We're Playing Now

"How much do you think punitive damages were in this case [against the tobacco companies]? Come on, someone take a guess."

"One hundred....billion dollars." I hold my pinky to my mouth.

"Good guess. I like the style there." Professor K.D. holds her pinky to her mouth. "Try one and a half times that. One hundred and forty-five billion."

Damn.

***

Major League Baseball's playoffs started today. The New York Yankees and the Anaheim Angels met in California today for game one. Now, what I know about baseball, you could fit into a fairly short paragraph. Abner Doubleday created the game during the American Civil War. Throughout the years, various changes have been made not only to the ball's composition, but also to the height and distance of the pitcher's mound, in order to increase or decrease offense, depending on the era. Steroids have become a problem, though many assert that amphetamine usage during the sixties was just as big a problem. There are nine innings. There is no salary cap.

Normally, I wouldn't care one whit about the game, but my roommate S.P. is a Yankees fanatic. As I understand, the current trend is to abbreviate it to "fan." Such is his love for the team that he refers to them in the royal "we" on a regular basis. As I type this, the Yankees hold a 4-0 lead, and S.P. is dying that the lead isn't 40-0. In the second inning. His team, his feelings.

Despite commentators and analysts referring to the fans as the sixth, tenth or twelfth man in basketball, baseball and football, I have never understood this close association with a team. You are a fan, no one questions your loyalty. That is all you are, a fan. You don't actually play on the team (unless you actually are on the active roster, in which case I say congratulations, and can I have some money?). While it would be nice to be part of the team, that is but a dream. I question whether you've earned the right to refer to the team in the royal "we."

The difference cuts closer for college sports, especially when rooting for your school's teams. Despite the commercialization of college sports, and the recruiting practices which cut too close to business practices, these players are supposed to be undergraduates just like you, all at the same institution. There, you have much closer ties to the team, and I can understand identifying yourself with your crazy mascot.

If you went to college, and you don't root for your school's teams, close the browser tab/window now and never revisit this blog.

Then, there are fantasy sports, where you compile teams from individual players, diluting the ideal of teamwork in favor of (generally) offensive production. Now, I can really understand identifying with your team. You drafted the rights to use X player's statistics during the year, you've compiled a team full of players, its your team, they're your players. Some people take this identification to admirable highs; D.C. and M.C. have fantasy team shirts that they wear with pride.

Why the need to identify oneself with a team? Is our society so amped and diffuse that we need to latch onto something to believe in? Has the nuclear family structure broken down traditional family values so much that rather than strong father figures, we look towards completion percentages and on-base percentages? Is it just fantasy, taken to an extreme? Where does it go too far? If you skip an important event to watch your team play, have you lost grasp with reality, or is it just a natural obligation, such as attending the birth of your child (Note that I'm stereotyping sports fans as predominantly male here, since women have little choice but to be present for the birth of their child. This does not take into account surrogate mothers, but if you find a surrogate, chances are you have your priorities straight and will not leave the poor woman alone to usher your scion into this world alone.)?

Why should I care if someone affiliates themselves with a team? I affiliate myself with a geographic location, if not a country. Then again, I'm an American, I take advantage of America's benefits, and will hopefully contribute back to America at some point. Funnel my tax moneys back into the nation, which in turn will be returned to me directly or indirectly. Just as fans funnel their money into their team, purchasing memorabilia and tickets and insane networking packages which allow them to follow their team on television. So, can you buy the right to affiliate yourself with a team? Or does that have to be earned? In our capitalist society, how much is it worth to you to say you're a New York Yankee?