Up until Saturday (October 20th) evening, most of Red Sox Nation was so frustrated with J.D. Drew's un-Sox like lack of passion for the game, they were hoping for him to bleed Jake Westbrook's count before ending the first. He shocked and suprised everyone at Fenway and everyone watching (or receiving text message updates in the stands of Byrd Stadium). When I got back-to-back texts from Jared watching in LA and Nick from New York, I could hardly believe what I was reading. 68 minutes after that first message came Nick's "10-1 end of 3" message that allowed me to fully involve myself in the Terps game. The following afternoon, I watched the Pats school the Dolphins to go 7-0, with one Brady TD pass being caught by Randy Moss' elbow. He literally picked this thing out of the sky in double coverage without looking. Sunday night, I anxiously awaited the beginning of a game that would make or break my week and the life of a certain Japanese import who I'm pretty certain was ready to submit himself to an honor killing should he blow another start. When that game ended and the ALCS champions celebrated, I got to watch Jonathan Papelbon (arguably the closer with the most intimidating stare down in baseball) do an Irish jig in his underwear.
And this is what it's like in Boston. Can you imagine Mariano Rivera doing a jig after a win like that? Try to imagine Barry Bonds doing a special on local sports television during which he demonstrates how to make his own mango salsa, like Papi did a few years ago. Doubtful. Are there other exciting young players like Pedroia out there in the rest of Major League baseball? Of course. But really rack your brain to think of another big time closer that dances around in his underwear after a victory. And try to think of a more loveable big man than Papi. Even Manny, who I spend more time defending than OJ Simpson's girlfriend must spend convincing herself that it's a good idea to date a murderer, consistently comes through when most needed. And he may have, as Bill Simmons explains, one speed regardless of whether he's trotting home after a 2-run bomb or running out of a burning building, he can still play that wall better than anyone. And he can throw. Usually. I would argue that his most valuable contribution to the team is keeping the clubhouse loose. Even though I wanted to wring his neck after his post-game interview after game 4 of the ALCS in Cleveland, I understood that his attitude is relaxed and that is how you need him if he's going to be at all successful at the plate. There is no other team out there like the Boston Red Sox, and there's no other fan base like Red Sox Nation. So, in honor of all the haters, I give you, three reasons you should all shut the hell up.
It's not my fault I came of age during a Boston sports orgy.
All those who feel Boston doesn't deserve a World Series team, a 7-0 NFL juggernaut, a C's team that actually has people excited to watch basketball again, a relevant NHL team, and the Number 2 ranked college football team in the nations, raise your hand. Everyone outside of the greater Boston area save a retirement community in Tampa and a few scattered Boston-native college students just grimmaced because I reminded them, again, that Boston's sports karma is unlike anything they've ever seen prior to 2007. Ok, I apologize for being a native daughter of a town where the teams have game.
We wouldn't be any less annoying if we'd lost in '04.
I'll give it to you, Sox fans are loud, obnoxious, and have accents that, if I wasn't from New England, would likely make my skin crawl too. But there is absolutely no chance that I would be any less intense (and vocal) about my love for the Sox if they lost in 2004. I realize that the win took away a large piece of baseball lore and history, but it gave a whole lot back as well. Those who believe they would be happier if Red Sox Nation was still nursing wounds of Babe's curse, do not appreciate the significance of coming back from a 3-0 deficit in a playoff series against an arch rival. That's sports legend for you.
.... took a little break (6 days to watch the Sox win the World Series and the Pats demolish the Redskins) so I'll finish up now.....
If you're going to bitch about the Pats running up the score, do something about it
Randall Godfrey, of the Redskins, told Bill Belichick on Sunday that he should "show some respect for the game". You know what? You should try to win a football game. I understand why everyone hates the Patriots. They're cocky, perfect, and this is a season of vengence. If you want to go for Tom Brady's knees in the fourth quarter when he's still playing in a game that I could QB and still win, go for it. You're just pissed you can't get to him. This is the NFL, a professional league with a salary cap. There is no mercy rule in the NFL for good reason. The league is designed to be fair, with evenly matched teams using similar resources. Are Brady and Belichick going for the "eff-you" touchdown a little early lately? Maybe. Is it going to come back and bite the team in the ass? I think so. Am I enjoying seeing all those TDs? Absolutely.
Ok... so my original intention was for this list to be a lot longer. But I'm satisfied. Sox World Series champs.... Mike Lowell MVP and a 23 year old cancer survivor with the win in Game 4? That's what Boston loves- gritty "Dirt Dogs" with heart. A team that doesn't always rely on their big men to win. I'm on cloud 9. Even if Eric Gagne gets a ring, this team is well managed, confident, and lose enough to not need every single blockbuster trade to work out. And keep in mind, all of this happened just a day and a half before the Yankees announced Joe Girardi as their next manager. That guy just looks evil.
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