Don't Cry For Me, Stade Fasciste
I really hope this is a joke.
If Shaughnessy thinks the people who log on to Schilling's blog are "fanboys" and "sycophants" — and most of them aren't, they're simply asking the questions that lazy, jaded journalists who hate baseball and get "bored" at spring training won't — he should take a look at this site.
As if the Derek Jeter ball-washing and the unflagging belief in "mystique and aura" over at NYYFans weren't enough, "Project A13: The Ant-Boos Movement" has the baseball world beat when it comes to blending towering arrogance and abject hero worship.
Its mission is two-fold: to stop the booing of this god among men, and to be the spark that restores him to his former omnipotent glory. "Now that
Alex has chosen to stay and fight, and we have chosen to be positive and
support him for this decision, what we must do now is believe."
He chose us, right?
Definitely. He already had everything else in baseball.
How do you feel about choosing him?
Purposeful – like I can do something good for him, and this team.
If everyone comes together, do you think he’ll rise?
As long we believe, and Alex believes, I think we’ll all rise as one.
......
And that's really what this project is about, isn't it?
Coming together.
Being part of something that's bigger than ourselves...something
that we can all feel good about. Human beings by nature gravitate
towards one another—towards family and towards community—which is the
reason fans feel so much camaraderie in and amongst other fans. We can
all relate to each other's experiences, like appreciating the pride,
the joy, and the pain of our heroes' daily exploits. This is what makes
American Sport such a great outlet for life—especially baseball.
And where there are numbers, there is power, or so the saying goes.
Indeed, the power we hold in our hands, as a large, unified,
community of fans is incredible. How we wield this power and for what
purpose is our responsibility, and it's one that should not be taken
lightly. At our very worst, when we give in to the tabloids and the
experts and the negative thirst of the media, we have the ability to
destroy an athlete—to erode his confidence down to the point where his
mental game conflicts with the proper function of his physical game.
A.K.A., the current state of Alex Rodriguez: twenty-four errors, extended strikeout-filled slumps, .071 versus Detroit.
At our very best, when we rise above the primal urge to identify,
expose, and attack another man's weakness, we have the ability to lift
an athlete up off the dirt, put that confidence back in his bat, and
watch him feed off the positive energy to the tune of both personal and
public redemption—to the tune of greatness, if we let him.
Are you ready to believe?
(Make sure the sound is on for optimal effect.)
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