I’m just returning from a forty-eight hour sports trip with my Dad that began at Logan on 4 hours of sleep frantically trying to find a sports page and in the meantime walking right past Bob Ryan. My manager couldn’t help but laugh when I requested the days off explaining I absolutely had to go to the Bengals game. His response, “how much is someone paying you to go?”.
I grew up thinking the Bengals were America’s favorite football team, never fully comprehending my father was from Cincy and this was why I had a banner in my room. I thought the two best teams in baseball were the Cubs and the Sox. My father and mother met in Chicago. My family has had a tragic history with sports towns until recent years.
I was not only missing work to see the UC basketball game and Bengals game, I was also missing a Bruins game, This, I assure you, is a whole shows a much deeper degree of commitment.
UC lost against Xavier. After the longest ten minutes in a quarter and the Bearcats only getting two points on the board, I began to question my decision. They had a better chance than the Bengals. My cousin told me he heard a rumor Kevin Youkilis was at the game, as well as Nick Lachee. I looked endlessly for a shiny baldhead with no success. Then halftime there he was. And in my aisle. I squeezed out of my seat to talk to him.
I was crouched on the stairs beside him realizing I had no idea what to say. The way I always imagine seeing Red Sox players is at a bar, and I always say, you’re money is no good here, buy them each a PBR and thank them for my fondest memories, and my only memories in a special edition DVD. I tapped him on the shoulder and he stared at me trying to place me. He’s respected in Cincy, but he’s no celebrity. I informed him he didn’t actually know me. He seemed relieved. I shook his hand thanked him for making Boston such a wonderful city. And returned to my seat. Which I quickly realized was not my seat as I nearly sat down on an old lady. Wrong row.
I went to bed happy and woke up and quickly prepared for the Bengals game, we were going early to tailgate. Yes, there were people tailgating. People had vans painted as Bengals. Yes, there are Bengals fans. They have one of the worst records, a terrible owner, and a joke of a coach. But still, there they were all around me.
Real live Bengal fans. People unable to give up on a team, on a city. They hadn’t switched over to become Lions fans…or more likely Giants fans. I thought about the banner in my room growing up. Thought about my trips to Cincy as a kid where my uncle would let me open box after box of baseball cards. I thought about Youk. And yes, I even thought about karma. Loyal sports fans get rewarded.
Or in your case, Bud, your grandchildren did. The ones who haven’t thoroughly disappointed you by going to the dark pinstripe side of sports.
