Unwelcome Guests

Turn on the television, and there they are.  Go to a game, and there they are, sitting next to you.  Visiting fans following their teams are the new bane of professional sports.

The White Sox have been bad for so long that out-of-towners can probably get tickets to the Cell at under face value.  If you want a taste of New York or Boston and can’t afford the airfare, just head on down to 35^th and Shields.  The dregs of the East Coast will be there, acting like they own the place.

The first time I took Clare to Wrigley Field, I made sure she knew how to act; we were Sox fans who didn’t need to tell the world about it.  Later, when she started going to Sox-Cubs’ games with her boyfriend, I gave a little lecture on the dangers of saying something dumb.   “Nothing will happen to you,” I warned, “but they’ll take it out on Chris.”

The traveling faithful have become a staple on TV “away” broadcasts:  Look at all the fans who’ve made the trip from [place name of city here].  OK, guys, if you’re going to encourage this foolishness, remind people how to behave.  Dodgers’ and Giants’ fans can’t seem to keep themselves from bashing in heads.  We shouldn’t want that kind of behavior to spread.

If and when I make it to Fenway and my Sox are winning, I’ll use my inside voice to cheer.  Clare will, too.