Tuesday, November 2, 2010

#106

Giants baseball: torture.

10 comments:

Sam Juliano said...

Well, I'm a lifelong (fanatical) Yankee fan, and a regular booster of all things American League - including the All-Star Games - but I just couldn't bring myself to root against the Giants. Partially a spolied sport mentality after the Rangers knocked out the Bombers, partially an acute resentment for Cliff Lee. But maybe most of all I do remember their past at the Polo Grounds. I was way too young to appreciate that, but I was a big baseball fan in the years of Mays, McCovey and Marichal, and something awakened my heart here to pull for this ultimate Cinderella team. I've not ready to say "Go Giants" but I'm happy for them. After they beat the Phillies, it did seem they were the team of destiny in 2010.

Ryan Kelly said...

It's hard not to love the unlikely underdog teams, and the Giants were certainly that this year. I'm fond of the Giants, though I'm not sure exactly why - partly because I feel like Lincecum is mine, partly because I love that park (the wall in right field is the nicest feature in any field, I would say), partly because they used to be here and my Mets (sorry!) played in their old home, the sacred Polo Grounds. Whatever the reason I like the team (post-Bonds, that is). I thought they were special all year, but I definitely didn't think they'd win the World Series.

And, yes, it's hard not to get caught up in the drama of a team playing great at the right time and beating the favorites. As John Sterling says, that's Baseball Suzyn.

It was a fitting end to what was a great, unforgettable season of baseball. Already looking forward to the 2011 season, though I'm wondering how it could possibly top 2010. I don't have my hopes up that the Mets are gonna be any good (though at least they seem to be going in the right direction with their new GM).

Sam Juliano said...

I forgive you for your love of the Mets!

Guiseppe said...

YANKEES RULE!!! I just want to let all of the Ranger fans know that we're going to get Cliff Lee and come back and kick your butts worse than the Giants did this season.

Ryan Kelly said...

Thank you, Sam. We all have our weaknesses.

Ryan Kelly said...

Guiseppe, this is just a hunch, but I'm pretty sure no Rangers fans heard you.

Anonymous said...

This post is even more despicable than your extremely well done contextualization of 'he who shall not be named for fear of further feeding into his self-promotion', if for no other reason (although there are more!) than because the fans of the Giants cheered for Barry Bonds to the bitter end. Also being situated on the wrong side of the bay is a pretty terrible thing, if you ask me. What could be more offensive than geography? Both of these entities need to figuratively be cast into an endless chasm and literally never spoken of again, that is what they share in common. One more seriously than the other. I am a fan of the Giants' closer, though, he is hilarious beyond belief.

I can forgive you, though, because I just stumbled on your site and your writing is universally fantastic, and I greatly appreciate your thoughtful analyses of Anderson's oft maligned work. There are two of his films in particular, among the three that I am fond of, that turn almost everyone into their own little versions of 'he who shall not be named', and it's quite an odd phenomenon. Your pace may not be wholly remarkable, but it's the quality that counts!

Ryan Kelly said...

So, let me see if I understand you - this post is even more despicable than what you say is a well written piece about a writer that a great many people have written about because the most prominent (though far from the only) steroid user played a few years ago for the team that won the 2010 World Series? That's air tight logic, right there.

I do a post commemorating the World Series every year, regardless of how I feel about the team that won it (as a Mets fan, commemorating the Yankees World Series win was almost painful). Because I love baseball.

So do you hate the Cubs, too? The Cardinals? The Yankees? The Devil Rays? The Mets? The Red Sox? The Athletics? Do you have every Major League Baseball team because they all had steroid users at one time or another? Must be no fun to be you, if that's the case. You can't really hold a grudge against the Giants or any other team because every team had steroid users, the Mitchell report proved that.

But thank you for reading and, yes, I know I don't update enough. It's not laziness so much as me over thinking everything, if that's any consolation.

On the plus side, always nice to meet a fellow Wes Anderson fan!

Anonymous said...

I'm glad I clearly and rationally conveyed my vague and irrational sports and criticism related feelings. I will gladly hate any of the teams you mentioned! Although, like I said, having steroid users and vocally supporting them are two different things, and the legacy of Barry Bonds extends far beyond using steroids. He just may be the least sportsmanlike player in the history of sports, and that extends back even before the steroid scandal. But, really, who wants to get into that? It was an an aside meant to take a jab at the Giants because, you know, sports fans do that sort of thing. It's as much a pastime as anything else in baseball, and the only topical thing I had to say. I wanted to put you in contrast to Barry Bonds and 'he who shall not be named', you see! Appreciation by juxtaposition! Don't fight the compliment!

Ryan Kelly said...

Yes, hating is part of the game, and it's fun. Sorry if I was defensive... I was just terribly, terribly confused.