1994 was the last time any Bay Area sports team (the Oakland A's and Raiders, the San Francisco Giants and 49ers, the Golden State Warriors and the San Jose Sharks) has brought home a championship. It was the 1994 San Francisco 49ers who dominated the San Diego Chargers in the Super Bowl that year, 49-26. It was lopsided. With Bay Area teams having won championships in 1980, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1988, and 1989, it was clear that our teams were the real deal. We dominated the 80s. There was no reason we couldn't continue this golden age.
But history shows that things never rule in anyone's favor forever.It's been 16 years since any of our teams have brought home the big trophy (or cup, or whatever), and with the Giants 2 games away from winning the World Series (and clearly dominating), we're the closest we've been to quenching that championship drought (the Giants were in the World Series in 02 and the Raiders in the Super Bowl that same year...it goes without saying those attempts ended in futility).
There's no questioning I'm excited about this. There's no question that the whole Bay Area is excited about this (well...at least for those who don't live in the East Bay). But as I've noticed and is to be expected, I sure as hell see alot more Giants fans out there than I saw during the regular season or in the past 7 years of pitiful Giants seasons. The bandwagon/fairweather fans have arrived, and almost instantly every other person in the region is a Giants fan. They update their facebook statuses and tweet about the Giants when just a month ago there was hardly a peep about the sport. They're able to name off the Giants roster (the active one in the playoffs, at least) They're is sporting their black and orange Giants gear, taking pride in the $40 t-shirt that states that the Giants were the 2010 NL West champions.
It's inevitable. It's expected. And to an extent, it feels phony and sort of cheapens the whole experience for the fans who had stuck with the team throughout the year and actually could name off the roster who had been playing when the season opened back in April. There are multiple articles addressing this, and there have been quite a few venting their frustration with the sudden influx of "fans."
I'll admit, it bothered me at first too. I was frustrated at the fact that there were people who were pretending to speak about baseball as if they had followed throughout the season. It annoyed me that there were people who would mindless state "who are we playing now?...who? Ok...go Giants!" Where were you when the Giants were in 3rd place and didn't seem to have a fat chance to get into the playoffs? Where were you when we were swept by the A's and the Dodgers? Where were you when we lost 6 in a row back in June...and in August?
But if it's one thing I learned, it's that you have to welcome these hundreds of thousands of new fans and supporters. Why? It's because of what this pending championship is bringing to the Bay Area. It's something exciting. Something magical. A common ground for San Francisco and Bay Area residents alike to rally around and actually root for.
It's giving people a reason to go to happy hour with their coworkers, it's providing an excuse to go to a bar on a Wednesday night. People are honking their horns downtown for no particular reason, while residents in normally quiet neighborhoods are hooting with joy and blowing air horns. It's become a hot topic of conversation for everyone, whether you're at school, at the office, or even on public transit.What this World Series is doing (and I could say this about any sports team in general) is providing a sense of unity for the San Francisco Bay Area (with the exception of those few bitter A's fans who refuse to accept the fact that they are just damn jealous). BART stations are laden with black and orange streamers, newspaper headlines are dominated by the successes of the team, and City Hall and Coit Tower are actually lit up in orange:
And most important of all, it's just alot of fucking fun.
So I say let's just enjoy the moment as it's unfolding in front of us. Regardless of whether you're a diehard fan who's disgruntled at the fact that there are all these n00bs trying to pretend they've been around for the team through thick and thin or if you're a green eyed A's fan (pun intended) wishing it was your team in the spotlight, let's get caught in the moment and appreciate what this seemingly improbably (according to most national sports writers) playoff run is doing for our community. It's as if the city has turned into a huge college campus wherein everyone is rooting for the home team, even if they're not entirely sure why.
I don't see any point in taking the "hipster" approach to rooting for sports teams (ya know, the whole 'I was into them before it was cool to be into them, but now that everyone's into them, I can't be into them...cause it wouldn't be ironic thing). The sense of community and anticipation of our first championship in 16 years should provide enough adrenaline and exhilaration for the region as a whole, something I think that regions who see championships regularly take for granted (I'm looking at you, Lakers).
So, soak it in everyone. The atmosphere isn't something we get to enjoy very often, so let's get lost in the party while we can. It may be another 16 years before we get to experience this all again.
GO GIANTS!
"Were you at a party?"
"No, I was at a bar with alot of medical marijuana"
-as heard on Muni
No comments:
Post a Comment