Photo shoot fresh, looking like wealth
I’m ’bout to call the paparazzi on myself
If you have not heard the latest–“Otis”–from Jay-Z and Kanye West, you ought to be ashamed of yourself. I’m not even a huge fan of Kanye, but I’ll give him this one. In the same vein of recognizing greatness, I’m willing to also admit I may have been wrong about the whole Twins making a comeback thing.
Now I’m bout to make them tuck they whole summer in
They say I’m crazy, well, I’m ’bout to go dumb again
They are 9.5 games back and it’s August. They just got swept by the White Sox and lost a homestand against the Red Sox. And Joe Mauer may permanently play first base. With that last loss to the Sox, I actually found myself thinking, “It’s ok. I mean you can’t always be the comeback kids. Sometimes, you just gotta lose and we have to be ok with that.” Right about the time that thought cleared my mind, I saw the Pioneer Press story about Minnesota fans and their struggling pro-sports teams. What struck me was that one fan noted how Minnesotans handle mediocrity better.
Luxury rap, the Hermes of verses
Sophisticated ignorance, write my curses in cursive
I get it custom, you a customer
We are. No matter what you think, we are customers of Minnesota sports mediocrity. We will never enjoy the pomp(ousness) and circumstance of teams like the Yankees. There is no luxury in our sports–unless you count Target Field and Joe Mauer’s contract. And, when our anger boils over about how terrible the team is, it’s pithy and passive.
The Vikings have been apart of Minnesota's lovable losers for years...Chris Graythen/Getty Images
Lord, please let them accept the things they can’t change
And pray that all of their pain be champagne
Our sports teams are our lovable losers–or maybe lovable middle-road performers. We’re teased with runs towards playoffs, tournaments and major upset victories only to see the final seconds tick away while the momentum unravels around us. We cling to hopes bound up in “super stars” like Kevin Garnett, Stephon Marbury, Brett Favre, Joe Mauer, Marian Gaborik, and Tubby Smith, only to have them toy with our emotions as they “play the field” at season’s end. But we come back, time and time again, because like our frigid winters, our storied niceness and our sought out stoicism, our pro sports mediocrity will always be there. Sure we’ve had some great wins, but as that Pioneer Press story pointed out, those wins have been few and far between.
Sq-sq-sq-squeeze her, don’t tease her
Never leave her…
Few and far between, though painful at times, is enough for us. It’s what we’re used to. The teasing and heart-wrenching madness of another season left in ruins without a championship. As much as we hate it, we don’t want it to leave. Deep down, we know it won’t go anywhere (as much as the owners and leagues threaten to take it away). And, that’s enough for us–knowing that it’s ok but it’s not great. Our patience will pay off, eventually. Right?
I’m done, I hit ya up mana-naaaa!
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