As you might guess, I feel the urge to blog some sporting excitement!! What other blog can take you from Alice to baseball and more? First I must preface my comments with a short background on the mindset of many MO sports fans. We have been conditioned to get our hopes up (prob by listening to the media hype--which is usually WRONG) about whatever ball team that is in the current season. So we get all hopeful for a great season, then we hope for a good season, then hope that things will turn around and our team will do better, then we hope that we won't be too embarrassed to drive with MO plates, then we hope for a better season NEXT YEAR.
So in short we keep HOPING!!! We still tune in and watch. We stay up late, hoping that our team could possibly pull out something miraculous. We have seen great plays before, and we continue to hope for another. Last night was a great example of this. Mark and I watched the first of the Card/Astros game. Cards led 2-1 for a long time. It was safe to turn back and forth from CSI:Miami (where was Horatio? He's the best part of the show.) Then there was the Astros 7th inning homer. Our Cards looked doomed, but we still had hope or resignation. Then the 9th inning was too much!! To be down to the last strike on Eckstein and he gets a hit--WOW!!! Then to walk Edmonds--ok with us! Then our own Independence Pujols (technically I think he's from way South of Independence--lol) becomes the hero with a 3 run homer!!!! The astros pitcher Lidge is such an amazing closer---makes it even better. We were beside ourselves!!!
Of course we KNOW that there are 2 more games and the Astros still have only 1 to win, and we have 2, but still---back in Busch Stadium!! The last 2 games in Busch leading to World Series play---sounds like a movie script. Where is Robert Redford? Guess that one has been done. :)
So as faithful MO sports fans, we know in the back of our minds that one of the teams that was happy last night (both teams were celebrating--only one was in the 8th inning and one was in the 9th) will be sad again. And one of the 2 teams that are happy to be in the Series will be crying in the end. There are faithful fans all over the country who ALWAYS expect their team to win (like Yankee fans---blech). The local Cards fans here don't EXPECT World Series Champion t-shirts yet, but we are loving the dream today.
Here is the other side of the dream. The Cards make it to the Series. They play the White Sox who haven't won since 1917. I saw a stat last night at the odds of two teams winning back to back series in 1917 and 1918 (White Sox and Red Sox) and not winning again until 2004 (like Boston did) and 2005--1 in 18 million. Since the Cards got swept last year by the underdogs, then wouldn't it be typical MO sports for the Cards to be the goat again? Argh! Hopefully that is just the idea on an unknown pessimist armchair sports critic who will quit thinking and go back her real job--laundry!! lol
In closing, GO CARDS!!!!!!! We just got new Chiefs t-shirts this fall. Thanks to Uncle Davy the girls have appropriate Red Friday attire. If our Cards make some more magic in SL we will be having some other RED tshirt to wear in this ROYAL blue town. If Pujols isn't the big news, the local paper doesn't mention the Cards during the reg season. ARGH!!
Yes, it is a sign of a boring life to be this excited about one homerun. But we'll take it today. Tune in to the rest of the week. If the KC Star hasn't signed me for their new SportsMom columnist. I think I'll keep my day job. Oh, yeah I just heard the washer calling. LATER!! GO BIRDS!!! K
6 comments:
Hey, as a dyed in the wool Giants fan, I know all about getting your hopes up only to be dashed to pieces by whatever. Remember the '89 Series with SF and Oakland that got interrupted by none other than a 7.1 earthquake?! My Giants have never been the same since. And then to get beat by the Angels in the Series a few years ago; what humiliation. I've said "Next year" my whole life and may go to the grave with it so far as the Giants are concerned. I guess that's why I am a transplanted Cards fan--at least they've been a little more consistent in the last couple of decades. Well, maybe the mystique of Busch Stadium will prevail over the Astros just for old tyme's sake and we'll enjoy just one last Series in the ol' stadium. By the way, what's the connection between the Astros and bees?! Seems kind of D-U-M-B to me, but I'm just an armchair sports person, too. GO CARDS!!!
dkd
Maybe my blog reader from TX (you know who you are, Pattie Bible) will enlighten us on the Bees deal. I wondered how it connected to the Minute Maid Stadium last year when we played (and beat) them. Also glad to know there are other "hopeful" fans out there. Guess it's the hope of winning that keeps us tuning in.... vs. "the agony of defeat." Transplanted Cards fans are welcome anytime!!! Especially around here when the KC paper has long articles about how the Cards fans should "get over it" about being robbed back in '85. Maybe it's better not to not get to go to the Series for 80+ years than to have defeating memories--or maybe NOT!! I crack myself up!!
OK....you know I gotta "comment"....even without the personal invitation!!!! All I gotta say is, "Go 'Stros!" :-) I have made a habit of not watching an entire game cause it seems like when I do, the 'Stros lose. But, I was so hopeful last night and like you felt in the 7th inning....Berkman's homerun was a cinch! So, I was shocked and amazed at Pujols's game winning homerun. Even if he's not on "my team", I certainly recognize a great athlete. We'll give you last night (like I have a choice?) ha!
OK...so here's to explain the bees. Back about 10 years ago, the Astros started (or was it the newspaper) a campaign about our Killer B's (Biggio, Bagwell and who was the other one?) There were 3 of them with the last name beginning with B. So, advance a few years and it's now a bee and everyone is a killer bee....did you see the sign? Blemons, Blidge....just some more goofy sports fans! I'll be watching the game tomorrow night (off and on) I won't be able to watch the whole thing....don't wanna jinx them. I'm thinking we'll do it.
And if you wanna talk about "sad fans!"...Houston fans have the worst inferiority complex....have you noticed the Texans, lately? And...the Astros have never been to the world series....all these years, they've had a "step child" kinda feel....OK, enough for now. I gotta go cheer on Joanna at volleyball. I didn't mean for this to be so long! Loved your blog...keep writing! Love ya!
Thanks for the comment, PBB. You are a class act and so is Albert Pujols, but who was talking about him, oh yeah, all of MO and more!! I remember the 3 B's thing now that you said that. Catchy!! Stay tuned! In 2 weeks none of this will matter a bit. Unless we win, then we'll be really happy. LOL. Love ya 2! K
Ha! Ha! Ha! You make me laugh! I just spent a the last few minutes giving Joanna a mini lecture on good sportsmanship. Her team lost to a FANTASTIC, AWESOME, team tonight and she was mouthing off about them. I told her she HAD TO appreciate the athletic ability of everyone...even when they are on the other team. That's what shows "class". The other team's fans displayed HORRIBLE sportsmanship and certainly took away from their wins. Enough about that...I just wanted to say, I do like Pujols! Even if he's on the wrong team! :-) I say, "stay tuned...same channel, same time....different outcome!"
By the way, "can we still be friends?" Love ya!
Post a Comment