Smack
Talk at the Symphony
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We don’t get unduly upset about baseball, even though like most fans, we care about teams we’ve grown up with or have grown to love. Nor is our standard of currency based on swapping baseball knowledge. Of course, that’s not saying we don’t know a lot about baseball; it’s just that researching and debating baseball’s multitudinous particulars is not how we choose to spend our hard earned spare time. That said, we’re happy when our team wins and bummed when they lose. Then there are times when we wonder, the next day, “Which team won?” Everyone has days like that. We’ve found the best thing on days like that is to take a couple of aspirin and go back to bed.
We think there are no “real,” “true,” or “second-class” fans, although some folks will try to tell you there are. That’s because those folks spend a lot of time researching various aspects of the game, and the label of “real” fan can be an important form of recognition of all of their hard work. Some find joy in accumulating statistics about the 1949 Yankees. Others delve into the evolution of stadium architecture or team uniforms. These hobbies may be fulfilling, but do they mean someone deserves special fan status? We think not. Baseball is just fine without its fans having to create unnecessary pecking orders. Other forms of entertainment seem to thrive without such jostling. After all, symphony regulars usually don’t discredit occasional attendees with remarks like, “Mildred! Get this guy behind us. He came to this concert without knowing that Beethoven bridged the classical and romantic periods! The savage!”
So, how about you? Do you enjoy going to a baseball game and eating a hot dog, drinking a cold beer, and feeling the warm sun on your back? Great! Do you enjoy knowing the statistics of the opposing team’s pitchers? More power to you! There are fans who like to score entire games and those who want to score only half. There are those who come late and those who leave early—no harm, no foul. We’ve filled all these roles at one time or another. There are a lot of things going on in a baseball game, and it’s any fan’s privilege to soak in as little or as much as they please on any given day. Sometimes you’ll miss a few of the things happening on the field because you’re chatting with your friend during the game. Or perhaps you’re digging around in your backpack for a juice box for your kid. Maybe you’re warming up to a new date? And a game may be the perfect place to catch up with your mom. You can tell her you went to Las Vegas last week and eloped. Wow, we hope you are sitting behind us! Game day possibilities are endless!. . .
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