Oh, to be a child again...
Babies are great. Pure innocence. They don't Hate. They may dislike stuff, and cry more than most, but they don't Hate.
Between innings of last night's Red Sox/Yankers game, I would go and check on my sleeping daughters. They are the very soul of innocence. Gabrielle is 2 years old, and Melissa is about 2 months.
They are both care-free. Melissa cries for food and loud noises, and Gabby rarely cries for more than a minute. Gabby, in fact, loves everything. She hugs couches, dogs, stuffed animals and anything else she can get 2 arms around. I see her winning Silver Lake High School's "Class Flirt" award when her time comes, just like her mother did at Duxbury High School in the 1990s.
Neither of them have learned how to hate yet, either. They will, and they will start with the New York Yankees. Not only will I encourage this, I will teach them how...
I wasn't born hating Yankees. My mother told me there was a 3 year period from when I was asking my father things like "Why don't they pitch to a base that the batter isn't at?" to the time where I would cheer when a rival player was injured. It was natural, and irreversible. If the Yankees played the Taliban, I'd root for a rainout or a stadium-collapsing earthquake.
The Yankers deserve nothing less. They win all the time, to the point where rooting for them is like rooting for the sun to set. Their fans are like spoiled, rich kids- no suffering, no denial, and simply no character.
Granted, I root for the Sox, who haven't won in 86 years. We have been Bucknered, Gradied, and Buckied. We are at the forefront of the Fellowship of the Miserable (that quote was the best thing Rick Pitino produced while ruining my Celtics), and we get to carry the flag.
The Bruins haven't won in my lifetime, and the Celtics haven't won since I had a Smurf doll. Still, they don't inspire the sense of impending doom that the Red Sox have about them.
At Gettysburg, a Confederate general named Garnett(Kevin's great-great-great-great grandfather, I think) was too sick to walk. Still, he led his men on Pickett's Charge, while riding a horse- suicide, when moving across a mile of open ground.
He refused to sit the battle out. He had been court-martialed by Stonewall Jackson, who died before the issue was settled. He had a undeserved reputation as a coward. As he climbed his horse, General Armistead tried to talk him out of it, but Garnett had honor to restore.
As Armistead said good-bye, he knew he was talking to a dead man. He thought that maybe the Yanks would run, maybe Garnett's horse would be shot out from under him, or maybe God himself would protect him.
Still, he knew that every gun on the Northern side would be aiming at the only guy on horseback. He knew Garnett was about to be a one-man Wet Tshirt Contest. He was right, and although he reached the Yankee guns, Armistead joined Garnett in Valhalla (South Valahalla, of course) on the same day.
I know how "Lothario" Armistead felt. I feel the same way when I fall into the trap of rooting for the Red Sox. History has taught me that we will lose, in the most heart-breaking way possible. Yet, not only will I not stop Garnett, I will walk right beside him, into the Yankee guns. Honor meeting honor, as they said back then.
I get a little worked up over this. My husband actually took me into the country, and we could only hear games on the radio. I was just as upset, though.
We have crossed axes over our fireplace (I wanted roses, he wanted crossed axes...and he had that "really wanna" look he used to get before I let him sleep with me, so I caved in), and I think he felt that I would be less likely to use one of those axes on the TV if we were in New Hampshire. Sister always said that I married a Wise Man.
The thought that a 6'5" guy may not want his fairly new neighbors to hear female screams of anguish from his house may have motivated our trip to New Hampshire more than my birthday did.
We fell behind 3-0, and Gabby started her Education. She may very well startle her first teacher by saying things like "Frigging Jeter," "Didn't Godzilla kill half of Matsui's ancestors?" or "I love that big Cuban SOB". If the teacher is a true New Englander, she won't bother sending a note home. The only thing the teacher would learn was that Gabby was simply imitating her mother- not her father, who is more of a grumble-under-his-breath kind of guy.
For now, Gabby is still innocent, and Melissa would do nothing worse to Bernie Williams than grab his nose. I'd handle the Heavy Work, though....and I'd explain it to Gabby and Lissa when they were ready to understand.
Don't forget to vote in the Sexiest Athlete Poll
http://journals.aol.com/monponsett/HighAboveCourtside/entries/675
24 comments:
I'll be 52 in January, at this age you have learned to take life in stride as opposed to anguishing over the trivial things in life. Where I would get wound up tighter than a rubberband powered helicopter toy over games like these, I now just think they are fun. So,at the risk of being chastised by fellow Yankee fans, I'm going to say I hope the Red Sox win, and that includes the World Series, it's been too long, and I'm just plain tired of hearing about the poor, downtrodden Red Sox fans. Let them do it this year and get all of this anxiety released! lol. Then all will be well in the world, well at least in New England! :>)
there is no curse hun the red sox just stink!!!!!
"Monponsett" - this was a classic. I laughed OUT LOUD. While I'm still a Pats fan, I "gave up" on the Red Sox after the last strike -- I was SO sick of hearing overpaid jocks whining about being paid millions to pay a game most of would PAY to play. But, in the depth of my heart, I STILL LOVE the Red Sox (I used to totally live/die with them as a little girl) and I STILL DESPISE the spoiled, rich Yankees (except Jeter who is a class act and somehow accidently got on that team).
GREAT article!!
I watched the first two innings of the 7th game...the Sox are up 6-1....I feel myself getting sucked back into that trap......I'm having flashbacks of Bucky Dent and Bill Buckner........oh, please God......if there is ANY justice in the world.....
C. Replogle, MD
Good poetic waxing on Red sox Misery. I'm a Mets fan who roots for ANYONE against the Yankees. Way to go.. You won!!!! This is the best ever comeback!!!!!
Let me just say, that the Red Sox are the cry babies....knocking basemen over, and in my opinion intentionally trying to injure players for the Yankees. The Sox have had their day, and now when they lose the world series to hopefully the Astro's, i hope they will calm their little asses down and hang on, because next season, they probably will not even make the play offs. The Yanks don't go without fault...to let the Sox run them over for that championship. I still can't believe that...but like I said...they will get killed by the Astro's and who knows...maybe even the Card's.
I liked your story about your children and how it compares to the deeds of a Civil War Hero. I understand you are a passionate Red Soxs fan although I am not, yet I am finding myself supporting the Soxs from a historical position of my own. I want to see them reverse the trends of history. Through guts and courage, I think the pitching performance of Curt Schilling will stand out to me. I read about the procedure he underwent and didnt realize until I saw the photos how much pain he was in. I saw blood around the socks and ankles. Thinking to myself, the Soxs effort does not compare to severity of the Civil War, but in a sense they are fighting their own battles. Go Soxs!
How could you teach your children to hate. That is why the world is slowly becoming a worse place. With everything going around in the world we need to remember that sports are for entertainment not to inspire or teach hate. Just remember this IT IS JUST A GAME. Ath the end of the day or the season you are not taking home million to teach innocent children to hate.
I am NOT a Yankees fan but this page of yours is deserving of a response.
Firstly, you are intentionally ignoring the past 40 years of baseball history. Indiana's own, Don Mattingly, the best all-around first baseman (sans steroids) to play in the major leagues in the past 30 years, played 14 years for the New York Yankees and not once did he play on a team that won the American League Pennant. Also, the Yankees were not winning pennants from 1965 to 1975. For 25 of the last 39 years the Yankees were a mediocre team. Thus, your contention that they "win all the time" is incorrect.
Secondly, and more importantly, I have read your web page from top to bottom two times in hopes of discovering that it is meant as brilliant tongue-in-cheek humor. I have concluded that it is NOT meant as tongue-in-cheek humor. I am left wondering if you are not a person with dubious values, as you have used your own children as pawns to express your own unhealthy viewpoints and agenda. This is not unlike the supremacists who brag of how they are raising their children to hate. Your web page isn't funny, it's disturbing.
Boston sports fans have long had the reputation of being racists. Your comments (i.e. "Didn't Godzilla kill half of Matsui's ancestors?" and "I love that big Cuban SOB") certainly give me cause to wonder if that reputation isn't justly deserved. Hopefully you are not typical of the people who live in New England.
It is a sad thing that, rather than celebrate the amazing accomplishment of your team coming back from a 3 to 0 deficit to win the American League Pennant, you opted to author a homage to hate.
p.s. To the few people who have posted praise of this web page -- shame on you.
A) 14 of 39 pennants is considered astounding to anyone not in pin stripes. Thus, relatively speaking....they do win all the time
B) It's not tongue-in-cheek humor....it's over the top. Must be hard to see that from your basement level apartment.
C) I "used" my children for my agenda? My agenda was "using" innocents to poke fun at my monstrous attitude. It would indeed appear disturbing...to a friggin' moron. Anyone who can color within the lines may have figured out that I may have been exaggerating.
D) Boston sports fans are racist? Guess who played pro basketball's first black? Guess who had the first black coach? Guess where the Underground railroad ran through? Guess where the soul of Abolition resided in this country. Do you think, if a Bosoton mayoral race were held tomorrow, that David Ortiz wouldn't bury Thomas Menino by 3 million votes?
E) I had the idea for this piece while Boston was down, 0-3. That is the perfect time to pen a Hate Opus. Looked like it worked, no?
F) You spent a lot of time seriously pondering a column that had a "Sexiest Athletes Poll" as a lead in.
G) Re-read my column, and then look at what you wrote. At least I was kidding....
Not only are Redsox fans stupid they have ugly babies also
Thnx freedaily for speaking against this hate mongering trash. As a Cuban-born American I found the Cuban SOB remark rude and racist. For what it's worth, I clicked to this blog directly from AOL Sports where your blog was featured today in the Sports Talk section. That link takes people directly to your Pure Hatred column ... there wasn't anything else on the page ... there was no "Sexiest Athletes Poll" as a lead in. And if we are going to talk about how you lead in to your trash, talk about how you said FRIGGING JETER as a lead in to two racial comments. You sure got me a-wonderin' what you were really thinking when you typed Jeter's name. It is true that intellectuals in Massachusettes were at the forefront of the Abolition movement. Judging by the way you refer to minorities with derogatory words I doubt you would have joined that movement.
You are truly a pitiful individual. I pity those two daughters of yours. Get a life.
LADY, YOU ARE SICK. TWO BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTERS. BASEBALL IS A SPORT. NOT REAL LIFE. WE HAVE ENOUGH SICKOS LIKE YOU NOW IN SOCIETY. OF COURSE, MOST OF THEM ARE RED SOX FANS. JUST REMEMBER, SOMETIME IN THE NEAR FUTURE HEADLINES WILL READ: YANKEES CAPTURE 27TH WORLD SERIES, RED SOX OOOOOOO! RED SOX ARE NOTHING!
LADY, YOU ARE SICK. TWO BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTERS. BASEBALL IS A SPORT. NOT REAL LIFE. WE HAVE ENOUGH SICKOS LIKE YOU NOW IN SOCIETY. OF COURSE, MOST OF THEM ARE RED SOX FANS. JUST REMEMBER, SOMETIME IN THE NEAR FUTURE HEADLINES WILL READ: YANKEES CAPTURE 27TH WORLD SERIES, RED SOX OOOOOOO! RED SOX ARE NOTHING!
Comment from gwh1126yankees - 10/21/04 4:29 PM
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA thats the reason the Red Sox kicked out the Yankees, for the first time in MLB History coming back from a 3-game loss deficit, and winning four games in a row to clinch a 7-game MLB series. Nice one on that mate. hahahahahahahahahhaa
What inner tube did key117 ride here? Never a good Tropical Storm when you need one.
Cofbob is actually a very offended Joe Torre, who mistakenly thought I had slandered Itaians..
GWF is Dick Cheney.
Bald...good one....although, there is no such thing as an ugly baby.
Jacrosario has no idea that my article is supporting exactly what he says.
MJohn....I got the Civil War idea after running the word "Yankee" through my head 10 million times last week.
Dr. Repogle administers my electic-shock therapy.
Celticgirl had better be from Dublin.
Fred rocks.
Thank you for leaving no doubt as to your true nature. You have been reported to AOL for racist content. Keep it up and I'll report you to your state's Attorney General's Office.
"Cuban" is a nationality, not a race.
Don't you think that the Attorney General has some more important stuff to do than to trying to look serious until you leave his office?
Trust me, dude...there are greater battles than this.
First you attempt to hide behind the veneer of "over-the-top humor" and then you opt to hide behind semantics. Okay, technically you might not have been using "racist" language towards Cubans. Technically, your "Cuban SOB" comment was bigoted and prejudiced. Your comment "What inner tube did key117 ride here? Never a good Tropical Storm when you need one." was not only bigoted it was also vicious, cruel, brutish, hearltess, and bestial. Anyhow, when I reported you to AOL the option it gave me was to report you for "Racist/Hatred Material". Your blog certainly is that.
I've shown your page to a few fellow baseball fans. None of us can determine who you are referring to when you say "big Cuban SOB".
Hey key11, no need to retract your statement. Cuban is BOTH a nationality and a race, as race is defined as follows:
race
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle French, generation, from Old Italian razza
: a family, tribe, people, or nation belonging to the same stock b : a class or kind of people unified by community of interests, habits, or characteristics <the English race>
Referring to a person as being Cuban isn't a crime. Neither is professing love for a Cuban, or speculating about the media naming a Japanese left fielder after something that wrecks cinematic Tokyo every few years. If I was blogging in 1977, I'd have said the same thing about Dave "King Kong" Kingman of the NY Mets..and he may be whiter than me, which isn't easy to do.
I worked with a teacher once, and I can recall her whining that "Martha Stewart is being jailed because America can't tolerate female power figures." I told the lady, "Personally, I'd enjoy the trial and incarceration just as much if it were Emeril or the West Coast Chopper father." I feel the same way about my Godzilla/Matsui comment.
The "big, Cuban SOB" is David Ortiz. Readers of my journal know that I am head over heels in love with Senor Octobre, and that I am effusively positive whenever I discuss him, his personality/character, or his play on the field. He worked hard to be the palyer he is, and I honestly admire the man...for reasons beyond the fact that he's hot.
The whole point of that paragraph wasn't making fun of Cubans and Japanese ballplayers. It was making fun of the Sox fan who sends her kids to school with a whole arsenal of Wrong Things To Say In A Classroom.
The whole spirit of this column is "Crazed Ph.D housewife with a sports column." The monster you see in my journal is a persona that I assume when writing....not unlike lycanthropy, but with Manny Ramirez references. I can almost entirely guarantee your safety from any harm from this column.
I admire you- you are someone trying to right a perceived wrong- but you would be wasting time on a matter that isn't that important. Anyone who survives to the comments section of one of my articles is just as likely to be as twisted as Monponsett is. Your efforts would be wasted on them.
People need to be able to look at the TV and say, "There...there's the Bad Guy"
David Ortiz is not Cuban.
You did not simply refer to a person as being Cuban. Reread what you wrote.
You did not simply refer to Hideki Matsui's playful nickname Godzilla, you opted to make a racially devisive remark out of it -- 'Didn't Godzilla kill half of Matsui's ancestors?'
The fact that Ortiz isn't Cuban was part of the joke.
The Godzilla thing is a reflection of the media naming him after the Lizard King.
Seiously....lighten up. Go bother Brian De Palma. At least he gets paid.
Today I prayed for Victoria Snelgrove and her family. Victoria was killed by a police officer during the Red Sox fans celebration in Boston's Kenmore Square neighborhood after Wednesday night's Red Sox victory over the Yankees. The seeds of hatred and the seeds of violence are planted in the same garden.
I'm sure that cop had just read my Journal before that happened.
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