Thursday, January 24, 2008

The Sports Guy And Happiness

I find this Bill Simmons article dishonest.

Every now and then he reaches too far for a story, and this is one of those times. Roger Clemens possibly using steroids cannot "kill" the memory of a 20 strikeout game.

I hate to speculate on what other people are thinking, but I think Simmons is like me and just indifferent to Clemens and steroids in general. Maybe I am wrong, but I think most fans are just indifferent to the whole situation. From now on, everything has changed, numbers do not mean what they used to, but the past is still the past. Steroids cannot affect Sully's and that feeling he had that night.

I do not know. I am probably the one reaching. But my baseball and sports memories were much more about me than anyone playing. It was me sitting in the living room and watching the Pistons or A's with my Dad and Granddad. It had nothing to do with Isaiah or Dumars or Canseco or Dave Stewart. It was me. They were just replaceable grown men playing a boy's game. It was my memory. It was my happiness. They were just part of a TV show that I enjoyed.

Saying that someone allegedly taking steroids hurts the fan is just dishonest. It is just misplacing anger. It bothers me that I have tied so much of my happiness to professional sports. This bothers Simmons too, not Roger Clemens.

Would Simmons be happier if Clemens never got the second 20 strikeout game? I don't think so.

2 comments:

Stephen said...

Its show business. Simmons writing an article is as much show business as Clemons pitching. Simmons is just trying to sell a story.

I like your point about memories. I think if you cornered simmons on it that he would agree with you. I am not sure that playing 'no surrender' would help you sell tickets at your sporting event.

Anonymous said...

Listen, it's a post-truth world we're living in. Whether or not Clemens did or did not do steroids is irrelevant to you and I since we're fans and not sportswriters (i.e. we don't have access to a HOF ballot). The only impact this whole Mitchell Report has on my memories is that I now know that Darryl Strawberry wasn't using or he'd have been in the 40-40 club first.

Let's try not to overthink things. Sounds like you two need jobs.