Find The Fun (and you don't have to look far).

Jim Crikket @ Knuckleballs Blog has a great post called "Being a Fan: It's Not Always Easy." It's a great post and everyone should read it right now. Go.

Welcome back.

Good, eh?

"I’ve always said, and still believe today, that the worst day at a ballgame is better than the best day just about anywhere else," Jim says.

I love that. And want everyone to remember it. Not that I think any of the real Twins fans I know would just give up on the Twins or lose interest all together, but Jim's point about finding ways to enjoy watching the Twins right now is a very good one.

Remember that baseball is fun.

For me, baseball isn't a sport that's only fun when you win. Sure, you find yourself nonplussed and frustrated when things go as terribly poor as they have been for the Twins lately (and it has been bad-- I am not intending to leave that unacknowledged. It's been a turd fest.), but ... hey, it's still a fun game.

It's baseball. It's still 9 innings in which each at-bat means anything can happen. It's still full of great sports moments -- some epic, Friday Night Lights-worthy, and some tiny, blink and you miss it -- drama, humor and interesting personal narratives. All of this you pick up and enjoy when you are a fan and you follow your team.

It's still a great show. And better than Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior.


So, find the fun. Maybe don't follow just the Twins right now-- check in on some other teams, winning ones if that's what you need, watch Baseball Tonight from time to time (or at least the last 5 minutes for web gems.)


And do these things:

• Go to Target Field. It's still awesome. The food is just as good, the beer just as cold. The view is as lovely as ever. Twins fans are awesome and keep it fun. Trevor Plouffe has a Kings of Leon song for his walk-up music. Just go.
  

• Speaking of great views, don't forget to enjoy it, if you know what I mean. Even Mauer-less, the Twins still have a pretty hot lineup. Not sure where to start? Begin with Danny "Hide Your Daughters" Valencia at third and work your way around the horn. Huh, that sounded dirtier than I meant. Maybe.
  
  
• Watch/listen to every game and notice all the gaytastic sounding terms. Imagine your gay male friends' cheeky grins when you hear Jason got some good wood on it, Thome goes deep, Carl got in there with a backdoor slider, Span stroked one up the middle...
  
  
• Go ahead and yell at your TV. It really does make you feel better. Especially if you yell old timey profanities like MY STARS AND GARTERS, DELMON, RUN!
  
  
  
• Drink heavily.

Ciao, buddies.
-cr.