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:
“I’ll never understand how you can consider yourself a fan and yet be so pessimistic and shocked that they win. BE OPTIMISTIC! You know the song.. “ROOT ROOT ROOT FOR THE HOME TEAM” not “give up early on the home team”. Stop being shocked and ROOT for them.. there’s hope until the last out, even if they are behind. If they lose, at least you did all you could as a fan.
So I looked it up on the web, I figure I was a Mets fan from age 8 to 12, so that was about ’77 to ’83…
http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/nym/historynym_history_results.jsp
SEASON W L PCT GB ATTENDANCE
1983 68 94 .420 22.0 1,112,774
1982 65 97 .401 27.0 1,323,036
1981 41 62 .398 18.5 704,244
1980 67 95 .414 24.0 1,192,073
1979 63 99 .389 35.0 788,905
1978 66 96 .407 24.0 1,007,328
1977 64 98 .395 37.0 1,066,825
In my entire lifetime (1969 – ) the Red Sox have never gotten less than 470. So I still maintain I have experience routing for a team that was ‘doomed’.. but I never got as pessimistic as you… they could still rally, even when down by 10 in the 9th… and sometimes they did!
Why watch if you’ve given up? Why watch at all? I just don’t get it. Cowboy Up Dude!
Ask your wife for some theological/philosophical wisdom here.. seriously.. words and thoughts have power.. A butterfly fluttering its wings in the Atlantic can ultimately trigger a hurricane in the Pacific. A fan in Maine giving up on a team and making negative comments can cause a ripple in the fates that could affect the folks on the field. Ok.. far fetched, but are you absolutely certain it doesn’t make a difference? How many people around the world wear rally caps and yell at their televisions/radios/computers during a game? “never doubt that a small group of concerned citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” -Margaret Mead
…and you know what.. (warning I’m getting preachy here) Your son is listening and watching your every move…what’s better for him to learn, that his Dad loves the Red Sox, unconditionally, and will root for them no matter what, to the last pitch of the last out, or that once things look bad, give up early. Gym teachers aren’t gonna like it when your son walks off the field 10 minutes into a game because his team was behind. Or when he resets a video game once he’s behind.
Ok ok .. harsh.. and I didn’t grow up a Red Sox fan, nor did I ever really religiously follow a team to the degree that you do, so what do I know, but I just had to state once and for all what bugs me. I’ll get off my pulpit now.
I’m currently rooting for the Cubs I mean..who wants to see the Marlins in a world series? They’ll just win and then be sold off for a profit again. THAT should have created a curse, not selling an alcoholic philandering pompous pitcher for a huge profit in 1920.
-Matt”