Monday, September 27, 2004
“YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH!”
Glen Stout sheds some light on the anti-Semitic motivation in the evolution of the c-word in this month’s addition of Boston Baseball. Unfortunately, I can’t find the article on-line, but George Vecsey, whom Stout credits with the notion of the c-word, comes clean in the NY Times.
Back in 1986, hours before the sixth game of the World Series, I wrote an early-edition Sunday column that toyed with the concept of some cockamamie curse involving Babe Ruth and the Red Sox.
All I can say is that I don't want to be a part of the Frazee legend. My chronology about "Nanette" was wrong. I never read Fred Lieb. I had no glimmer of any ancient anti-Semitic link to Frazee, a prominent and popular New Yorker who had serious enemies in other parts of the country.
The facts are: 1) Frazee did not want to destroy the Red Sox, 2) Babe Ruth is no longer the greatest ballplayer of all-time, 3) the Red Sox are not unlucky, so there can be and is no c-word.
It is more romantic to think the Red Sox are c-worded. As Sox fans, it provides us with a kind of Badge of Honor - we are tirelessly devoted to a club that we know will never win. It allows us to feel superior to other fans. We don’t need that; the facts demonstrate what great fans we are.
Just like the Easter Bunny, the c-word is complete bull $hit. We should no longer believe in it. The facts do not support the notion. Now, it has created a mind-set of negativity that even reached the clubhouse, according to Grady Little, last October. It is inconsequential if fans have a pessimistic outlook, but our negative attitude seeped into the locker room. So the baseless fairy tale has to and should end.
Glen Stout sheds some light on the anti-Semitic motivation in the evolution of the c-word in this month’s addition of Boston Baseball. Unfortunately, I can’t find the article on-line, but George Vecsey, whom Stout credits with the notion of the c-word, comes clean in the NY Times.
Back in 1986, hours before the sixth game of the World Series, I wrote an early-edition Sunday column that toyed with the concept of some cockamamie curse involving Babe Ruth and the Red Sox.
All I can say is that I don't want to be a part of the Frazee legend. My chronology about "Nanette" was wrong. I never read Fred Lieb. I had no glimmer of any ancient anti-Semitic link to Frazee, a prominent and popular New Yorker who had serious enemies in other parts of the country.
The facts are: 1) Frazee did not want to destroy the Red Sox, 2) Babe Ruth is no longer the greatest ballplayer of all-time, 3) the Red Sox are not unlucky, so there can be and is no c-word.
It is more romantic to think the Red Sox are c-worded. As Sox fans, it provides us with a kind of Badge of Honor - we are tirelessly devoted to a club that we know will never win. It allows us to feel superior to other fans. We don’t need that; the facts demonstrate what great fans we are.
Just like the Easter Bunny, the c-word is complete bull $hit. We should no longer believe in it. The facts do not support the notion. Now, it has created a mind-set of negativity that even reached the clubhouse, according to Grady Little, last October. It is inconsequential if fans have a pessimistic outlook, but our negative attitude seeped into the locker room. So the baseless fairy tale has to and should end.
0 Old Comments:
Thank you - Red Sox!
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