Tuesday, April 26, 2005

Baseball loyalties

I'm a Red Sox fan, but I adore the Orioles. The Red Sox are my hometown team, and besides, they were the underdogs for 86 years. Then last year, the unthinkable happened. The Earth moved, ends of movies had to be reshot, old people clinging to life in hopes of a World Series victory let go. And I, well, I came out as a closeted Orioles fan. I have seen more games at Camden Yards (3) than I have at Fenway (1). Today, I am utterly conflicted over whom I should be rooting for tonight when the Sox play the O's. The O's are totally carrying my fantasy baseball team. No one cares about the O's - they will never finish first or second in the AL East, they lost their DC market this year, etc. The Red Sox, for me, have started to lose their allure. I think the team that lost to the Yankees in Game 7 of the ALCS in 2003 was THE TEAM to win it all. And they didn't. And a small part of me died. Boston is still my team, and a great team. Where's the Boston magic though? Where's that tingly feeling? Did it leave with Nomar? Pedro? D.Lowe? The Curse? Maybe, just maybe, I'm one of those people who doesn't know what to do now that the Sox aren't the underdogs. So I'm rooting for the Red Sox to play the O's in the ALCS this year. The O's have gotten off to a great start and I want them to make it a great season. They will carry me to fantasy league victory.

However, I have been admonished time and time again that I cannot, under any circumstances, root for another team in the same division as MY team. I should pick an NL team, or at least a different AL division. I've been tormented on this issue relentlessly. To all you naysayers, I say: BLOW ME. I can root for as many goddamn people as I want. I can love the underdogs if I want to. I want to be a PUBLIC DEFENDER for TEENAGERS for the love of Christ. It doesn't get any more underdog than that.

And besides, when David Wells is pitching, it's really really easy to root for the Orioles. I don't like David Wells. And you will all rue the day that someone announces that Wade Miller is off the DL, Wells will stay in the starting lineup, and Wakefield or Arroyo (most likely, Arroyo) gets bumped from the starting lineup. When that is announced, I will walk around in a perpetually pissed off state.

2 comments:

Mirriam Seddiq said...

wells is a bitchy fat ass.

too bad the o's are losing now in the bottom of the 8th. But man, did they rock last night.

Blonde Justice said...

Is this like when someone whines, "I'm so fat," just because they want people to say "No sweetie, you look great."

Fine, I'll tell you what you want to hear - it's ok, you can be a Yankees fan if you want. There's nothing to be ashamed of.