Three things

[Tom Bisson <tbisson@doe.state.vt.us>]

One observation, one question, and a pet peeve:

Observation: McDonough's reporting on a recent poll of Boston fans
should put to rest the self-serving myth that Boston sports fans are
particularly knowledgeable in relation to other fans around the country.

Question: Will the advent of the internet change the nature of sports
fandom? As kids growing up, we didn't always favor the local team
(living in Vermont, the "local" teams were a bit remote to begin with).
Our friends tended to like and identify with whatever team and/or player
was good at the time. For example, there were Green Bay fans, Cowboy
fans, Laker fans, Bucks fans, Pirate fans, Met fans, etc. Sometimes, the
affinity toward a team that developed as a kid first "got into" a sport
lasts into adulthood, but frequently the affinity gravitates toward the
local team because that team is on televison more often and it is
covered in the local papers and the big city paper (Globe, for example)
is available while other big city papers covering other teams are not.
We tend to become fans of teams and players we know; in fact, fandom
means following a team. With the internet, however, one can read the
"local" paper of any team and know all about the players on that team.
(Also, with satellite and cable TV, it's possible to watch the teams
more often.) In short, the "gravity that frequently pulled the emerging
fan toward the home team is losing its pull. Are people going to be less
likely to identify their city with their teams? If so, then teams better
race to get a good stadium deal now because public support for such
give-aways is sure to erode.

Pet Peeve:
Someone made the remark recently about "calling the kettle black." I
also hear people saying (not necessarily on this list) that some team or
player got "gyped." I'm sure the users of these phrases are not
expressing a racist sentiment, but never-the-less, the phrases are
racist. "Calling the kettle black" refers to someone pointing out a
fault in another when he or she has that fault. What's the "fault?" -
being black. Very disparaging remark. The other phrase stereotypes
Gypsies as cheats. It's as offensive as saying. "I got Jew'd." I'm not
trying to be the PC police, just trying to create a little awareness of
language.

- tom bisson