The 2005 World Series Rant:
Self-loathing, and Jealousy can be an Ugly Combination
With the Chicago White Sox sitting as the reigning World Series champs, I couldn’t help but be depressed by the thoughts that started creeping into my brain. The AL Central hasn’t had a World Series champ in a very long time. In fact, after checking to be sure, you have to go back to 1991 when the Minnesota Twins beat the Braves, to find another AL Central World Series Champ.
Why?
Because the most dominant team of the AL Central in the 90’s, the Cleveland Indians, couldn’t put themselves and this city’s baseball fans over the top. Sandwiched in between Chicago’s championship this year and Minnesota’s championship in 1991 are two World Series defeats for the Tribe in 1995 and 1997.
And you know what? I am sick and tired of hearing about how teams haven’t won since 1917. I don’t care that it has been since 1917, or 1918, or whatever. All I care about is that there have been no championships in the City of Cleveland for any sports team this side of indoor soccer since 1985 when I was 6 years old and started watching Cleveland Sports.
And quite honestly, that is all I should care about. The Indians haven’t won since 1948. That doesn’t mean I have had 57 years of suffering. I have had 26 years of non-championship life in Cleveland, so at the most that means 20 years of suffering because I didn’t watch sports before I could comprehend them at the age of 6. And neither did you.
If you are my age or younger, you can’t take on the cursed feeling of twenty-seven generations of sports fans. I used to get this all the time when I lived in Boston. Yankees fans chanting 1918 at Red Sox fans and Red Sox fans talking about their team and how they “deserve” something after 86 years of pain.
I finally just started deriding people in bars.
Me: “What year were you born?”
Kid: “1979″
Me: “Yeah. Me too. Have the Red Sox won a world series since you were born?”
Kid: “No. And that’s what I’m tryin to….”
Me: “Quiet. Have the Indians won a World Series since we were born?”
Kid: “No.”
Me: “So how is it any different that your team hasn’t won since 1918 and mine hasn’t won since 1948 if we were both born in 1979? It sure sounds like the same experience to me. Two guys, same age, same number of championships between them. Oh wait, didn’t you have a guy named Larry Bird who won some championships for the Celtics? Yeah, I know it isn’t baseball, but I would take it. So, maybe you should just sit there and feel lucky.”
At this point, the kid sees that seething look in my eye that says I might pop an aneurism and spill blood in his beer, so he pretends to watch the television.
So, congrats to the White Sox on their victory. Congrats to all the White Sox fans who are at least 88 years old on waiting one hell of a long lifetime to win. YOU have earned it.
And I will be sitting here counting the years. Hopefully I don’t have to wait until the year 2067.
Comments
6 Responses to “The 2005 World Series Rant:
Self-loathing, and Jealousy can be an Ugly Combination”
Sideblog 
- FreeTheAirwaves.org Tuesday, 19 August 2008, 7:51 am
Google has a vested business interest in this project, but I am rooting for them anyway. Google wants to take that unused fuzzy space between TV channels and broadcast internet signals all over the. […] - Browns vs. Giants - Preseason Game 2 Live Blog at WFNY Monday, 18 August 2008, 4:19 pm
The nice guys over at Waiting for Next Year are going to be live-blogging their event in a chat room over at their site. I am a geek, and will be joining them. Come on over. - Dan Gilbert is My Hero Sunday, 10 August 2008, 5:46 am
Cleveland Cavaliers owner on all the LeBron James rumors, ”The reason this thing is where it’s at,” Gilbert said, ”is that we’ve got a bunch of bored, East Coast sports writers who have noth. […] - LeBron to Europe? I Don’t Think So Thursday, 7 August 2008, 4:22 am
So, while the major media continues to plot LeBron’s departure from Cleveland, there is a sane voice out there letting everyone know how unlikely the most outlandish scenarios truly are. - Top Gun 2???!?!?!??!?!? Wednesday, 23 July 2008, 5:50 am
According to reports, the plot outline is, (wait for it) “The idea is Maverick is at the Top Gun school as an instructor — and this time it is he who has to deal with a cocky new female pilot.” - Be Afraid Utah Tuesday, 22 July 2008, 7:26 am
Carlos Boozer is a snake and one of the most dishonorable people in professional sports history. I guess I am not over this just yet. - How much you wanna bet… Thursday, 3 July 2008, 9:18 pm
That this 4-day work week will actually increase the amount of gasoline that these employees will be using? Instead of commuting to work, they will now be going to the grocery store, going to do som. […] - In-Car DVD Players are Stupid Thursday, 26 June 2008, 10:15 am
At least they will be when we get a load of in-car wifi!!!!! (I am such a geek.) - George Carlin is Gone Monday, 23 June 2008, 4:34 am
I once bet a guy in college that I could watch a George Carlin special on HBO without laughing. I did it, but it wasn’t at all easy. There is going to be a void left by Carlin dying. - Accepted Behaviors Tend to Increase Thursday, 19 June 2008, 12:15 pm
If you become too accepting of a condition that you really don’t want to encourage, you might just end up with unintended consequences.
its the fact of the matter. not how long YOU PERSONALLY have suffered, its taking the pain of the city you live in as your own. I barely remember the Browns/Broncos playoff games in the 80s because i was 7. I still feel the pain of the browns never having won a Super Bowl.
Not to be argumentative, but…
…well, OK. To be argumentative, here’s my question. Does the Indians’ 1948 victory have any emotional value to you? Would you feel exactly the same about the team if they’d never won the Series? What about if they’d won in 1918? 1978? If the answers are yes, then I buy your argument completely. If it’s no, then it’s possible you’re being a dick to that poor beleaguered Boston fan.
(slams door and runs, knocking over Yawkey Way hot dog cart in the process)
I buy into the mystique of sports franchises. I think people root first and foremost because of regionality. Second because of a teams reputation and history.
People like Notre Dame because of the tradition and history. People like the Yankee’s (not anyone I personally like) because they have such a great history and winning mystique. People subsequently like the Redsox/Cubs, because it gives them something to piss and moan about.
Sports Franchises are very identifiable so people tend to latch on to either their hometown team, or the team that best represents their personality.
For some ass bags that means rooting for a new team thats winning every year, or rooting for a team everyone is talking about…I.E. the Redsox last year.
It pisses me off when someone is outwardly showy with their alleigance to a team because 99.9% of the time they are doing it to be an asshole. If I am in a bar in New York, I am rooting for the Indians, chances are I am not standing on chairs wearing my Coco Crisp jersey and screaming F THE YANKEES…This would make me just like every other shit faced cock master who goes to an opposing teams stadium to support “their team” with the sole intention of proving how brave they are.
It means something to me that the Tribe hasn’t won since 48, and it means something to me that the Browns haven’t won since 1964, however I am more tied to these teams because of regionality, and because they are the teams my dad rooted for. I don’t piss and moan about the past, but as a true fan of the teams I need to know it and embrace the fact we have not won a major championship in 50 some odd years.
this is kinda boring with everybody on my side. well except you, Craig. but i’m used to that.
Right and you have the pain of the Browns leaving the city. But, Kiddicus, do you think you deserve a championship? Do you have a sense of entitlement? Do you think your pain over the Browns is heavier than that of a Buffalo Bills fan?
At least the Bills made it to the superbowl, what 3 or 4 consecutive years? So they got slapped down by the Cowboys every year. They had something to cheer for. In my football watching lifetime (1992-present), I’ve never had a home-team do anything worthwhile. My backup team was and still is the Cowboys, but i attribute that more to being a front-runner as a youth. Now they suck and I still root for them.
Entitlement? not so much. Do I know that the Browns haven’t won anything major in my lifetime? yes. Do i feel the pain of the years before? of course. That is part of being a fan. You take on your father’s pain, and if it goes back that far his father’s pain. Go Cavs