The business of caring
It's been a ridiculously fortunate time for the Boston sports fan, and I can understand why we aren't beloved nationally. I can't always understand, though, why watching another championship celebration makes me so damn happy. And why the memory of a Super Bowl loss can haunt for months.
This post has nothing to do with fantasy football, so feel free to ignore. But before we break for the weekend, I wanted to leave with a passage from the great baseball writer Roger Angell, describing why we all seem to care so much. It's from his book Five Seasons and the article about the '75 World Series, Agincourt and After. Have a great weekend everyone:
What I do know is that this belonging and caring is what our games are all about; this what we come for. It is foolish and childish, on the face of it, to affiliate ourselves with anything so insignificant and patently contrived and commercial exploitative as a professional sports team, and the amused superiority and icy scorn that the non-fan directs at the sports nut (I know this look – I know it by heart) is understandable and almost unanswerable. Almost. What is left out of this calculation, it seems to me, is the business of caring – caring deeply and passionately, really caring – which is a capacity or an emotion that has almost gone out of our lives. And so it seems possible that we have come to a time when it no longer matters so much what the caring is about, how frail or foolish is the object of that concern, as long as the feeling itself can be saved. Naiveté’ – the infantile and ignoble joy that sends a grown man and woman to dancing and shouting with joy in the middle of the night over the haphazardous flight of a distant ball – seems a small price to pay for such a gift.
Comments
I like it, Gregg.
Good weekend send off.
Posted by: Jon | June 20, 2008 04:11 PM
You might want to forward that post to any Democrats you know today.
Posted by: Executed Today | June 20, 2008 07:55 PM
Good for the Celts that was a good win and I enjoyed it, too. I don't think the rest of the country holds a grudge against "the Boston sports fan". Just against the Pats. I have never despised any sports franchise in any sport until the Pats just starting last year, now I do. Maybe I'm alone but I don't think so.
Posted by: b roo | June 20, 2008 11:53 PM
"Good for the Celts that was a good win and I enjoyed it, too. I don't think the rest of the country holds a grudge against "the Boston sports fan". Just against the Pats. I have never despised any sports franchise in any sport until the Pats just starting last year, now I do. Maybe I'm alone but I don't think so.
Posted by: b roo | June 20, 2008 11:53 PM"
Tons of Red Sox haters as well, but I honestly don't know anyone that hates the Celtics.
Great win/season for the team.
Posted by: The Dox | June 21, 2008 11:44 AM
RE Dox: I hate every sports team in Boston, Celtics included. Especially the Pats though.
Posted by: Juegos | June 22, 2008 08:31 AM
It's funny because I love and understand the history of Boston as a city. Politically and emotionally I feel very close to Bostonians despite being born and raised in the Midwest.
That said, the sheer arrogance of Boston fans is pretty unbelievable. I can understand appreciating your teams and celebrating them. And I certainly get Red Sox fans releasing some long standing frustration. But these things always go in cycles and I think ultimately the downfalls that are coming for all of your teams will just hit you that much harder. And I doubt you'll get much sympathy.
I applaud the Celtics on their championship (despite being a lifelong Laker fan). But other than that, I'll be looking forward to more crushing defeats to your beloved Boston franchises.
Posted by: DJOmaha | June 23, 2008 02:20 PM
Gregg,
What's your take on Chad's rankings?
http://www.boston.com/sports/touching_all_the_bases/2008/06/right_off_the_bat_im.html
Posted by: Stephen | June 23, 2008 02:46 PM