Moments like last night turn me (and many of you, judging by the game recap thread) into bubblegum philosophers. This thread is dedicated to those of you who have psedo-deep thoughts to share about why this is so freakin' cool. Or, just post more pics of Mr. Redlegs pooping on Albert Pujols. It's all good today.
But first, a few scattered thoughts.
I sometimes feel like way too much is made of fandom. There are a number of major pro sports leagues in this country, each of which crowns a champion each year. Every year. Year in and year out. Teams win, then lose, then win again. Last year's champion is forgotten as soon as this year's is crowned. This year's great moments turn into next year's trivia question on Stump the Schwab. Why do we care so much?
Part of the answer, to me, is in the fact that, as I was folding laundry with my wife last night, following the game on my phone, I saw the first pitch to Bruce: "In play, run(s)." I knew how dramatic the moment must have been, and my first thought was, "I can't wait to get onto RR and see what the reaction is." Not, "I can't wait to see the highlight" or "I can't wait to see Baseball Tonight to see what national media guys are saying about it." First and foremost, I wanted to share the moment with you fine folks. My guess is we all had a similar reaction, whether it was wanting to share it with family, a friend, or creepy internet strangers. I love that sports creates these ridiculously contrived communities and connections that have no reason to exist other than the shared joy of watching a bunch of strangers play a game. To me sports are like a great meal--designed to be experienced with others. I haven't lived in Cincinnati in a decade, but the descriptions of the city last night, from the stadium to the streets afterwards, makes me more happy than any player interview or picture. Regardless of how the postseason plays out, the shared experience with other fans will stay with me for a long time. Of course, the experience is going to be so much better when Bruce does that against Mariano Rivera in the bottom of the 9th of game 7 of the World Series.
I mean, holy crackers, what drama. I'll take that moment over any movie, novel, play, song, symphony, or Lady GaGa video you can think of. Jay Bruce gets to have that on his resume forever, and we can log onto RR v 14.0 in 30 years and talk about how the 2040 team is good and all, but you should've been there to see Bruce and company. Now that was a special team. I don't remember much about most movies I've seen, books I've read, or songs I've heard, but I'll remember this.
So please, let's keep gushing. Let's keep sharing this experience. I know I sound cheesy right now, but now is the time for hokey sentimentalism. I might not have anything in common with any of you, but we have this. Let's savor it.