Baseball

When it comes to sports, it should be no secret by now that Football (specifically the American iteration of the game) is the gold standard for me. A few years ago (sometime during 2003 or 2004) Rugby (and to a lesser extent Australian and Association Football) was added to the list. For the longest time, however, I couldn't quite bring myself to get into Baseball, and not for lack of trying. I've been to a couple Baseball games, and while I've typically enjoyed watching the game in the park, watching the game on television was always something of a chore. That might not be the case for long, however.

Ken Burns' excellent documentary on the sport--aptly entitled Baseball, in keeping with Burns' apparent penchant for Laconic titles--is instrumental in my conversion. Though I've only seen the second and third installments of the nine-part series, knowing the history of the sport and it's place in American culture has done wonders for my interest in the game. Burns has a way of presenting the subject matter with an inimitable degree of enthusiasm. I'm convinced he could produce a documentary on stamp collection and somehow make it seem interesting.

Of course, now that I'm attempting to get into the game, I'm faced with the decision of what team to favor. The logical decision would be the Seattle Mariners, as I live in Washington. On the other hand, they do suck. I've decided instead to follow in my late grandfather's footsteps and become a Yankees fan (with the Chicago White Sox at number two). This decision carries with it the bonus of allowing me to antagonize everyone, because everyone hates the Yankees. Before you jump down my throat, I'd like to remind you that I made my decision knowing full well that the Yankees missed the postseason. Yes I decided to like the Yankees when they sucked, not when they were good. How about them apples?