I think we can all agree that this is one of the toughest stretch in club history. It is definitely the worst period since 2008. We’re floundering here and, based on the season this pitching staff has had, squandering a potentially huge opportunity.
Watching us go down in flames like this is brutal. I feel an obligation to be honest about it because I think I will lose credibility with ya’ll. Clint disagrees. And I think Clint raises an interesting question worthy of analysis:
Do I have some obligation to be loyal in the face of adversity if I want to call myself a fan?
After all, I write this blog but I am not a journalist. I’m not even an analyst. I am just a lawyer that used to work in baseball who still follows the game as a fan. (While it isn’t the point I think it is worth mentioning that I think most sports journalists take themselves and their subject far too seriously. But I digress.) Perhaps I don’t owe the people that regularly read this space any duty of honesty. Perhaps this is exactly the space that Rays fans should come for some belief in the face of overwhelming doubt. After all, there is no shortage of negative analysis in the media. My honest evaluation isn’t some lone voice in a world of overly positive coverage.
The counterpoint, of course, is that loyalty isn’t necessarily inconsistent with honesty. I can be loyal to the Rays (I watched last night’s debacle) while being frank about their performance. I try to avoid the gratuitous negativity and sensationalism so common to the media generally and to blogs specifically (I’m the first to admit that I don’t always succeed in my avoidance). But I think I can root for the Rays to win while being honest about the bad decisions they make that lead to them not winning. Right?
[This point-counterpoint is a little strained without Brendand. I tried to call myself an ignorant slut but, it rang hollow. Bear with me.]
So, I open the floor for discussion. Does fan-dom require blind faith? (Yes, you lost tonight, and you lost because you are playing poorly or because you aren’t that good, but I am going to find the silver-lining regardless.) Or, can fan-dom include some negativity? (I hope you win tonight but I don’t think you are going to win tonight because you aren’t that good at baseball.)
Nice article, and I appreciate you taking my views seriously, or at least semi-seriously. I’ve had my say in the preceding post and don’t need to reiterate. I’m interested to read the comments to come, and see if I am out of line or there are others who agree. Kudos either way for bringing this to the masses.
In short, hell no you don’t need to be a blind loyalist to be a “true fan”, by whomever’s standards that is written.
I’m so annoyed by the “unwritten rules” of fandom. Sports in general, but I think especially baseball, have scores of unwritten rules. But as a Rays fan (actually, take it a step further and just say Tampa Bay sports fan) we have become the Mendoza Line for “fandom”…
You might be a “true fan” if:
* You are a season ticket holder, but don’t know the bio of every player/coach of the team?
* You watch all 162 games (ok, however many are broadcast) but are simply unable to get to any games. But you know your team inside and out, wear your shirt/hat/facepaint with pride?
* You get to a handful of games, buy authentic jerseys and memorabilia, and watch some games on the tube?
* You call every sports-talk radio show in the region daily and sway like an off-balance pendulum on how good/bad/ugly the team is playing?
* You endlessly read all the blogs?
* You show up to the home team’s stadium to tirelessly cheer for the away team and do everything you can to make the home team’s fans completely hate their stadium experience…
So by my count, these are ways Boston, New York, et al, folks measure other team’s fandom. I’m a broken record, because for the last two years I’ve made a solid handful of comments when I’m annoyed by being slighted by other fans, or ESPN, or the commish, or Stu and friend. And every time Mark has been the voice of reason to remind me that I’m a fan because I say I am, not by their standards.
Now Mark, I shall return the favor and let you know that you are a blogger because you say you are. This isn’t Clint’s blog (not personal towards Clint, just continuing to use you for the example!). If Clint wants a cherry-picked blog of happy times, I’m sure there’s some around (ok, not that I’ve seen the last couple of months). I read Mark’s page because it’s candid without being too far from center. Not because he writes what he thinks I want to hear.
Well, I’d say Clint carried the day yesterday. But I tend to agree with Merrill’s larger point. You get to be a fan however you want to be fan. Clint is a fan because he believes in the face of disbelief. Merrill is a fan because he goes to the yard all the time. I am a fan because I am critical but loyal. The reference to Boston and New York fans swayed me. No one seems to enjoy defining “fan” more than those fans while simultaneously breaking all their own rules.