Author: Matthew Baya

In the extended entry of this entry is a slightly edited copy of a note I sent to a friend who is an avid Red Sox fan. What frustrates me though is, because he really loves the red sox and really wants them to win, and has watched this team all his life, he’s become REALLY pessimistic. To quote Steve Goodman’s ‘Dying Cub Fan’s Last Request’)

But what do you expect?
When you raise up a young boy’s hopes
And then just crush ’em like so many paper beer cups.
Year after year after year
after year, after year, after year, after year, after year
‘Til those hopes are just so much popcorn
for the pigeons beneath the ‘L’ tracks to eat

So if they are behind in a game, he basically gives up on them. The only thing I find more frustrating than this was something my brother used to do when we watched games growing up; he’d root for the winning team. This, and the above mention of giving up on ‘your’ team, drives me nuts for some inexplicable reason. Why I care how people are fans, when I don’t really care about the sport that much anyways, I have no idea, but I do. If you are going to root for a team, you have to do it unconditionally. I suspect it was ingrained into me at a young age by the older kid from down the street that I looked up to, Ross Henderson. He was an avid Met’s fan and convinced me the Met’s NEEDED me as a fan, whereas the Yankees were pompous overpaid and over-fan’d and didn’t need my help. He’s the only one I can think of that would have taught how you are ‘supposed’ to be a fan. Thank’s Ross, you fink!

and now, for those of you who want to read my rant letter, here it is:

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