1. Winning is not life or death - There's a general "gee whiz, we're glad to be here" feeling from Seattle fans with their major professional teams (Mariners, Seahawks, Sonics... oh, oh wait). In Boston or New York, any sign of weakness is treated with a general outcry and an increase in the suicide rate. Seattle fans are just happy to have teams and talk about things like "how much they just love coming out to the ballpark" and "it's just great to root on the team."
In other words, it's a cheap owner's dream.
2. Fans are not critical of their teams - Now granted fans of Boston and New York can go way overboard with this, and I would dare say that the intense media pressure put on the Red Sox went a long way in the so-called curse. But in Seattle you can't say anything negative about the hometown teams unless they're in last place of their division. Take the Griffey signing... it hasn't exactly panned out, but you wont hear a peep about it. Now if you switch the tables and look at David Ortiz in Boston and fans are wondering when they're going to move him down in the lineup or out of it altogether. Nothing personal, Ortiz did a lot for the Red Sox, but you can't have the third batter in the lineup be hitting .220 with no home runs.
3. Fans expect bad things to happen, but dont complain about them - Fans knew the 2001 Seattle Mariners weren't winning the World Series. They won 116 games and yet everyone was reserved to the fact that they wouldn't make it through the post-season. And it wasn't as if they were dreading it either, they were just grateful the team had won 116 games. That's great loyalty, but what does it say for your franchise when a team finishes a season with the most wins in the history of baseball and their fans still can't get excited for the postseason?
And it's different from Boston pre-2004 - when fans sat shell-shocked in Fenway Park, expecting the world to come crashing down. It weighed above them emotionally.
Meanwhile in Seattle, everyone just shrugged their shoulders and went hiking.
So what bugs you about Seattle fans?
Is anyone ever going to get that Seattle did NOT sign Junior to lead the team to a winning record. Anyone who thinks this wasn't a ploy to sell more tickets by bringing the quote un quote savior of Seattle baseball back for his last hurrah is nuts. What did people expect? Oh and don't think Boston wouldn't bring Ortiz back on the cheap after his prime if the team was horrible and wanted to sell some extra tickets while they were rebuilding, which is what I hope the Mariners are doing.
ReplyDeleteSeattle fans suck. Way to loose the Sonics there guys. Nice work. Why don't you move to a real city like Dallas. Here we support our teams. And we show up to the games.
ReplyDeleteGriffey signing... biggest crock ever.
ReplyDeleteEverything. I'll elaborate later. It's too late in the night to begin.
ReplyDelete