CARDINAL NATION
The first to have their own nation as I recall. Then there was Raider Nation, Red Sox Nation, Podunk Nation. Which means, I guess, that our fantasy baseball league is a nation. After all, we've had several owners since the 1990 inception.
But this entry is a blog of definition. Inspired by a St. Louisian who for some reason detests hometown sports teams. He belittled Cardinal fans for booing an opposing player instead of booing the home team. Here, among other things, is what he doesn't know.
Cardinal fans are the best in baseball. Ask almost any former player. Ask almost any big leaguer who ever played as a visitor in St. Louis. The fans know baseball. They love the sport. They appreciate good, hard play.
The Cardinals got their nation because of reputation, because of geography, and because of success. The reputation may just begin with what many have called the best uniform in baseball--the birds on the bat. It's simply easily identifiable. From the uniform to the way they treat visiting fans, they're class. Not like the fans in Chicago or San Diego. Or, I expect, Philadelphia, but while I've only driven by both Philly stadiums, I've never attended a game there. The proximity of St. Louis added to the nation. For many years, it was the most western city to have a big league team. There are still fans of Cardinal nation as a result.
Many of those fans raised their children to be Cardinal fans. And their children's children. In our family, we're 4th generation. That's a long time. But I wouldn't consider rooting for another team, even though I'm nearing my 10th year in Arizona. (Oh sure, I enjoyed the 2001 Diamondbacks championship, but I've been to playoff games in AZ when they played the Cardinals and, of course, I cheered on the team from St. Louis and would have much preferred they won the title). That's what it means to be a Cardinal fan. To celebrate their 10 World Titles, more than any other team save the Yankees.
Rather than respond to my St. Lou friend who is a Braves fan, I chose a larger audience. My reader(s). It would have been easy to remind him of the Braves, famous for choking so many years when the won 15 division titles and only 1 World Series with Maddux, Glavine, Smoltz, et. al. Or how the offensive tomahawk chop was stolen from FSU. Or how they haven't been able to sell out their playoff games for the last few years that they made the playoffs. But I'm probably not going to change his mind anymore than I could change a follower of Barry Obama by pointing out what a miserable job he's doing in the White House.
If Cardinal nation can be criticized for anything, it would be that they are so loyal that perhaps they just root for laundry. Whoever wears the Cards' uniform is held in esteem. If the Cardinals traded their entire team to the Cubs, then Cardinal fans would cheer for the Cardinals. The difference: they would also cheer for ex-Cardinals.
Cardinal Nation--long may it last!
The first to have their own nation as I recall. Then there was Raider Nation, Red Sox Nation, Podunk Nation. Which means, I guess, that our fantasy baseball league is a nation. After all, we've had several owners since the 1990 inception.
But this entry is a blog of definition. Inspired by a St. Louisian who for some reason detests hometown sports teams. He belittled Cardinal fans for booing an opposing player instead of booing the home team. Here, among other things, is what he doesn't know.
Cardinal fans are the best in baseball. Ask almost any former player. Ask almost any big leaguer who ever played as a visitor in St. Louis. The fans know baseball. They love the sport. They appreciate good, hard play.
The Cardinals got their nation because of reputation, because of geography, and because of success. The reputation may just begin with what many have called the best uniform in baseball--the birds on the bat. It's simply easily identifiable. From the uniform to the way they treat visiting fans, they're class. Not like the fans in Chicago or San Diego. Or, I expect, Philadelphia, but while I've only driven by both Philly stadiums, I've never attended a game there. The proximity of St. Louis added to the nation. For many years, it was the most western city to have a big league team. There are still fans of Cardinal nation as a result.
Many of those fans raised their children to be Cardinal fans. And their children's children. In our family, we're 4th generation. That's a long time. But I wouldn't consider rooting for another team, even though I'm nearing my 10th year in Arizona. (Oh sure, I enjoyed the 2001 Diamondbacks championship, but I've been to playoff games in AZ when they played the Cardinals and, of course, I cheered on the team from St. Louis and would have much preferred they won the title). That's what it means to be a Cardinal fan. To celebrate their 10 World Titles, more than any other team save the Yankees.
Rather than respond to my St. Lou friend who is a Braves fan, I chose a larger audience. My reader(s). It would have been easy to remind him of the Braves, famous for choking so many years when the won 15 division titles and only 1 World Series with Maddux, Glavine, Smoltz, et. al. Or how the offensive tomahawk chop was stolen from FSU. Or how they haven't been able to sell out their playoff games for the last few years that they made the playoffs. But I'm probably not going to change his mind anymore than I could change a follower of Barry Obama by pointing out what a miserable job he's doing in the White House.
If Cardinal nation can be criticized for anything, it would be that they are so loyal that perhaps they just root for laundry. Whoever wears the Cards' uniform is held in esteem. If the Cardinals traded their entire team to the Cubs, then Cardinal fans would cheer for the Cardinals. The difference: they would also cheer for ex-Cardinals.
Cardinal Nation--long may it last!
posted by TQ @ 8:17 AM
1 Comments:
At 3:14 PM,
Fort Wayne Tour Guide said…
Nicely done. If I was grading this paper I would give it an 'A.' And I haven't even gone back to check the grammar, syntax, or spelling.
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