And today is the first day that I’m starting to feel ambivalent about the whole 2007 Orioles campaign.
Here’s a free-of-charge campaign slogan for Bob Leffler: "A Decade of Decay!"
Sure, I watch them almost every night, but tonight they’re home, the game is a few blocks away, a free ticket is there for the asking — and you know what? — I just don’t feel much like watching them or going tonight.
They’ve almost become uninteresting to me, because, for the 10th consecutive year, there is really no hope!
I mean. I’ve given them six weeks or so, and basically, they suck like they always do!
And the only drama is either steroids or losing or firing the manager or something stupid the owner (or his son) did this week — either to a media member, or the city, or the state, or a player who wants out, or a trade that’s been nixed…etc…just bulls**t that doesn’t contribute to fun OR winning baseball or good citizenship!
(Editor’s note: I drove 30 minutes each way to Owings Mills today to spend a grand total of about 18 minutes on the field as the Ravens players came off. I chatted with Todd Heap, Bart Scott and every rookie draft pick about doing a show two weeks from now. Ya know, they’d come out AND MEET THE COMMUNITY AND THEIR FANS??? Novel idea, I know…BUT they all said "yes," I’m putting it together a rookie "welcome night" — and VOILA — lo and behold, I’m thinking purple football on an 80-degree spring day in May.
Minicamp is two weeks away. We’re going to do a cool show! Reading Peter King’s MMQB got me all fired up about Roger Goodell…the Roadtrips are on sale…I wore my Ravens shirt the other day…
OHHHHH, that’s right I was writing about the Orioles…
I digress…)
They’re four games under .500. (My prediction is 71-91…I won’t be more three games off either way!)
The manager is lame duck. (He’s a helluva good guy but a really lousy manager!)
The front office is handcuffed to even fire the manager, because only the owner — not even the owner’s son — can do that.
The television network looks like something outta Garth’s basement in Wayne’s World.
The Red Sox are running away with the division.
The one guy on the team who is good enough to build an entire marketing project around to win back some fans acts like a jackass every five days (not that I would know, because I’m not in the locker room!)
An old friend of mine — who shall remain nameless — called me at 8:45 a.m. yesterday and said it’s akin to a wake watch over a long-struggling, dying relative. But that the patient didn’t HAVE to die!
Once again…FREE THE BIRDS 2 drums are beating…
I want my baseball team back, and this isn’t getting it done in any capacity!
