Hate Thy Neighbor
~~~
We're being told that Baltimore is Washington's Natural Enemy; that this weekend's series is a Big Rivalry. Why? Sure, these next three games will affect the win/loss column. Yes, some people still hold a grudge against the O's for their regular pummeling of the old Senators. But aside from that, who cares?
We've asked this question of several fellow fans, and the go-to seems to be, "Peter Angelos is a jerk." OK, but so are all the owners. He's just better at being a jerk.
Yesterday's Nats for Bureaucrats day game gave the series against the Braves to DC. It also robbed Atlanta of its top spot in the NL East. Real things happened because of that series. The Mets took first place in the division from Atlanta.
Rivalries in sports are a good good thing, but they have to be real. They are born out of the fight over something worth having - like a division title. That's what drives the age-old, great rivalries, like the Cubs and Cards, Yankees and BoSox, and even the Tigers and Indians. Frank Robinson didn't make any friends in the ticket sales department, but he was right when he said last year that the O's were never rivals with the Senators, because there was never any real threat to the O's.
When the fight isn't over the division, proximity and bragging rights become the premise, but the premise is pretty tired. Fans move from town to town almost as often as the players. We can watch or listen to just about any team from anywhere. If we don't like the looks of those options, we can build our own team and live in Fantasy Baseball World.
The biggest flaw in the invented Nationals/Orioles rivalry lies in the fact that a huge percentage of Nationals fans were Orioles fans until two and one-quarter seasons ago. Aside from the crazy, rabid lawyers, the divorce was pretty amicable. Hell, every once and a while, we even drop into each other's stadiums for a quick booty call.
There is no more heat in a Baltimore/Washington rivalry than there is in a Kansas City/Washington rivalry. WOO-HOO! The Nats have dumped the Worst Record in Baseball yoke on the Royals! Take THAT, KC!
This weekend, we want very much to beat the O's, but not really because it's the O's. This little team is turning into something, and it's a blast to watch them play.
We'll be in the stands tonight. Again. Many many thanks go to our families and friends, who have put up with us being at 6 of the last 7. When they wrap up this homestand, it will have been 8 of 10. There is much housekeeping to be done. There is also a great need for a dietary change. It's taken a toll, but man we're having fun.
12:30pm
1:17pm
~~~K. Provost~~~
3 comments:
Dude, they let you bring in your own food. That's disgusting.
So you make photographic reference to a giant foil-wrapped burrito and then there's this photo of you in the stadium mens room, holding something - and I'm thinking, Dude! he took his giant burrito into the mens room! WHICH reminds me of a story that I'll never forget (oh jeez, here he goes...) Braves stadium, aught-something, let's say...2004, I'm in the mens room of Braves stadium and, What? Hell I don't know what inning - the 6th, okay? Jeez… So I'm in the stadium mens room, at the urinal, 6th inning, and the guy at the urinal next to me has brought his hot dog with him into the stadium mens room, and I'm not making this up, he is eating his hot dog at the urinal while he's doing his business. Both hands were occupied, shall we say. Now I’ve been known to drink my beer while pissing – but that’s sheer comedy; it’s like I’m a living breathing beer funnel. That’s funny. Eating at the urinal, on the other hand, isn’t…much. However, this scene that I was lucky enough to witness filled me with delight. Obviously nothing was more important to this man than eating that hot dog right that minute. And who can’t relate to that? Stadium dogs ROCK!! And more importantly, this baseball fan was not about to put on airs; he’s not so all-fire special and uppity that he can’t enjoy his hot dog in the filthy stinky stadium mens room. THAT’s what I love about baseball.
By the way, I’m pretty sure he was a Mets fan.
Steve.
That's not a comment. That's a post.
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