What's up with front-runners?

[gplanet]

I'm going to use the Lakers as my example in this question. The Lakers, having won 3 championships in a row, you could say are the best team in basketball. So many people are Lakers fans, no matter where they live. It seems only because they are the best team. I live in VA, and I am a Wizards fan. When did it become that people don't route for their home team? Watching the Wizards game last night, and the Lakers made a comeback, it seemed from the crowd noise that there were just as many Lakers fans in the game (a HOME game for the Wizards) as Wizards fans. The crowd probably would have gone wild with cheers had the Lakers won. I notice this more in little kids. I watched the Lakers vs. Wiz last year, and when they'd show the fans all the little kids were in Lakers jerseys. I also read the ESPN message boards, and the Lakers forum has like 20x as more posts as the Wizards forum. If you don't live in LA, I don't know why you're a Lakers fan, and unless you have been a fan since before they won 3 championships, you shouldn't be one.