Congratulations
Over on Altercation today, I ran this:
Some never thought the Berlin Wall would fall. Others saw no way that Apartheid could wane in South Africa. Others still doubted that we could design a brightly colored water gun that could spray a cat at 20 yards. I never thought I would see this. The Boston Red Sox won a World Series Championship AND Brian Wilson finished Smile Our foundations tremble. Our belief system is rocked. Babe Ruth matters less. David Hume matters more. Never underestimate the power of human beings to rise up from humiliation.Melissa cried last night. She burst into tears of joy and relief as the Cardinals ground into their last out. She looked so happy I could not resist a few tears myself. She told me it was the second happiest day of her life, just after the day she married me (and daring to bring a Texan Hindu Yankee fan into her Boston Catholic Red Sox clan). But I am not so sure. I think it's close to a tie. It's not exactly true to say that she has been waiting her whole life for this. More accurately, she never allowed herself to fantasize about it. Yesterday morning she was tense and jumpy. I asked her what was she was all nervous about. "Everything," she said. "The Red Sox, John Kerry, everything." I told her, "what are you talking about? Your football team has not lost in 21 games. The Sox are up 3-0. And Kerry is winning. What are you worried about?"
"Buckner!" was her terse reply. So this Red Sox victory is more than a dream come true for her. It's a new world entirely.
To every Red Sox fan who looked down at her ticket and read "obstructed view" yet sat through the game behind one of those green posts at Fenway anyway, congratulations for your devotion.
To every Red Sox fan who stood with dignity as drunk Fordham students chanted "1918" in their ears, congratulations for your stoic courage.
To every Red Sox fan who excused letting Fred Lynn, Rick Burleson, Cecil Cooper, Carlton Fisk, Jeff Bagwell, Wade Boggs, Roger Clemens, Mo Vaughn, and Nomar go, figuring it was "best for the team" in the long run, congratulations for your faith.
To my amazing and brilliant wife, who never let herself dream about this day, but got to live it anyway, that you for having such an amazing spirit and infinite patience.
Somewhere, Bart Giamatti is smiling.
Y'all deserve this moment. I know. I am not just a Yankee fan. I am also a Buffalo Bills fan.
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