An RJ's Fro Public Service Announcement: Changing Fandom Come Playoff Time
Alright, I guess my self imposed exile has been long enough. The hurt of a Padre-less playoff has slowly begun to disappear and I'm finally returning to normal (well as normal as I can get). I haven't posted much lately but I have been reading all the various sites (including Facebook & Twitter) and keeping up on the early off-season happenings. Here's something that irked me like no other though...
WHY ARE PADRE FANS ROOTING FOR THE GIANTS IN THE PLAYOFFS?!?!!?!
I've read numerous people say "Oh well I figured I'd root for the NL West team, now that the Padres are eliminated" or "I'm rooting for the Giants because they have Bochy & Flan" or "I hate the Phillies so I'm rooting for the Giants". What is wrong with you people? This is why Padres fans have become such pushovers lately.
Do you think Red Sox fans are rooting for the Yankees just because they are in the same division? Not a chance in hell! That just seems like such a ridiculous thing to say. It's called division "rivals" for a reason. The Dodgers, Giants, Rockies & D-Backs aren't the Padres division "buddies". Curse those 4 teams! Before every season starts I hope that the standings will go a little something like this....
1. Padres
2-26 Any team that isn't from the NL West
And then a 4 way tie for last place between the Dodgers, Giants, Rockies & D-Backs
And look I hate Philly as much as the next respectful human being does, but when they are playing the Giants? The Red & White pom poms come out baby! I have transformed into a Phanatic these past couple of days!!
Then there's the Bochy & Flan connection. Ok, ok, I get this one. I loved Boch & Flan too. Between the 2 of them they have about a bijillion* years of service to Padres baseball. Even the Mayor of Niceyville, Steve Poltz**, announced his support for the Giants this morning on the DSC show. The Mayor stated, that after almost 2 weeks of hatred running through his veins, he begrudgingly came to the conclusion that Flan and Boch are really good friends of his and he'd like to see them do well. He was in a tough spot and a mere mortal would have buckled on Day 1 and went to the dark side, but the Mayor ain't no mere mortal and he withheld for days and days. Here's how I see this situation....not being a personal friend of Boch or Flan but being a fan of theirs when they were here, I'd like to see the Giants still lose...but don't lose because Boch failed to pull a pitcher in time or Flan waved home a 300 pound catcher running from 2nd on a bloop single. Let the players lose the game themselves and have Boch & Flan come out unscathed.
Remember the 1999 season? Kevin Brown shunned the Padres to take like a bizillion* dollars more from the Dodgers. We all know what he did for the Padres in 1998 was great. We have Petco Park partly because of him. But when he first returned to San Diego on April 16th, 1999 in Dodger blue the fans let him have it that was just as great! We as Padre fans need to regain that swagger! Remember 1984?!? I don't... because I was 3 years old, but from all I read the fans welcomed back the team with open arms late at night as they came off the buses. The Padres claimed that seeing all those fans renergized them and they fed off of that.
So with that I implore you Padre fans to root on the Phillies. As I type this out the Phillies are wrapping up Game 5 and taking the series back to Philly down 3 games to 2. All I'm asking for is 2 games Padre fans. Root on the Phillies and then you can root for the Rangers or the Yankees if you so desire. But never, ever, root for the Giants.
Thank you,
SDPads1
*Yes I said the words "bijillion" and "bizillion"...obviously they are two completely different amounts because of the spelling.
**Catch the Mayor of Niceyville Steve Poltz, this Saturday, 9 PM at the Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach with Bushwalla. Tickets are on sale now for only $16 bucks! Buy now, now, now!!!! And if that doesn't bring you out maybe this video will....
