OK, today I am going to be a “Sports” commentator if you will. But it is not so much about the teams as it is the fans!! First let me tell you a little about myself. When I was younger I had never really been involved in any kind of sport (watching or participating) other than track. When I was in grade school I was the fastest runner for a girl and I remember Jeff Z., was the fastest boy in our school, we each were very proud of our accomplishments, and proudly paraded our 1st Place ribbons. When I entered middle school (Junior High is what it used to be called) I continued to hold my record along with a few other runners in our school. But when it came to High School, well that was a whole different story. Yes I went out for track and I was still quite fast, especially short distance running, but I was no longer the “fastest”. There were many other great runners and so, as my confidence level declined, I quit track. Funny, because I’m generally not a quitter, especially since I became an adult.
I am now the type of person that if you tell me that I can’t, well guess what, I’ll try all the harder just to show you that I can! Guess I still have a little competetivness in me after all! For instance, since I have lived in Florida, I have just in the last few years become an avid Tampa Bay Rays baseball fan. Not sure why, since I was never really any kind of sports fan growing up. Now my husband, well that’s a different story. Anyway, this girl who was born and raised in the suburbs of Detroit, surrounded by Tigers and Lions fans everywhere has never really become a fan of these two teams. Now growing up, I can remember my Dad sitting in the garage tinkering and listening to the Tigers EVERY season! I admired his love for the sport, but I still did not become a fan. It wasn’t until I was married and moved to Arizona with my husband did I begin to even care to watch a sports team on TV. Back in the 80’s my hubby was a HUGE Pistons fan. Oh, I can list all of the great players of that day such as Isaiah Thomas, the Detroit Pistons point guard who led the “Bad Boys” to the 1988-1989 NBA Championship, other great players from his team were Bill Laimbeer, Vinnie (The Microwave) Johnson, Joe Dumars (currently the the GM of the Detroit Pistons), John Sally and Dennis Rodman, coached by Chuck Daly. How does a girl like me who originally was not a sports fan know this? When you live with a former high school basketball star and a fan of the sport, you will either love it or hate it so, I chose to learn about the sport and began to chime in and actually enjoy those amazing playoff games. Even while living in Arizona (14 years) at the time, we went to watch the Pistons play the Phoenix Suns of which we became fans as well. Oh and I must add, being from Detroit, but living in Arizona where both of our children were born, we also became fans of the Arizona Cardinals football team (we were also season ticket holders) mainly because of Jake Plummer, one of footballs most promising players. Jake was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the second round of the 1997 NFL draft. Every Cardinal fan of that day knows that had given the chance, Jake could have taken the Arizona Cardinals to victory!
Since our family moved and has lived in Florida for the last ten years, I have never really become a fan of any Florida teams until just a few years ago. One day I turned on the television and I saw the Tampa Bay Rays. The Rays inception took place in 1998 and are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB’s American League. I must admit I was glued to the tube! I saw a potential amazing team of which in 2009 had All-Star players such as Carl Crawford (most known for stealing bases), Jason Bartlett, Ben Zobrist and Evan Longoria. My interest in baseball began while living in Arizona when we frequently went to watch the Arizona Diamondback baseball team and this is when I can honestly say that I began to learn about the sport.
Now that I am a regular user of Facebook, mainly because of ministry and photography, I, in my excitement share my love and “comments” about my favorite baseball team the Tampa Bay Rays. The drawback, most of my family and old friends from the Detroit area can’t stand it! Almost every time I post something, someone feels this unnecessary urge to dig at me because I am not a fan of the Detroit Tigers. I have to admit that sometimes it bothers me especially when I read a comment the other night when the Tigers lost to the Texas Rangers. I made a comment on FB of who I may or may not be rooting for and found that a former high school friend who now lives in Tampa wrote, “Remember where you came from! Go Tigers!!” I remember thinking, how sad, since there are so many others things in life that one can be consumed with, they chose to be concerned about who I am rooting for. I must be honest once again, since my husband and I were married in TEXAS, and since I am not a Tigers fan, I have chosen to root for the Texas Rangers.
I have learned many things about Facebook and the power we possess right at our fingertips but one thing that stands out the most is just like anywhere else in the world, people will quickly, in a matter of seconds form and express their opinions freely and quite bluntly I might add, whether it be about sports, politics, world news even religion!
So I’ve decided to “woman up!” (with a little chuckle) If I’m going to be an expressive RAYS baseball fan or root for any other team, and if I choose to express my LOVE for the game, I am going to have to take the heat!! Let’s go RAYS!!
