Like a jilted lover ignoring the phone when it rings, I am slowly but surely losing my baseball fanaticism.
Bill Simmons of ESPN proposes a fans’ strike against baseball. Technically, it would be a boycott, not a strike. But he’s right.
I have been offered Yankee tickets twice this month and turned down both offers. Normally, I’d make room for a ballgame; lately, my alternate plans have become more important, and not because they’re big, pressing engagements.
I would rather not go to Yankee Stadium right now. I don’t want to give Major League Baseball my money.
Take this for what it is. I’m not protesting; I’m not making noise. I have posted lots of baseball-related links this season. I remain a fan in my heart, and I still love the game.
What I don’t love is the business of baseball, the looming deadlines and the worthless negativity. In the labor talks, I don’t care who’s arguing about what; I am an avowed reader of sports business columns, yet I can’t bring myself to follow the strike news.
I no longer know who I think is right, and I no longer care. All I know is that the yapping has drained my interest in the season. I have stopped reading box scores. I rarely turn on a ballgame when I’m watching TV. I don’t know any Yankee pitcher’s ERA. And I’m not all that concerned.
Baseball is far and away my favorite sport. But it’s no longer the focus of my sports life. I have golf and NBA free-agent deals right now; in a few weeks I’ll have football and hockey games on TV.
Like a jilted lover ignoring the phone when it rings, I am slowly but surely losing my baseball fanaticism. It makes me sad, but it also makes things easier. If and when the strike hits, I will say, “Well, there you go,” instead of, “Oh, no.” Either way, I’m not giving the sport my money or my marketing-ready eyes and ears.
Maybe someday baseball will matter to me again. I hope it does. And I hope for Baseball’s sake the average fan’s disillusionment is somewhat less than mine.