There are only a couple times each year that I truly feel like an outsider in Cincinnati -- when U of M plays Ohio State (GO BLUE!!!) and on Opening Day.
Not unlike Detroit, Opening Day in Cincinnati is a big deal. No one goes to work (except me), people start lining up at 7 a.m. for a parade that happens at 1 p.m., and the downtown area essentially shuts down for a massive festival. So, what's a baseball lover and Detroit fan to do in a sea of Reds?
I had to answer that age-old question this morning as I selected my outfit for the day, knowing full well that a Reds shirt meant a casual day at work (and c'mon, the Catholic schooler in me can't pass up a jeans day for ANYTHING), but not wanting to fully embrace Reds mania.
Of course, this isn't the first time I've had to wrestle with my baseball allegiances. After all, for most of 2009 and part of 2010, I lived a block from Wrigley Field. This was kind of cool because, well, it's Wrigley Field -- but I can't express in words how much I hate the Cubs. Seriously. To really convey how much I hate the Cubs, you'd have to see me in person. When they're mentioned, I scrunch up my face, roll my eyes, say something obnoxious about the most obnoxious team in baseball, then start to wax poetic about the wonders of the Tigers.
In spite of all that, though, I did buy a Cubs shirt once (on sale, with a player's name on the back who'd been traded two seasons prior) to wear for my first trip to Wrigley to see the Cubs play the Nationals. I chose the game I'd go to carefully, because if I was going to have to watch the Cubs, I at least wanted to see them win. Of course, they did, because the only team worse than the Cubs is the Nationals. Tigers, Cubs, Reds -- in the end, I guess it doesn't really matter. Above everything else, I love baseball. I love stadiums. I love hotdogs and beer. So this morning, I pulled on my Reds shirt and hung up my Detroit hat. I'll always be a Tigers fan -- and when they play the Reds in June, you bet I'll be chanting "Eat 'em up!!!" at all three games -- but as long as the Reds and the Tigs are in different leagues, there can be room in my heart for both.
Happy Opening Day!!!
I'm from St. Louis originally, but having spent 95% of my life had made me a die hard Detroit fan, especially when it comes to the Red Wings. My extended family always gives me grief when we visit St. Louis -- "This is your hometown! You're cheering for the wrong team!" -- but it's all in good fun, and I think you summed it up in one sentence.
ReplyDeleteAbove everything else, it's about the sport.
(Even though I want the Red Wings to beat the Blues in playoffs and to bring home the cup.)