What Does Last Night Say About Sports?

Hat tip to Kenn Tomasch for this excellent post by Will Leitch in New York Magazine.

There are days when I wonder if it is worth it. I mean, I love sports and that has never been in doubt but when I talk about it, I tend to speak glowingly of the past. There's no question I should have been born around say, 1910, so that I would be nine or 10 when The Babe came to New York, and a teenager for the Yankees' first title.

Still let's not get off-point here. I'm old-school, and that's never been denied. It's what I see today that bothers me. I can't stand the antics of Chad Whatshisname, the Lebron-a-thon, and fan behavior. I don't like many in the sports media. I might shove a vuvuzela up someone's righteous ass if I have to hear it again. I considered doing so last night in Greenwich.

I'm tired of hearing people whine about salary caps, and competitive balance. Funny, nobody complains when it's the Rays and Phillies in the World Series, but get the Yankees a title (and Cliff Lee might be on the way today) and the bitching begins.

I can't stand the phony fans who just began supporting a team or sport and go to their dumb-ass parade. Nothing screams "FRONT-RUNNER!" any louder (not to say some loyal fans don't go). These are the fans who give Tim Parry more reasons to write angry things about them (especially Yankees fans). These are the fans who decide they have no social life, so they begin to embrace a sport because it gives them something to have in common with their "buds", and further gives them just cause to go the ol' blarney stone and get hammered. You know, because alcohol is the great common bond! Just gives the stereotypes more reason to exist.

They rattle off players' names (with pitch-perfect accents) to make them sound like they have a clue when, in reality, they don't know a four-seam fastball from a penalty kick. They wouldn't know the difference between offsides in hockey and offsides in football...or futbol!

It's them, and nights like the one previous, when I wonder if we've jumped the shark, and the shark is pulling me along. The reality, of course, is that nothing will change. Heat tickets are already gone for 2010-2011, as a small example.

Most of all, we all hate the greed. I don't begrudge LeBron James for wanting to make all he can, I guess, but I will criticize him and ESPN for their shameless sham of a broadcast. I'll criticize James for dumping his so-called beloved city of Cleveland.

This will pass, but the thought will linger. There are as many sports fans as there are critics.

Today, the critics look correct.