Post Sox Bliss
Here I am again, living in the afterglow of yet another Red Sox World Series Victory, and this time, I have to say, it feels different.
First, it feels great, don't get me wrong. I absolutely adore the knowledge that the Red Sox are, right now, the Champions of the World in Baseball. Wow! Amazing! Incredible! I'm so lucky to be alive at this point in history! Think of all the people who lived from the early 1900's, all the way to the end of the the century, who lived their entire lives without seeing even one win. My god! Having lived the first 34 years of my life in that suck town, I know how bad it was. The mentality was, "I'm from Boston, where being a sports fan takes courage because we lose so much and at such heart-rending times!" "Life sucks," was a fundamental way of seeing the world in those days. But now, as Strong Bad likes to say,
"It's Over!!"
So I feel blessed, grateful, and just plain euphoric about the state of my beloved home towne team!
But at the same time, I feel even more how much less incredible this win was than the last one.
Last time, it was 86 years in the making. It seemed to happen by dint of the will of millions of Red Sox fans, all longing for just ONE win!
This time, it almost diminished the grandeur of that last win - made it mundane, as if to say that this type of thing is just routine, and each one we get is just a natural result of the course of events. It makes the victory less special if it happens all the time. I suppose it is the law of diminishing returns. One win in 86 years is earth-shaking, an event to remember for the rest of your life, but two wins, three wins, and beyond, it starts to seem routine, almost boring.
And then there are the band-wagoners. These people tarnish the idea of the long-suffering Red Sox fan. Now, because of our success, away game attendance for the Sox is bigger than that of the Skanks. People actually call themselves Red Sox haters, and they cite the exact same reasons WE used to cite against the dreaded EVIL EMPIRE!!!
In Baltimore, it really felt uncomfortable to be hated for being a Red Sox fan. I think I liked their pity more than what I'm getting now.
Careful what you wish for . . .
First, it feels great, don't get me wrong. I absolutely adore the knowledge that the Red Sox are, right now, the Champions of the World in Baseball. Wow! Amazing! Incredible! I'm so lucky to be alive at this point in history! Think of all the people who lived from the early 1900's, all the way to the end of the the century, who lived their entire lives without seeing even one win. My god! Having lived the first 34 years of my life in that suck town, I know how bad it was. The mentality was, "I'm from Boston, where being a sports fan takes courage because we lose so much and at such heart-rending times!" "Life sucks," was a fundamental way of seeing the world in those days. But now, as Strong Bad likes to say,
"It's Over!!"
So I feel blessed, grateful, and just plain euphoric about the state of my beloved home towne team!
But at the same time, I feel even more how much less incredible this win was than the last one.
Last time, it was 86 years in the making. It seemed to happen by dint of the will of millions of Red Sox fans, all longing for just ONE win!
This time, it almost diminished the grandeur of that last win - made it mundane, as if to say that this type of thing is just routine, and each one we get is just a natural result of the course of events. It makes the victory less special if it happens all the time. I suppose it is the law of diminishing returns. One win in 86 years is earth-shaking, an event to remember for the rest of your life, but two wins, three wins, and beyond, it starts to seem routine, almost boring.
And then there are the band-wagoners. These people tarnish the idea of the long-suffering Red Sox fan. Now, because of our success, away game attendance for the Sox is bigger than that of the Skanks. People actually call themselves Red Sox haters, and they cite the exact same reasons WE used to cite against the dreaded EVIL EMPIRE!!!
In Baltimore, it really felt uncomfortable to be hated for being a Red Sox fan. I think I liked their pity more than what I'm getting now.
Careful what you wish for . . .
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