A few things have happened in the last few weeks have inspired this blog:
1. I got season tickets for the first time in my life to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
2. The Chicago Blackhawks made the playoffs.
3. My dad suggested I blog about my mom, who claims to be a Cubs fan, yet can't name a current player on the team.
These three things (as well as the identity crises I have been having as a sports fan recently), have made me ask the question what does it mean to be a fan. The Timberwolves are not my favorite team, but I already feel an attachment to next year's team that I've never felt before. I'll have a more personal interaction with that team than any before. A number of my friends are Blackhawks fan, but in a sense they are bandwagon Blackhawk fans, having only begun caring about the 'Hawks since they got good again. And my mom, who was born and raised in Chicago, still claims to be a Cubs fan after leaving the city years ago, and hardly following them at all. My question: is there validity to these types of loyalty?
My answer: yes, when it comes to sports I have become something of a pluralist purist. In theory, I believe in rooting for one team, from birth until death, in sickness and health, as long as you both shall live. But in practice, I realize that sports are enjoyed differently by everyone, and by some people, differently at different times. And I have come to appreciate most forms of following a sports team. Being a fan is not a competition, you can't be a better fan than someone else, the sports are the competition and we are free to follow as we so choose. We all love sports, and teams for different reasons. So without further ado, here is the sports love list:
1. Diehard love: This is the 'til death do us part kind of loyalty. It also involves knowing minute details about your team. It involves following a team from childhood. It involves peaks and valleys, or sometimes peaks (Yankees fans) or valleys (Pirates fans). It usually involves multiple articles of team clothing. It often involves tears, or near tears over a particular team. It is how I felt about the Red Sox, Celtics, Bills, and UConn basketball for the first 25 years of my life.
2. Ride the wave love: Detractors would call this bandwagon love, but that title carries a lot of baggage. What's wrong with people getting caught up in something exciting? As long as they're not claiming to be lifelong fans, who are they harming? I am not a diehard soccer fan, but I happened to be in Kenya during the 2006 World Cup. We stayed in a remote part of Kenya, at the only home for miles that had a television. Each night, several people came over to catch the games. I got caught up in soccer fever. I watched as much World Cup as I could. I picked an English Premiership team to follow (Liverpool). I even bought their jersey. I rode the wave. So to all you new Blackhawks fans out there, enjoy the ride.
3. Sentimental love: My mom's loyalty the Cubs is also a valid expression of sports love. It is not rooted so much in sport, as it is in time, place, and memories. My mom simply loves Chicago. And she has fond memories of her childhood. The Cubs were a part of this. Just like she'll always love visiting Chicago, Frango mints, Chicago style hot dogs, she'll always love the Cubs. For her it doesn't matter that she doesn't know anyone on the team. And if the Cubs do win the World Series in her lifetime, she might not feel the same way a diehard would, but her joy will be real. She'll be happy for different reasons, but she'll still have her reasons.
4. Season ticket love: I'll have to chronicle this one as I experience it this year, but the way I see it I will end up really loving or really hating this Timberwolves team. I will have invested time and money in them, and I will expect to be entertained. I have no expectations of a terrific year, but if they play hard, and show signs of improvement, I might just hitch my wagon to this team for a long time.
5. Fantasy love: My friend Bryan insists that his favorite team is his fantasy team. I used to say this makes him less of a fan, but why not? He has no real geographical roots, he loves statistics, and he is pretty good at fantasy sports. Fantasy sports also causes people to love certain players, on teams they may not otherwise care about. My friend Dan seemed to get Hines Ward on his football team every year, and thus ended up rooting for him year after year.
6. Entertainment love: Back before Danny Ainge made the deals to get Ray Allen and Paul Pierce, the Celtics were an atrocious team to watch. It made me really appreciate what was going on with Steve Nash and the freewheeling Suns. They brought an aesthetic to the game that I wished I could see more often. Since then I have really wanted the Suns to do well, because if they win a championship, more teams will follow suit, making the game more entertaining.
7. Local love: I have already beaten this one to death. But it is fun to root for the same team that you hear about on the radio, read about in the paper, and can buy tickets to go see on the weekend.
8. Watching history love: Sometimes someone is so great, that we can't help but root for them. We like to say that Americans root for the underdog, but we also root for the transcendent superstar. I rooted for Jordan and the Bulls, because rooting against them was like rooting against Shakespeare. "Shakespeare stop being so good at writing." I enjoyed witnessing history being made.
9. Connection love: Sometimes we feel a more personal connection with a certain player. My dad likes the Jazz a little bit because Kyle Korver played at Creighton when we lived in Omaha. I continue to follow UConn guys in the NBA (although it's funny how this changes, I still really like Ray Allen and Ben Gordon, but didn't really stay attached to Rip Hamilton or Emeka Okafor). I also really liked Ahman Green because he went to my high school.
10. Patriotic love: Perhaps a subcategory of ride the wave love, as most of us don't follow national teams or Olympians from day to day. But you can bet I'll be rooting hard for the USA during the 2010 World Cup just as I did in these past Winter Olympics.
I'm probably missing a few. Feel free to weigh in.
Now I'm not saying that sports is a free for all. There are lines that shouldn't be crossed. You should generally stay away from your team's rivals. You should be able to explain why you like a team beyond just that they are good. Don't pretend to be something that you're not, but don't let anyone else tell you that you're not what you think you are. And if you're not the kind of person who could ever attach the word "love" to sports, just root, root, root for the home team.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Monday, May 17, 2010
I've Got a Golden Ticket!
I have never in my life been more excited for a sporting event than I am for tomorrow night's NBA Draft Lottery. I know this sounds weird, because it's not even really a sporting event. And had I not ruined a surprise, I would not have even known how important tomorrow night is.
Here's how my excitement for tomorrow came to be:
I believe in joint checking accounts for married couples. They promote unity, honesty, communication, and accountability. They also make gift giving exceedingly difficult. As in, “Kathy what is this charge for the Minnesota Timberwolves?” Yes, that’s right, I ruined Kathy’s birthday surprise last week. My birthday is July 17. Kathy was disappointed. The only thing that made this situation better is that, she got me the best gift ever: season tickets to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Kathy is a truly gifted gift-giver. She always gets me just what I want, but usually something I am not expecting. I have not stopped talking about this gift since I ruined it last week.
There is one significant positive to knowing about these tickets early: it makes tomorrow’s draft lottery extremely exciting. I wrote about this a couple of weeks ago, when I was resigned to the fact that I would never be a season ticket holder. The Wolves are practically giving away season tickets next year. They will have one of the first five picks in the draft. Whatever pick they end up with will correspond to the dollar value of the tickets that I now own. If they get lucky and get the first pick, Kathy and I will pay $82 for season tickets ($1 per ticket, 2 tickets, times 41 home games). The most we could pay would be $410 if they get the fifth pick. This is still a ridiculously good deal, but certainly more than what Kathy and I budget for one another’s gifts. Tomorrow night’s lottery is now one of the most important sporting events of my life, because I have a vested interest. And it's not all monetary. Tomorrow will determine whether or not the team I will spend next season with will be entertaining or not. Here are some of the thoughts I've had in the last week.
1. I can't believe I have season tickets. I really thought this would never happen to me (for reasons expressed in my previous post). Getting them as a gift allows me to enjoy them without worrying about my past reservations. I can just enjoy them, or share them, or show up at halftime after confirmation (luckily the Target Center is on my way home from church.)
2. I really hope the Wolves get the number 1 pick. How cool would it be to have season tickets that cost $1 per game? Also, Kathy would still have left over money in our budget to get me another gift.
3. The Wolves might rather have the No. 2 pick. That way they could pick Evan Turner, a wing player, which they need, and not feel guilty about passing on John Wall, the most talented player in the draft.
4. This PG thing reminds of Lost. Who is going to lead this team Flynn (Jack Shephard), Rubio (John Locke), or John Wall (Sawyer)? Flynn and Rubio have to be Jack and Locke, they came in together, both have strong qualities in their favor. I have my reasons for saying Rubio is Locke but I don't want to spoil anything. Wall is Sawyer, because he emerged as something of a leader in spite of the presence of two leaders already. He also brings something to the table that the other two can't, he's his own guy, and the most entertaining of the three. I think Wall's got some of that. A huge part of me wants them to get Wall and trade Rubio.
5. I am all in on this. In the last week I have checked out the Wolves 2010 schedule to count how many games I could have gone to this year. I started reading Wolves blogs. I contemplating buying more Wolves gear for my nights at the Target Center. I felt like a kid on Christmas when I got some season ticket holder information in the mail.
6. I can't wait to see visiting teams. I will root for the Wolves (except when they play the defending champion Celtics), but I'll be more excited to see their opponents. I can't wait to see Durant and the Thunder. I can't wait to see Steve Nash. I can't wait root against the Lakers. I can't wait to see Lebron and the Bulls. I can't wade to see Dwayne Wade, Carlos Boozer and the Miami Heat. I can't wait to see Joe Johnson, Chris Bosh and the Knicks. What better season to have tickets then right after the best offseason ever?
Anyhow, if you have it in you, root hard for the Timberwolves to get the #1 pick tomorrow. And then come up to Minnesota, I'll have plenty of tickets to go around. I look forward to blogging about the season ticket holder experience.
Monday, May 10, 2010
"I Can't Believe What I Just Saw"
One of the things we love about sports is that no matter how many games you've watched, you can always see something you've never seen before. There are moments where we can't believe what we just saw. And this is what keeps us coming back for more. Two memories from my childhood:
1. 1990 Sweet Sixteen UConn vs. Clemson. With 1 second left and UConn trailing by one, they had to inbound from all the way across court. I was seven, about 2 feet from the television, and I was crying. UConn had lost...or so I thought. Then Scott Burrell, also a baseball player, throws a perfect pass to Tate George who turns around and hits the shot, Huskies win. I cannot even explain the joy I felt.
2. 1993 AFC Playoffs Bills vs. Oilers. I was at some friends' house for this one. Discouraged by an awful first half (the Bills trailed 35-3 at halftime), we found other things to do, but checked on the game periodically. Hall of Fame QB Jim Kelly left the game with an injury, and backup Frank Reich enters the game. Buffalo goes on to win the game in the greatest comeback in NFL history.
I credit these two memories for my love of sports. It is because of these that I never leave a game early, or shut off the TV early. But these situations do not just happen in important postseason matches. They happen at the most unexpected moments, in games that may otherwise seem meaningless. It's moments like these that keep us interested in the regular season as well. On Sunday, several thousand fans in Oakland went to the ballgame, probably with low expectations. The A's haven't been awful this year, but the Rays have been very good. Yet they got to witness something that has happened only 19 times in the history of baseball: a perfect game. On Saturday night, I went to see the Twins play the awful Baltimore Orioles. I did not see a perfect game, but in the eighth inning I witnessed a game situation that I had never seen before and I will not soon forget.
With a man on second and third and one out Nick Punto comes to the plate. Punto is a slick fielder, but in 10 big league seasons has a .248 batting average and 12 homeruns. Trying to set up a double play, the O's intentionally walk Punto (my friend and I simultaneously joked that this must have been Punto's first intentional pass ever) to load the bases putting Alexi Casilla at the plate (.245, 7 HRs career). I said to my friend, and brother-in-law, "they should put in Mauer." Joe Mauer has been hurt for a week, but was eligible to DH this weekend. We all had a good laugh, with the Twins leading 4-1, it seemed unlikely that Mauer would enter the game. And then my brother-in-law pointed toward the Twins dugout. Slowly the stadium realized #7 was stepping into the batter's box. We all got to our feet. The stadium was electric. These are the moments that keep us interested in the 31st game of a 162 game season. Mauer worked a full count, and eventually struck out. But that wasn't the point. Twins manager, Ron Gardenhire, refused to be conventional and improvised perfectly. His boldness was rewarded when backup catcher, Drew Butera (who entered the game with a batting avg. below the legal limit at .077, joke courtesy of Matt Peterson), stepped to plate and knocked in two runs with a single to left. The Twins cruised to a 6-1 victory. I will never forget the night that the Orioles walked Nick Punto in order to load the bases for the AL MVP. Just a great moment of surprise, excitement, and comedy.
I'll leave you with one more moment from the weekend that made me say, "I can't believe that just happened." This came in the form of a single play. A reminder that in sports, you can never say, "I've seen it all." Go Celts!
1. 1990 Sweet Sixteen UConn vs. Clemson. With 1 second left and UConn trailing by one, they had to inbound from all the way across court. I was seven, about 2 feet from the television, and I was crying. UConn had lost...or so I thought. Then Scott Burrell, also a baseball player, throws a perfect pass to Tate George who turns around and hits the shot, Huskies win. I cannot even explain the joy I felt.
2. 1993 AFC Playoffs Bills vs. Oilers. I was at some friends' house for this one. Discouraged by an awful first half (the Bills trailed 35-3 at halftime), we found other things to do, but checked on the game periodically. Hall of Fame QB Jim Kelly left the game with an injury, and backup Frank Reich enters the game. Buffalo goes on to win the game in the greatest comeback in NFL history.
I credit these two memories for my love of sports. It is because of these that I never leave a game early, or shut off the TV early. But these situations do not just happen in important postseason matches. They happen at the most unexpected moments, in games that may otherwise seem meaningless. It's moments like these that keep us interested in the regular season as well. On Sunday, several thousand fans in Oakland went to the ballgame, probably with low expectations. The A's haven't been awful this year, but the Rays have been very good. Yet they got to witness something that has happened only 19 times in the history of baseball: a perfect game. On Saturday night, I went to see the Twins play the awful Baltimore Orioles. I did not see a perfect game, but in the eighth inning I witnessed a game situation that I had never seen before and I will not soon forget.
With a man on second and third and one out Nick Punto comes to the plate. Punto is a slick fielder, but in 10 big league seasons has a .248 batting average and 12 homeruns. Trying to set up a double play, the O's intentionally walk Punto (my friend and I simultaneously joked that this must have been Punto's first intentional pass ever) to load the bases putting Alexi Casilla at the plate (.245, 7 HRs career). I said to my friend, and brother-in-law, "they should put in Mauer." Joe Mauer has been hurt for a week, but was eligible to DH this weekend. We all had a good laugh, with the Twins leading 4-1, it seemed unlikely that Mauer would enter the game. And then my brother-in-law pointed toward the Twins dugout. Slowly the stadium realized #7 was stepping into the batter's box. We all got to our feet. The stadium was electric. These are the moments that keep us interested in the 31st game of a 162 game season. Mauer worked a full count, and eventually struck out. But that wasn't the point. Twins manager, Ron Gardenhire, refused to be conventional and improvised perfectly. His boldness was rewarded when backup catcher, Drew Butera (who entered the game with a batting avg. below the legal limit at .077, joke courtesy of Matt Peterson), stepped to plate and knocked in two runs with a single to left. The Twins cruised to a 6-1 victory. I will never forget the night that the Orioles walked Nick Punto in order to load the bases for the AL MVP. Just a great moment of surprise, excitement, and comedy.
I'll leave you with one more moment from the weekend that made me say, "I can't believe that just happened." This came in the form of a single play. A reminder that in sports, you can never say, "I've seen it all." Go Celts!
Friday, May 7, 2010
Are You Smarter than a 4th Grader?
A week of substituting for 4th grade has kept me from my usual Monday post. But it also gave me inspiration for this week's post. It has brought me back to my early days as a sports fan. For many 9-10 year-old boys there is nothing more important in life than sports. One of the journal topics this week was "When I am 25..." It would probably not surprise you to know that 80% of the boys see themselves as professional athletes at age 25.
In many ways this age is the apex of being a sports fans. But in other ways, it represents a kind of Dark Age. For all the joy and enthusiasm, this age can create a great deal of sports regret. In real life it's our later teen years when we are trying to find ourselves. We struggle with identity, and try different things. Years later, this leads to a few regrets. Sometimes big ones, sometimes small ones (yes, I had an earring for a year and a half in college). As sports fans, our soul-searching happens much earlier.
On the desks of a number of kids in the class are sports logos, printed out and taped to the desk. Of course, in Minnesota, you will see your share of Vikings logos, but I also saw some Eagles logos. You'll see your share of Twins jerseys, but I also saw some Cavaliers jerseys. This made me feel at happy, and at home. Because I too wrestled with my sports identity between the ages of 9-13. I have come to believe that this is a normal, natural part of becoming a mature sports fan. Or at least I want to believe that it's normal and natural. It may be that I am still trying to justify the fact that as a 13 year-old, I...how do I phrase this...ummm....I.....I wore a Yankees jersey. There I said it. I, a die hard Red Sox fan, once wore a Yankees jersey.
Now that that's off my chest, let's explore some of the reasons why. Let's look at sports through the eyes of a young child.
1. You want to be like Dad (but you like mom too). I see this one in my nephew, born in Colorado, raised in New Hampshire and Seattle, so naturally......a Minnesota Vikings fan. Of course his dad was born and raised in Minnesota. This, however does not keep him from wearing the occasional Bears gear, provided by his mom. This was really difficult for me to sort out. My dad was born in LA, my mom was born in Chicago, and I was raised in New England. In 1990, I didn't quite grasp how silly it was that I rooted for Magic's Lakers, Michael's Bulls, and Larry's Celtics. (In fact, my older brother had a Larry Bird sweatshirt, my twin brother had a Michael Jordan sweatshirt, and I had a Magic Johnson sweatshirt that I wore almost everyday between 2nd and 6th grade).
2. You want to root for the local team. This is only natural. It's the team you get to see on TV, or maybe live on occasion. Many of your friends are probably rooting for them too. For many kids, the local team is Dad's team, so two birds with one stone. Maybe you got an autograph at a game, and one of these local guys becomes your hero. If you make it to your late teen years rooting for either your Dad's team, or your local team, you've done pretty well for yourself. It won't be hard to explain why you root for a specific team. But there are other forces competing for your loyalty...
3. You're a sucker for "cool" colors or logos. In the early 90s most expansion teams used purple or turquoise or both in their uniforms, and I ate it up. Red and blue were boring, purple and turquoise were........different. I went through a huge Charlotte Hornets phase. I regret this almost as much as my Yankees jersey (and actually this is the reason why I ended up with the jersey, I thought it looked cool).
4. You want to cheer for a winner. This makes a lot of sense. At age 10, I don't think a child is old enough to understand a term like "lovable losers." If you tell a kid they can have a soda now, or two sodas tomorrow, almost all of them will take the Coke now. Instant gratification. Almost all of my peers went through a phase where they rooted for Jordan's Bulls. I know I did. It was fun to root for the winner every year. Hopefully though, we all grow out of this. I can't take someone my age seriously if they are still Bulls/Cowboys/Yankees fans.
5. You want to fit in with your friends. One class that I subbed for this year had at least five kids who were Philadelphia Eagles fans. Perhaps one of them had roots in Philadelphia, but the rest of them just wanted to have something in common. Again, this is understandable, but something we grow out of.
6. You want to root for a team that's fun to play video games with. Video games have evolved quite a bit since I was this age, but I can tell you it was more fun to play NBA Jam with Larry Johnson and Alonzo Mourning than Dee Brown and Dino Radja.
7. You have an affinity for a certain player. One of my good friends growing up loved Shaquille O'Neal, and was therefore an Orlando Magic fan (he actually gets a pass for this, and can continue to root for the team because as an NBA fan living in Nebraska, you can pick your team without having a good reason). I went through this with Hakeem Olajuwon for a while. My t-shirt jersey is a nod to my childhood sports identity crisis.
As a child, I can distinctly remember wearing hats, jackets, or shirts of the Celtics, Bulls, Lakers, Kings, Hornets, Spurs, Suns, Red Sox, White Sox, Yankees, Mets, Cubs, Rockies, Marlins, Dodgers, Twins, Braves, Royals, Bills, Patriots, Chiefs, Giants, Seahawks, UConn, Kentucky, Notre Dame, Nebraska, Florida State, and that's just what I remember off the top of my head. Some of them were gifts, some were souveniers from games I attended, some were because I liked the colors, and others were because the team was good.
From about 14-25 I went through a time where I identified strongly with "my teams": the Bills, the Red Sox, the Celtics, UConn basketball, Husker football. I have to say though, on the other side of 25, I'm starting to revert to my childhood ways. I'm not sucked in by colors, logos, or peer pressure anymore. But I find myself wanting to root more and more for the local teams. I've already admitted to a shifting loyalty from the Bills and the Vikings, but I've also looked at more Twins box scores in the last week than Red Sox ones. My wardrobe features a Timberwolves shirt, a Rockets shirt, but no Celtics shirt. I wasn't bent out of shape about UConn missing the tournament this year because it gave me a chance to root for the underdog. Now, I'm not giving on my teams, I'm just saying, recently my interests have broadened.
All this has made me think that maybe kids are on to something. Maybe it is fun to enjoy sports more broadly. Maybe our loyalties are confining. As my dad commented in an earlier post, why should a college football fan feel compelled to follow a boring football team (his example, Frank Solich's Huskers)? Why should a Steeler fan feel compelled to root for a quarterback who can't behave himself? Why should a Cubs fan talk themselves into the team each and every year? Why should a Minnesotan have to root only for the teams that were his local teams when he was 12?
In the end I think there is only one rule that should govern all sports fans: If you're a Red Sox fan, you have no excuse for ever, ever wearing a Yankees jersey.
In many ways this age is the apex of being a sports fans. But in other ways, it represents a kind of Dark Age. For all the joy and enthusiasm, this age can create a great deal of sports regret. In real life it's our later teen years when we are trying to find ourselves. We struggle with identity, and try different things. Years later, this leads to a few regrets. Sometimes big ones, sometimes small ones (yes, I had an earring for a year and a half in college). As sports fans, our soul-searching happens much earlier.
On the desks of a number of kids in the class are sports logos, printed out and taped to the desk. Of course, in Minnesota, you will see your share of Vikings logos, but I also saw some Eagles logos. You'll see your share of Twins jerseys, but I also saw some Cavaliers jerseys. This made me feel at happy, and at home. Because I too wrestled with my sports identity between the ages of 9-13. I have come to believe that this is a normal, natural part of becoming a mature sports fan. Or at least I want to believe that it's normal and natural. It may be that I am still trying to justify the fact that as a 13 year-old, I...how do I phrase this...ummm....I.....I wore a Yankees jersey. There I said it. I, a die hard Red Sox fan, once wore a Yankees jersey.
Now that that's off my chest, let's explore some of the reasons why. Let's look at sports through the eyes of a young child.
1. You want to be like Dad (but you like mom too). I see this one in my nephew, born in Colorado, raised in New Hampshire and Seattle, so naturally......a Minnesota Vikings fan. Of course his dad was born and raised in Minnesota. This, however does not keep him from wearing the occasional Bears gear, provided by his mom. This was really difficult for me to sort out. My dad was born in LA, my mom was born in Chicago, and I was raised in New England. In 1990, I didn't quite grasp how silly it was that I rooted for Magic's Lakers, Michael's Bulls, and Larry's Celtics. (In fact, my older brother had a Larry Bird sweatshirt, my twin brother had a Michael Jordan sweatshirt, and I had a Magic Johnson sweatshirt that I wore almost everyday between 2nd and 6th grade).
2. You want to root for the local team. This is only natural. It's the team you get to see on TV, or maybe live on occasion. Many of your friends are probably rooting for them too. For many kids, the local team is Dad's team, so two birds with one stone. Maybe you got an autograph at a game, and one of these local guys becomes your hero. If you make it to your late teen years rooting for either your Dad's team, or your local team, you've done pretty well for yourself. It won't be hard to explain why you root for a specific team. But there are other forces competing for your loyalty...
3. You're a sucker for "cool" colors or logos. In the early 90s most expansion teams used purple or turquoise or both in their uniforms, and I ate it up. Red and blue were boring, purple and turquoise were........different. I went through a huge Charlotte Hornets phase. I regret this almost as much as my Yankees jersey (and actually this is the reason why I ended up with the jersey, I thought it looked cool).
4. You want to cheer for a winner. This makes a lot of sense. At age 10, I don't think a child is old enough to understand a term like "lovable losers." If you tell a kid they can have a soda now, or two sodas tomorrow, almost all of them will take the Coke now. Instant gratification. Almost all of my peers went through a phase where they rooted for Jordan's Bulls. I know I did. It was fun to root for the winner every year. Hopefully though, we all grow out of this. I can't take someone my age seriously if they are still Bulls/Cowboys/Yankees fans.
5. You want to fit in with your friends. One class that I subbed for this year had at least five kids who were Philadelphia Eagles fans. Perhaps one of them had roots in Philadelphia, but the rest of them just wanted to have something in common. Again, this is understandable, but something we grow out of.
6. You want to root for a team that's fun to play video games with. Video games have evolved quite a bit since I was this age, but I can tell you it was more fun to play NBA Jam with Larry Johnson and Alonzo Mourning than Dee Brown and Dino Radja.
7. You have an affinity for a certain player. One of my good friends growing up loved Shaquille O'Neal, and was therefore an Orlando Magic fan (he actually gets a pass for this, and can continue to root for the team because as an NBA fan living in Nebraska, you can pick your team without having a good reason). I went through this with Hakeem Olajuwon for a while. My t-shirt jersey is a nod to my childhood sports identity crisis.
As a child, I can distinctly remember wearing hats, jackets, or shirts of the Celtics, Bulls, Lakers, Kings, Hornets, Spurs, Suns, Red Sox, White Sox, Yankees, Mets, Cubs, Rockies, Marlins, Dodgers, Twins, Braves, Royals, Bills, Patriots, Chiefs, Giants, Seahawks, UConn, Kentucky, Notre Dame, Nebraska, Florida State, and that's just what I remember off the top of my head. Some of them were gifts, some were souveniers from games I attended, some were because I liked the colors, and others were because the team was good.
From about 14-25 I went through a time where I identified strongly with "my teams": the Bills, the Red Sox, the Celtics, UConn basketball, Husker football. I have to say though, on the other side of 25, I'm starting to revert to my childhood ways. I'm not sucked in by colors, logos, or peer pressure anymore. But I find myself wanting to root more and more for the local teams. I've already admitted to a shifting loyalty from the Bills and the Vikings, but I've also looked at more Twins box scores in the last week than Red Sox ones. My wardrobe features a Timberwolves shirt, a Rockets shirt, but no Celtics shirt. I wasn't bent out of shape about UConn missing the tournament this year because it gave me a chance to root for the underdog. Now, I'm not giving on my teams, I'm just saying, recently my interests have broadened.
All this has made me think that maybe kids are on to something. Maybe it is fun to enjoy sports more broadly. Maybe our loyalties are confining. As my dad commented in an earlier post, why should a college football fan feel compelled to follow a boring football team (his example, Frank Solich's Huskers)? Why should a Steeler fan feel compelled to root for a quarterback who can't behave himself? Why should a Cubs fan talk themselves into the team each and every year? Why should a Minnesotan have to root only for the teams that were his local teams when he was 12?
In the end I think there is only one rule that should govern all sports fans: If you're a Red Sox fan, you have no excuse for ever, ever wearing a Yankees jersey.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Sports Aren't Everything
I care about sports more than I should. But, had it not been for my parents, I may have cared about sports way more than I should. When I was young I played youth sports during most seasons of the year: soccer in the fall, basketball in the winter, and baseball in the spring (and touch football everyday at recess). And with the exception of baseball, I had a fair amount of success in athletics at an early age. This led to invitations to play on some traveling soccer teams, and weekend basketball tournaments. However, the rule was that I could not play on Sunday mornings if it interfered with church. This meant that I had to say no to such teams. Not playing on these teams probably hindered my athletic development to some degree. I missed out on a chance to play more, against better competition, with better teammates. However, I thank my parents for making this decision, because it taught me that there are things more important than sports. And it gives me something to blame my short "athletic career" on, when what truly limited me was a lack of the requisite running ability, jumping ability, and strength. It also softened the blow when I was cut from three basketball teams. My parents provided me with priorities, balance, and perspective, and for that I will always be grateful.
In spite of this, there is still ample evidence that I care about sports too much:
1. I write a sports blog.
2. I got a throwback Hakeem Olajuwon t-shirt jersey for Christmas. I was really excited, and wear it quite often. I am 27.
3. I am the commissioner of my fantasy football league. And baseball league. And basketball league. And I dabbled in fantasy hockey for one season.
However, there is also evidence to the contrary:
1. I have never had cable television, thus severely limiting my opportunities to watch sports on TV.
2. I have never been to a postseason sporting event.
3. I routinely skip watching important sporting events because of church or family.
You see, I have limits as a sports fan. And these limits probably also affect my ability to blog about sports, because by and large, I don't watch most of what's going on in the world of sports. This last month, I contemplated going to a place I have never gone as a sports fan before: season tickets. You see the Minnesota Timberwolves are not very good at basketball. Therefore, for next season, they are practically giving away tickets. The latest deal allows one to commit to buying season tickets for a price that corresponds to the Wolves' draft position (which will be 1-5). Meaning that I could have Wolves season tickets for anywhere from $40-200. Either way, those are still some cheap tickets. However, I couldn't pull the trigger for these reasons:
1. To enjoy the games, I'd need someone to go with. (I guess I value friendship over sports)
2. When I thought about and additional ticket, parking for the games, eating at the games, buying foam fingers at the game, the price kept rising. (I guess I don't value sports enough to invest in them financially)
3. As much as I would enjoy seeing so much basketball, I think there would be nights that I would feel compelled to go, and though my wife enjoys the occasional sporting event, I am not sure that it would be as fun for her 41 times in a year. (I guess I care about my family more than sports).
4. There would undoubtedly be games that interfered with church either on Sunday or Wednesday nights. (I guess my faith is more important to me than sports)
In the end, I could not justify purchasing the tickets. All of those things in parentheses were too important to me. This has made me come to terms with the fact that I may never have season tickets. There is a chance I might never go to a playoff game. I might never get ESPN. But I think I'd rather have it that way. Most of us have limits as a sports fan. And maybe sports are more fun when they are not our life, but just a part of our lives. And maybe, be just checking out the occasional game that I have the time for, or the money for, or the friends to go with, I'll add to this somewhat eclectic list of sporting events that I have attended live. And maybe these events will be more interesting, more spontaneous, and more memorable than 41 Timberwolves game in a row.
The Best Sporting Events I Have Attended Live (not necessarily in order)
1. Yankees vs. Cubs, Summer 2003, Wrigley Field. My brother and I went to see the the first two games of the first interleague matchup between these two historic teams. In the second game Roger Clemens was going for win 300. He left the game in line for the win, but with runners on base. The first pitch from the reliever was hit out of the park and the Cubs took the lead. The crowd went wild.
2. First Cubs home game after September 11, 2001. Went with friends to see the Cubs, not even sure who they played. I remember "Amazing Grace" being played on the bagpipes. I remember huge flags being unfurled from the buildings behind Wrigley. I remember caring about the national anthem. I remember a moment of silence. I remember Sosa taking the field waving an American flag, and homering in the first inning.
3. Pacers vs. Heat, Easter 2002. After church on Sunday, some friends and I went to a fairly meaningless game in Indianapolis, featuring a very poor, pre-Dwayne Wade, Heat team. But we almost witnessed the 5th quadruple-double in NBA history from Ron Artest who finished with 24 points, 9 rebounds, nine assists, and eight steals.
4. Second game ever at Target Field (see last week's post).
5. The last three Indianapolis 500s. Notable for the magnitude of the event and time spent with friends. I am not really a racing fan.
6. Great seats at a Bears-Vikings game at Soldier Field. Notable because, at this point, the Bears were my "second favorite" football team, and it was my first ever live NFL experience.
7. A's vs. Red Sox, late 80s or early 90s, Fenway Park. The first baseball game I remember attending. I remember Terry Steinbach homered for the A's.
8. Red Sox vs. Royals, Kaufmann Stadium. Saw Pedro Martinez pitch, and pitch well.
9. Somebody vs. Royals, 2004. Notable, because four other post-college age friends seemed to be the only non-kids or non-parents in line for their run the bases promotion at the end of the game.
10. Cornhuskers Football vs. Pacific, 1994. My first Huskers game. They won 70-21.
I would be interested to hear from some other people about exciting, or random, sporting events that you saw live.
In spite of this, there is still ample evidence that I care about sports too much:
1. I write a sports blog.
2. I got a throwback Hakeem Olajuwon t-shirt jersey for Christmas. I was really excited, and wear it quite often. I am 27.
3. I am the commissioner of my fantasy football league. And baseball league. And basketball league. And I dabbled in fantasy hockey for one season.
However, there is also evidence to the contrary:
1. I have never had cable television, thus severely limiting my opportunities to watch sports on TV.
2. I have never been to a postseason sporting event.
3. I routinely skip watching important sporting events because of church or family.
You see, I have limits as a sports fan. And these limits probably also affect my ability to blog about sports, because by and large, I don't watch most of what's going on in the world of sports. This last month, I contemplated going to a place I have never gone as a sports fan before: season tickets. You see the Minnesota Timberwolves are not very good at basketball. Therefore, for next season, they are practically giving away tickets. The latest deal allows one to commit to buying season tickets for a price that corresponds to the Wolves' draft position (which will be 1-5). Meaning that I could have Wolves season tickets for anywhere from $40-200. Either way, those are still some cheap tickets. However, I couldn't pull the trigger for these reasons:
1. To enjoy the games, I'd need someone to go with. (I guess I value friendship over sports)
2. When I thought about and additional ticket, parking for the games, eating at the games, buying foam fingers at the game, the price kept rising. (I guess I don't value sports enough to invest in them financially)
3. As much as I would enjoy seeing so much basketball, I think there would be nights that I would feel compelled to go, and though my wife enjoys the occasional sporting event, I am not sure that it would be as fun for her 41 times in a year. (I guess I care about my family more than sports).
4. There would undoubtedly be games that interfered with church either on Sunday or Wednesday nights. (I guess my faith is more important to me than sports)
In the end, I could not justify purchasing the tickets. All of those things in parentheses were too important to me. This has made me come to terms with the fact that I may never have season tickets. There is a chance I might never go to a playoff game. I might never get ESPN. But I think I'd rather have it that way. Most of us have limits as a sports fan. And maybe sports are more fun when they are not our life, but just a part of our lives. And maybe, be just checking out the occasional game that I have the time for, or the money for, or the friends to go with, I'll add to this somewhat eclectic list of sporting events that I have attended live. And maybe these events will be more interesting, more spontaneous, and more memorable than 41 Timberwolves game in a row.
The Best Sporting Events I Have Attended Live (not necessarily in order)
1. Yankees vs. Cubs, Summer 2003, Wrigley Field. My brother and I went to see the the first two games of the first interleague matchup between these two historic teams. In the second game Roger Clemens was going for win 300. He left the game in line for the win, but with runners on base. The first pitch from the reliever was hit out of the park and the Cubs took the lead. The crowd went wild.
2. First Cubs home game after September 11, 2001. Went with friends to see the Cubs, not even sure who they played. I remember "Amazing Grace" being played on the bagpipes. I remember huge flags being unfurled from the buildings behind Wrigley. I remember caring about the national anthem. I remember a moment of silence. I remember Sosa taking the field waving an American flag, and homering in the first inning.
3. Pacers vs. Heat, Easter 2002. After church on Sunday, some friends and I went to a fairly meaningless game in Indianapolis, featuring a very poor, pre-Dwayne Wade, Heat team. But we almost witnessed the 5th quadruple-double in NBA history from Ron Artest who finished with 24 points, 9 rebounds, nine assists, and eight steals.
4. Second game ever at Target Field (see last week's post).
5. The last three Indianapolis 500s. Notable for the magnitude of the event and time spent with friends. I am not really a racing fan.
6. Great seats at a Bears-Vikings game at Soldier Field. Notable because, at this point, the Bears were my "second favorite" football team, and it was my first ever live NFL experience.
7. A's vs. Red Sox, late 80s or early 90s, Fenway Park. The first baseball game I remember attending. I remember Terry Steinbach homered for the A's.
8. Red Sox vs. Royals, Kaufmann Stadium. Saw Pedro Martinez pitch, and pitch well.
9. Somebody vs. Royals, 2004. Notable, because four other post-college age friends seemed to be the only non-kids or non-parents in line for their run the bases promotion at the end of the game.
10. Cornhuskers Football vs. Pacific, 1994. My first Huskers game. They won 70-21.
I would be interested to hear from some other people about exciting, or random, sporting events that you saw live.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Thoughts from Target Field
Last Wednesday, I had the privilege of taking in the second game ever at Target Field. I got to see the Twins, play my beloved Red Sox. It was great. The stadium is beautiful, set right in downtown Minneapolis. The Twins are fielding a really good, and likable team. Joe Mauer is locked up for the future, which makes the field look 3 times as nice. For at least this year, Minnesota is probably the most fun place to live as a baseball fan. I feel lucky to be here.
It was really a great day. I picked the only game that the Red Sox won in the series. I got to see homers from Pedroia and Cuddyer, two players I really enjoy. I got to endure a little drizzle, but the beginning and end of the game were sunny. The only thing that could have made it better is someone to enjoy it with. My ticket was a last minute purchase, for a day game, so I ended up at a baseball game by myself. This gave me a good 4 hours to think about the following things:
1. Every baseball stadium should be downtown. Almost all new stadiums are going in this direction, and that's a good thing. Skyline views are great. Having places to go before and after the game is great. For people visiting the park from out of town, it gives them the chance to spend the day getting to know the city instead of driving out to a sports complex on the outskirts of town.
2. I'm confused about "Don't Stop Believin'" I'm all for mixing sports and music. And this is a logical song to play at sporting events: inspiring, catchy, recognizable. And I certainly don't think any one team should have the right to play a certain song at their stadium, but this AL Central thing is a little confusing. The Twins play a karaoke version of the song late in the game between innings, and show fans singing on the Jumbotron. Fun and all, but the Chicago White Sox, their biggest rival, made this the theme song of their 2005 World Series Championship run. Steve Perry even showed up at the parade to sing with members of the team. Adding to the confusion is the line in the song that says "born and raised in south Detroit", and you have your fans singing about a city of another divisional rival, the Detroit Tigers. The only division opponents who don't have a stake in this song are the Kansas City Royals and the Cleveland Indians (no, Journey, is not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame). However if this song speaks to any fan base, it should be the Royals. If you haven't stopped believing in the Royals, then you're faith is admirable. Someone needs to figure this out.
3. Tips for appearing to be a knowledgeable fan. I am not so aloof to think that everyone who attends a baseball game needs to know all the ins and outs of baseball. As I've said before, I think anyone can enjoy a baseball game. But here is a little advice.
a. If you are sitting anywhere but directly behind the plate, don't boo balls and strikes, honestly, you can't tell.
b. Don't boo pick-off attempts. Contrary to popular belief, baserunning makes a difference in baseball. A pitcher should not be booed for trying to keep a player a couple steps closer to the base. Baseball is best when sipped slowly.
c. Don't overreact to pop-flys. This is the funniest one. Whenever a bat makes a nice cracking sound and a ball goes in the air, most people assume it is going to be a homer. This is usually not the case. Tip: watch the fielder, if he backs up, or starts to run really hard, it's probably okay to get excited.
4. Target Field is a good name as far a corporate names go. A lot of people bemoan the fact that every field is now named by a corporate sponsors. This does not concern me so much, but I do like when a stadium name is short, easy to remember, and maybe has a double meaning that doesn't automatically make you think of the sponsor every time. Target Field meets these requirements. The United Center in Chicago rarely makes me think of the airline. Tropicana Field makes me think of breakfast. U.S. Cellular field is a mouthful. Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland is just awful. The Pepsi Center in Denver makes me thirsty. The AT&T Center in San Antonio makes me think of Luke Wilson. The TD Banknorth Garden in Boston makes me cry. Target Field works for me.
5. The jersey rules in practice as they apply to the Twins (read my buying a jersey post for reference).
Rule 2- Jim Thome
Mauer, of course is Rule 4
Hunter, rule 7
That 44 is a Chili Davis jersey, a classic Rule 5
There is also a Puckett jersey in there, which would fit nicely into Paul's "Face of the Franchise" addendum.
I know Twins fans liked Doug Mientkiewicz, but his legacy is now a defensive replacement for the 2004 Red Sox, so this has a little Rule 6 to it. (or the optimistic view would be to say this guy has a Rule 3 relationships with Mientkiewicz)
c. Don't overreact to pop-flys. This is the funniest one. Whenever a bat makes a nice cracking sound and a ball goes in the air, most people assume it is going to be a homer. This is usually not the case. Tip: watch the fielder, if he backs up, or starts to run really hard, it's probably okay to get excited.
4. Target Field is a good name as far a corporate names go. A lot of people bemoan the fact that every field is now named by a corporate sponsors. This does not concern me so much, but I do like when a stadium name is short, easy to remember, and maybe has a double meaning that doesn't automatically make you think of the sponsor every time. Target Field meets these requirements. The United Center in Chicago rarely makes me think of the airline. Tropicana Field makes me think of breakfast. U.S. Cellular field is a mouthful. Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland is just awful. The Pepsi Center in Denver makes me thirsty. The AT&T Center in San Antonio makes me think of Luke Wilson. The TD Banknorth Garden in Boston makes me cry. Target Field works for me.
5. The jersey rules in practice as they apply to the Twins (read my buying a jersey post for reference).
Rule 2- Jim Thome
Mauer, of course is Rule 4Hunter, rule 7
That 44 is a Chili Davis jersey, a classic Rule 5
There is also a Puckett jersey in there, which would fit nicely into Paul's "Face of the Franchise" addendum.
I know Twins fans liked Doug Mientkiewicz, but his legacy is now a defensive replacement for the 2004 Red Sox, so this has a little Rule 6 to it. (or the optimistic view would be to say this guy has a Rule 3 relationships with Mientkiewicz)That's all for now. I look forward to a few more games at Target Field this season, but hopefully with company.
Monday, April 12, 2010
The Perfect Sport
For many sports fans, this is the very best time of the year. Fall is pretty good too, with the start of the NFL season and the World Series, but spring is where it's at. March Madness, MLB Opening Day, the Masters, the NFL Draft, and the start of the NHL and NBA Playoffs. It is a good time to be reminded of what we like about sports. In honor of the spring, I wanted to create the perfect sport. Each league and sport has unique qualities that make it entertaining. Each sport also has characteristics that detract from the entertainment as well. So my goal, with this post is to make the perfect sport. To me the perfect sport has:
NHL Fans:
Hockey fans are knowledgeable and passionate. As the least popular of the 4 major team sports, it is the most difficult to follow, therefore it requires commitment. It also seems to me that there is less separating the good teams from the bad teams than in most sports, so it requires a little more nuance to know who is good and who is bad.
College football traditions:
Fight songs, classic uniforms, tailgates, entire stadiums in one color, mascots, bowl games, rivalries, cheerleaders (who actually seem to care about the game), marching bands. Professional sports seem overproduced, telling fans when to cheer, pumping in top 40 hits, filling timeouts with distractions. College football just feels more organic.
NFL Regular Season:
While the schedule now goes anywhere from Thursday to Monday, you essentially need only one day to follow football: Sunday. Add to the fact that there are only 16 games, so each is incredibly important, and you've got a compelling regular season. A schedule that weights division games heavily helps create natural rivalries and familiarity. It is no wonder the NFL is the most popular sport in America.
MLB Postseason:
There is something magical about the baseball playoffs. Part of it is that only 8 teams make it, so it means more to make it than it does in the other sports. While single elimination is fun (March Madness, NFL Playoffs), a series creates much more drama. It requires strategy, match-ups, scratching out runs, putting starters in as relievers, etc. While baseball drags too long during the regular season, I root for long games in the postseason. The pressure is palpable.
NBA Offseason:
In no other sport can one player change a team's fortune so much. Whether through the draft (Spurs, Tim Duncan), trade (KG and Ray Allen, Celtics), or free agency (Shaq, Lakers), offseason moves really shape the season. In baseball, we overpay for pitching, in football we overdraft quarterbacks, and rarely see big free agent moves. The NBA has, by far, the most fun offseason.
MLB Stadiums:
No other sport allows for as much interpretation (golf is fun for this reason too, but I'm sticking with team sports). Funny dimensions, high walls, roofs, domes, waterfalls, bays to hit homeruns into, ivy, pesky poles, stupid little hills in center field (seriously Houston, who though of that?). Also, the most fun for fans, especially the new stadiums that feature city views, or ocean views, or mountain views. You can have a good time at a baseball game whether the game is good or not. Good views, good food, good smells.
MLB Uniforms:
Mostly for the hats.
College Basketball coaches:
Coaching college basketball requires teaching, personality, strategy, and longevity. The best ones are teachers who care about their players, strategists who impact the game, and have become fixtures at their schools: Calhoun, Boeheim, Thompson, Wooden, Izzo, Coach K (yes I did avoid spelling his last name).
NBA Players:
Because there are fewer players playing, no helmets, pads, or hats, we get to know NBA players. This is why I love the NBA so much. You can see the emotion, or the determination, or the exhaustion. You can tell when a team has chemistry or not. Add to that a game that allows for style and improvisation, and you have the best entertainment value of any sport.
NHL Trophy:
Obviously.
NBA MVP:
While there is the occasional mistake (Bill Simmons covers this well in his The Book of Basketball), this is the sport that the MVP tells you the most about the season. Players are, for the most part, graded on a similar scale. In the NFL, a quarterback starts with a significant advantage. All NBA MVPs are Hall of Famers or future Hall of Famers. MLB MVPs include the likes of Juan Gonzalez, Mo Vaughn, and Terry Pendleton.
That's how I see the perfect sport. But really, sports are fun because of the ways they are different. A 16 game baseball season would be meaningless, even if 162 games feels pretty long in the middle of July. The NBA wouldn't work as well if coaches dominated the game. Football wouldn't make sense with quirky stadiums. College basketball would not be nearly as fun if the playoffs were played in series. So I'll just enjoy the spring, when all of these sports come together for a couple of months.
NHL Fans:
Hockey fans are knowledgeable and passionate. As the least popular of the 4 major team sports, it is the most difficult to follow, therefore it requires commitment. It also seems to me that there is less separating the good teams from the bad teams than in most sports, so it requires a little more nuance to know who is good and who is bad.
College football traditions:
Fight songs, classic uniforms, tailgates, entire stadiums in one color, mascots, bowl games, rivalries, cheerleaders (who actually seem to care about the game), marching bands. Professional sports seem overproduced, telling fans when to cheer, pumping in top 40 hits, filling timeouts with distractions. College football just feels more organic.
NFL Regular Season:
While the schedule now goes anywhere from Thursday to Monday, you essentially need only one day to follow football: Sunday. Add to the fact that there are only 16 games, so each is incredibly important, and you've got a compelling regular season. A schedule that weights division games heavily helps create natural rivalries and familiarity. It is no wonder the NFL is the most popular sport in America.
MLB Postseason:
There is something magical about the baseball playoffs. Part of it is that only 8 teams make it, so it means more to make it than it does in the other sports. While single elimination is fun (March Madness, NFL Playoffs), a series creates much more drama. It requires strategy, match-ups, scratching out runs, putting starters in as relievers, etc. While baseball drags too long during the regular season, I root for long games in the postseason. The pressure is palpable.
NBA Offseason:
In no other sport can one player change a team's fortune so much. Whether through the draft (Spurs, Tim Duncan), trade (KG and Ray Allen, Celtics), or free agency (Shaq, Lakers), offseason moves really shape the season. In baseball, we overpay for pitching, in football we overdraft quarterbacks, and rarely see big free agent moves. The NBA has, by far, the most fun offseason.
MLB Stadiums:
No other sport allows for as much interpretation (golf is fun for this reason too, but I'm sticking with team sports). Funny dimensions, high walls, roofs, domes, waterfalls, bays to hit homeruns into, ivy, pesky poles, stupid little hills in center field (seriously Houston, who though of that?). Also, the most fun for fans, especially the new stadiums that feature city views, or ocean views, or mountain views. You can have a good time at a baseball game whether the game is good or not. Good views, good food, good smells.
MLB Uniforms:
Mostly for the hats.
College Basketball coaches:
Coaching college basketball requires teaching, personality, strategy, and longevity. The best ones are teachers who care about their players, strategists who impact the game, and have become fixtures at their schools: Calhoun, Boeheim, Thompson, Wooden, Izzo, Coach K (yes I did avoid spelling his last name).
NBA Players:
Because there are fewer players playing, no helmets, pads, or hats, we get to know NBA players. This is why I love the NBA so much. You can see the emotion, or the determination, or the exhaustion. You can tell when a team has chemistry or not. Add to that a game that allows for style and improvisation, and you have the best entertainment value of any sport.
NHL Trophy:
Obviously.
NBA MVP:
While there is the occasional mistake (Bill Simmons covers this well in his The Book of Basketball), this is the sport that the MVP tells you the most about the season. Players are, for the most part, graded on a similar scale. In the NFL, a quarterback starts with a significant advantage. All NBA MVPs are Hall of Famers or future Hall of Famers. MLB MVPs include the likes of Juan Gonzalez, Mo Vaughn, and Terry Pendleton.
That's how I see the perfect sport. But really, sports are fun because of the ways they are different. A 16 game baseball season would be meaningless, even if 162 games feels pretty long in the middle of July. The NBA wouldn't work as well if coaches dominated the game. Football wouldn't make sense with quirky stadiums. College basketball would not be nearly as fun if the playoffs were played in series. So I'll just enjoy the spring, when all of these sports come together for a couple of months.
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