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Written by The Common Man
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Wednesday, 17 February 2010 11:47 |
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I think my nationalism is broken.
Aside from the hilariously awkward cauldron malfunction during the Opening Ceremonies and the sad tragedy on the luge track, I have not been paying attention to the Winter Olympics. This morning, I was surprised to find that the US was second in the overall medal count (behind Germany. Germany???), while the formerly powerful Russians were languishing with just one bronze medal, behind such international powerhouses as Estonia, Slovakia, and Switzerland. But, frankly, I don't care. I have never heard of most of these athletes before, and I will never hear of them again. I realize that these athletes have devoted countless hours and unimaginable effort to reach the peaks of their sports, but their performances don't invite audience participation outside of the traditional "U.S. against the World" storyline, or the manufactured "Athlete X has had to overcome such hardship to be here." I mean, can you really tell the difference between one bobsled run and another? I can't. Is there a good reason why a biathalon involves cross-country skiing and shooting? What in God's name could those activities have to do with one another? To study enough to fully appreciate these efforts would take far too much of my time, and the mechanics of some of these activities don't really suggest great athleticism (really, you can push a sled down a hill? so can my 3 year old). While I used to enjoy the skiing program (I was a (very bad) competitive alpine skier), I've lost touch over time (perhaps related to my second torn ACL, which I still need to get fixed). And I'm too old to get crushes on figure skaters anymore (besides, no one can replace Kristi Yamaguchi), even though Johnny Weir is pretty awesome. So, I guess I'm left with hockey, a sport I was never very good at and that I don't like watching on TV.
Meanwhile, pitchers and catchers have started to report; player X is in the best shape of his life, player y is using last year as extra motivation, almost all the offseason movement has sorted itself out, and official workouts begin tomorrow. Baseball has a familiar rhythm, both in the ways it is played and reported on that is soothing. Baseball has a history that is both accessible and relatable to the current game. The sounds and smells and actions of the game are repetitive so as to invite easy comparison and analysis. And so baseball fandom is like a habbit that is constantly reinforced in a wonderful feedback loop. The more you pay attention to the game, the more you notice; the more you notice, the more you remember great performances and appreciate the performance in front of you; and the more you remember and appreciate the game, the greater the interest you have in continuing to pay attention. And the nature of the regular season, where there are games every night reinforces and rewards your constant attention, such that when the season ends, it can hurt like a pang.
So while the Olympics are nice, I guess, when they end I won't really care. I won't have lost a close friend that keeps me company every night. And when they return in four years, I won't be nearly as excited as I am to see footage of Minnesota Twins playing catch in Fort Myers or hear Vin Scully's voice for the first time in months. This is already shaping up to be an interesting season, and here's one storyline for each team that is going to be worth watching for the next 8 months:
Arizona Diamondbacks: Does Edwin Jackson make them better in 2010, or will Schrezer outperform him in both the short and long term?
Atlanta Braves: When does Jason Heyward get The Call?
Baltimore Orioles: How much salary will they will be able to dump mid-season, and what will Andy MacPhail get in return?
Boston Red Sox: If the Sox start slow, will Boston's media make Theo's job untenable?
Chicago Cubs: Is Alfonso Soriano a lost cause?
Chicago White Sox: Will the rotation be able to cover for an aging and disappointing offense?
Cincinnati Reds: Is this the year of The Bruce?
Cleveland Indians: Will all the young talent acquired in the Sabathia, Lee, and Blake deals start to pan out?
Colorado Rockies: After another late season run, and postseason appearance, can the Rox put together a whole year of solid baseball?
Detroit Tigers: Can they stay healthy enough to stay competitive? Injury risks include: Magglio, Guillen, Bonderman, Willis, Robertson, and Inge.
Florida Marlins: Every few years, the Fish put together a solid run and make the playoffs. Is this the year?
Houston Astros: Will they finish below the Pirates?
Kansas City Royals: Do you trust The Process? How much worse can it get in KC?
Los Angeles Angels: After losing so many cogs, can the Angels' player development machine keep manufacturing replacement parts?
Los Angeles Dodgers: Has the Dodgers' inactivity this offseason scuttled their chances in a weak NL West?
Milwaukee Brewers: Is there enough pitching to compete or does the Prince Fielder sweepstakes begin?
Minnesota Twins: Will the best offseason in recent memory finally translate into a deep playoff run?
New York Mets: Can you win with a five-man team?
New York Yankees: How will the Joba situation shake itself out? Is it too late to make him a 150 IP reliever?
Oakland A's: Has the world passed Billy Beane by?
Philadelphia Phillies: Will not having Lee prove the difference?
Pittsburgh Pirates: Are Huntington and Nutting on the right track in finally rebuilding the Bucs?
St. Louis Cardinals: Will Prince Albert finally sign on the line which is dotted?
San Diego Padres: Are they finally turning the ship around or is Adrian Gonzalez going to be moved?
San Francisco Giants: How much more can they mess with Buster Posey before they finally get their heads on straight?
Tampa Bay Rays: Can they sneak past the Yankees or Red Sox for the Wild Card?
Texas Rangers: Are the Rangers ready to break through with all their young talent? Have they finally fixed their rotation problems?
Toronto Blue Jays: How do the Jays address their fundamental lack of talent that keeps them from being competitive?
Washington Nationals: When does Strasburg show up?
Check out The Common Man three days a week on his own blog and follow him on Twitter.
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