The Square Life

When I first became a Red Sox fan, I did so because I felt like I had found the one team that defies "the man" more than anybody else. Here was a team that was the anti-Yankee, and yet still managed to have more passionate fans than any other team I knew. “Now this is something I can believe in,” I said to myself as a junior in high school.

Now, these many years later, things have drastically changed. With the greatest comeback in sports history in 2004, the Red Sox became a powerhouse baseball franchise. They have since won another World Series, and are threatening to win the whole thing again this year. More or less, the Red Sox have become “the man.”

Now the Red Sox are facing the Tampa Bay Rays, a perennial bottom-feeder who have defied all reason and logic to become a division winner in the best division in baseball. Yet despite the amazing turnaround to become a division champ, make no mistake about it: The Rays are the underdog in this series. What’s more, they are the underdog facing “the man.”

To put it in perspective for you, the Rays used to be called the Devil Rays. Besides the fact that you probably didn’t know they changed their name is the fact that they were so desperate to change things around, they petitioned God by taking the “devil” out of their lives. Well, as always, God helps. Another bad sign for my beloved Sox.

However, for you lukewarm baseball fans, be careful when you decide to vote for the born-again Rays. For one thing, here is a team whose fan base has barely filled any seats . . . ever. Sure, the players are probably nice people, but make no mistake about it, they will get their pay. They get to play baseball for a living, and they do so making a lot more than you and I. Meanwhile, even after their team became one of the best in the major leagues, the Rays’ fans still failed to fill the seats. And they deserve to win a title? Hardly.

I have recently come to the belief that when you don’t now who to vote for, consider the fans, and not the team. After all, why should fans which know little about the team, care about the team. Care about the fans. Cheer for the team whose fans have supported them, and in so doing, deserve another parade . . . regardless of their recent successes. Something to think about.

Now that we’re somewhat on the topic, I want all Jazz fans to consider one thing. We can be the Red Sox fans of basketball. We almost are the Red Sox fans of basketball, but not yet. We’ve had plenty of heartache and pain. We’ve felt cursed. We’ve had amazing players who couldn’t quite bring home the title. The only thing missing thus far has been the passion. We have it come April and May, but we need to have it much earlier.

So, now that it’s the preseason, let be the fans that deserve a title. Let’s show some passion. Maybe some junior from Boston will see us someday and think, “Now that’s something I can believe in.” And then after we deserve it, maybe the Jazz will win it.