line, the joking t-shirt, an email signature line, a sarcastic joke among basketball fans.
But it wasn’t a joke to 9-year-old Jack Meyer who was saying it.
In a cynical world where we would only have said that sarcastically, to be a Celtics troll on a Heat team that just dropped Game 5 at home, this young boy was being a true fan. You know, like you used to be once. He loves his team and was trying to be supportive in their darkest hour. He was genuine.
The Sun-Sentinel found and caught up with Meyer.
“For those people who thought I was being sarcastic, you’re wrong,” Meyer said at his family’s Coral Gables home Wednesday. “I was being enthusiastic. I was saying the truth. I would never hurt the Heat’s feelings like that.”
“Based on their expressions, they didn’t seem happy being beaten by four points. I wanted to cheer them up,” he said. “I really meant it.”
There was a time when we all were pure fans like that, a window that now may be shortened by the Internet. But I, for one, hope Meyer holds on to that as long as he can. The sports world — and the world in general — could use more of that and fewer cynical trolls.
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- ss3walkman - Jun 7, 2012 at 9:17 AM
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Next!
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- edweird0 - Jun 7, 2012 at 9:28 AM
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Douche
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- acdc363 - Jun 7, 2012 at 9:37 AM
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Okay.
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- chiadam - Jun 7, 2012 at 9:38 AM
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Good for him. There are two things fans can do when their teams are down: kick them or try to pick them up. The good fans try to pick them up.
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- lucidsportsfan - Jun 7, 2012 at 9:44 AM
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I’m sure the kid was being honest, but for Celtics fans it’s way more fun for us to mock it! http://www.lucidsportsfan.com/2012_06_03_archive.html#1033465879257180847
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- abchome - Jun 7, 2012 at 9:58 AM
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Is he really nine years old? Sound so diplomatic, way much more matured than many NBA players…
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- usernamethatdoesnotalreadyexist - Jun 7, 2012 at 10:17 AM
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abchome, I was thinking the exact same thing. Seems like a bright kid. I’m pretty sure I didn’t use the word “enthusiastic” at nine years old.
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- loungefly74 - Jun 7, 2012 at 10:26 AM
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good for the kid. I love it. makes me think i need to be less harsh on the “haters”…
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- someidiotfromouthereintheprojects - Jun 7, 2012 at 10:27 AM
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i’d be proud of that kid if he were my son. more fans should be more like that kid. he is a balls to the wall pure fan. supportive, a good sport, loyal, and appreciative, all during a time when it could have been acceptable for him to have been a whiny jerk like most of us adults are when our team loses.
the future is bright for that dude, and kudos to his parents.
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- raidmagic - Jun 7, 2012 at 10:56 AM
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Good fan, too bad more guys can’t be like that.
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- diablito0402 - Jun 7, 2012 at 11:11 AM
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Really, i thought it was southbeachtalent who was saying that!
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- CJ - Jun 7, 2012 at 12:08 PM
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They said 9 year old, didn’t they? Sounds about right.
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- southbeachtalent - Jun 7, 2012 at 3:25 PM
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I’m 12…
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- 1972wasalongtimeago - Jun 7, 2012 at 11:58 AM
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That’s the fact, Jack!
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- scalfor3 - Jun 7, 2012 at 12:41 PM
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the best part of that video is when the camera follows lebron into the tunnel, but you can still hear “good job! good effort!” echoing in the background. hahahahahahahah
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- ultimatecardinalwarrior - Jun 7, 2012 at 2:08 PM
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It was like a weird piece of video art. If only everything else went silent and we jump into LeBron’s head with this kid saying “good job, good effort” echoing forever and ever.
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- dirtybird2020 - Jun 7, 2012 at 12:59 PM
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Haha
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- highlander24 - Jun 7, 2012 at 1:30 PM
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Cool, but I wonder if he’ll be so optimistic after they lose the series and he finally realizes that they do, in fact, suck.
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- southbeachtalent - Jun 7, 2012 at 3:26 PM
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Top 4 team in the league and they suck? hmmmm
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- gmsingh - Jun 7, 2012 at 1:44 PM
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I feel good about this story. LeBron is happy with his effort, the kid is happy–who the hell needs a trip to the Finals anyway?
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- ultimatecardinalwarrior - Jun 7, 2012 at 2:08 PM
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Of course he was being genuine. He’s six freaking years old. I don’t know any six year olds that understand that level of irony. I just hope he grows up and someday understands why we all think it was so funny.
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- trybe29dr - Jun 7, 2012 at 2:13 PM
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If im the heat i fly him and his family out to Boston…
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- tampajoey - Jun 7, 2012 at 2:59 PM
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Yeah, the Heat will need to be cheered up after losing the series in Boston tonight.
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- theralph2012 - Jun 7, 2012 at 4:04 PM
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I would not be proud if this were my child, Good effort? Trotting back on d is not good effort. There are only two people in life, winners and losers. And the latter should never be praised.
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- lakerluver - Jun 7, 2012 at 7:18 PM
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He has more heart and passion than the “Little 3″.
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