“Mickey Mantle doesn’t care about you, so why should you care about him?”
The preceding text is a portion of dialogue from the movie, “A Bronx Tale,” and I wish it were true, but for most of us, the undying loyalty reserved for our favorite sporting teams and athletes will remain. But why? As in most years, we are disappointed. Most years, we are left watching another team celebrate at our expense.
After all, only one team and fan base is happy at the end of the season, and for the most part, you are not a member of that fan base, you don’t wear the colors of that team, and oh the anguish, the torment, and the misery it is to see your heroes crucified in the national press.
But year after year and season after season we convince ourselves that this will be the year, just ask a Cubs fan…Poor soul.
And it is difficult for me to be the casual fan and the good loser; I am simply not that mature, I wear my emotions on my sleeve and you always know what’s on my mind.
I’m the guy rearranging the dugout with a Louisville Slugger after striking out with the bases loaded, I’m the quarterback spitting fire into the face of an offensive lineman that missed a block, and I’m the disgruntled super star apologizing to the fans after losing a game that should have been won.
But it will be nice to take my foot off the petal once the remaining heroes of my younger days finally hang ‘em up.
No more yelling at the TV, no more avoiding the painful analysis of the post-game shows, and no more sulking for a week after the final play.
Being a sports’ fan can be cruel, and there is a merciless finality to it, but I hope to one day cast off my emotional investments, and then maybe, just maybe, simply sit down, relax, and watch a game.
Joe Toppe is a staff writer for the Easley Progress and can be reached at jtoppe@civitasmedia.com.
Post a Comment
