Monday, October 03, 2005
It Just Doesn't Matter
As a kid, I listened to Atlanta Braves games on the radio every night. Since they played in the national league west, that meant many games did not start until 10pm in the east. It didn't matter - I was a diehard fan.
The Braves were terrible then, usually last in their division. I suffered through many years when the Braves were essentially a triple A team pretending to play major league ball. Adults used to tell me that being a Braves fan meant loving the team, because you sure couldn't be in love with winning and be a Braves fan.
There were a few highlights along the way. Hank Aaron passed Babe Ruth as the all-time home run king in 1974. Gene Garber struck out Pete Rose to end Rose's hitting streak at 44 in 1978. Bob Horner, fresh from college, hit a dong in his first major league game. But mostly the Braves were terrible.
So you would think I would be jumping for joy over the Braves winning a professional sports record 14th (or 11th, depending on what you do with 1994) consecutive division title. Or that having the best manager and GM in baseball would make me feel great after years of suffering. It doesn't.
After player strikes, management lock outs, and threats of even more work stoppages, my loyalty was worn down to the nub. It was also obvious almost a decade ago that baseball had been infiltrated by steroid puppies.
So I don't love the Braves or major league baseball, for that matter. I don't really hate MLB either. I just don't care anymore.
The Braves were terrible then, usually last in their division. I suffered through many years when the Braves were essentially a triple A team pretending to play major league ball. Adults used to tell me that being a Braves fan meant loving the team, because you sure couldn't be in love with winning and be a Braves fan.
There were a few highlights along the way. Hank Aaron passed Babe Ruth as the all-time home run king in 1974. Gene Garber struck out Pete Rose to end Rose's hitting streak at 44 in 1978. Bob Horner, fresh from college, hit a dong in his first major league game. But mostly the Braves were terrible.
So you would think I would be jumping for joy over the Braves winning a professional sports record 14th (or 11th, depending on what you do with 1994) consecutive division title. Or that having the best manager and GM in baseball would make me feel great after years of suffering. It doesn't.
After player strikes, management lock outs, and threats of even more work stoppages, my loyalty was worn down to the nub. It was also obvious almost a decade ago that baseball had been infiltrated by steroid puppies.
So I don't love the Braves or major league baseball, for that matter. I don't really hate MLB either. I just don't care anymore.
