Is there anything more American than baseball? Basketball was invented by an American. Football? No other country plays it like us...and not the soccer kind of football. With the NBA finals going on (go Celtics!), it makes me wonder what dictates whether a city gets a professional sports team. I know it's all about money, but the majority of the states around this country have no professional teams to speak of while others have a surplus - New York Yankees and Mets? LA Lakers and Clippers?
I've never lived in a city that didn't have a major sports team until now. Houston, Dallas, and San Francisco/Oakland all have some respectable and championship teams attached to their names. The closest that we have is Boston, which is two hours away. You'd think we were in Bean Town from the way people represent the Red Sox, Celtics, Patriots, and Bruins here. I guess Mainers make due with what they have.
I grew up in the Nolan Ryan era of the Astros, the Warren Moon era of the Oilers, the Hakeem Olajuwon era of the Rockets. I was fortunate enough to go to countless Astros games, one Oilers game, and maybe one or two Rockets games. Do you know what Maine has? The Sea Dogs, a farm team of the Red Sox. The Red Claws, a basketball team that just started playing last year, is part of the NBA Development league, whatever that is. Do you get my drift? You've never heard of these teams. You've never even heard of the players either. But I guess that's what you get when you live in a city with half a million people in the Portland "metropolitan" area and one and a half million people in the whole state.
What about the Portland Beavers? Round Rock Express is supposed to play them there in Portland. Guess what, though: I HAVE heard of the Sea Dogs. I think there was a misprint or something on the schedule at the Round Rock game we went to, so... there. You know someone who's heard of them.
ReplyDeleteJacoby Ellsbury, Josh Beckett and Jonathan Papelbon all played for the Sea Dogs. i drank many a beer at the Red Jack Saloon talking about the prospects of those players. As for your basketball team, never heard of it...who are the Celtics? They Irish or something?
ReplyDeleteShhh...y'all aren't helping my case! : )
ReplyDeleteJonathan Papelbon was here in town rehabbing with the Sea Dogs a few weeks ago.