As y'all know, I'm catching a couple of Red Sox games in Seattle over the next few days. I'm also in town to see my college friends, and we decided to have a nice little outing to Safeco Field to see the M's take on the Indians today. I decided that since I loathe pretty much everything about Cleveland, I'd be a good sport and root for the Mariners.. just for today. So I threw on my Hasselbeck jersey and my Red Sox hat (don't want anyone to think I'm an actual M's fan, you know), and headed to the park.
It was beautiful out today, and we got a block of seats in the Left Field bleachers. I had some beer, I ate some garlic fries, and a good time was had by all... almost.
I forgot that Mariners fans are NOT like Seahawks fans. Where Seahawks fans value getting into the game and trying to influence the outcome in favor of the home side, Mariner fans apparently think you should treat a baseball game like a trip to the opera or an art house film.
I damn near got kicked out today, without using any profanity and WHILE ROOTING FOR THE HOME TEAM. I started off with a fairly simple "Let's Go Mariners! Woo..." That earned me a few dirty looks and a smattering of "shut up." A few rows in front of me sat a suburban couple in their 40s, and the blond wife was the first to give me the stink-eye.
As a Red Sox fan, I glory in the struggles of the Cleveland nine, and I lustily shouted "You SUCK Grady!" when Grady Sizemore came to the plate. The blond wife wheeled on me and started screeching about how she knew the Sizemores and I should sit down and shut up. Ummm.. mistake #1 for her.
I started bellowing nonsensical taunts like "Hey Cleveland! The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame sucks compared to the EMP!" (Which it does).... The next time Sizemore came up I shouted "LEAVE GRADY ALONE!" That earned me another dirty look before the suburban couple left the section for good.
Seriously... What the fuck, Seattle? Don't tell me it's just the difference between Baseball and Football, because I've been to plenty of major league parks where the atmosphere was more like a college football game. Don't tell me it's Seattle fans in general, because Qwest Field fucking rocks.
Where did the Mariners and their fans go so horribly wrong?
In any event, I'll be there in all my Red Sox finery tomorrow night, and my friends it is ON.
You can see some pictures from the game here...
2 comments:
The difference between the atmosphere at M's games compared to Hawks games is amazing.
Safeco is fun, but it could be a lot more fun if the fan-base would show more pride like we do a Qwest.
Sox fans will take over Safeco and that is just wrong.
BTW, I see that you use flickr. I have a Seahawks Group on flickr that needs more posts.
Going to Safeco Field - and don't get me wrong, I LOVE the ballbark and would go at just about any opportunity - is like descending into bourgeois hell. It's like all these Bellevue and Mercer Island dweebs forgot how to be fans and actually enjoy the game. I mean, seriously folks, this isn't the opera. Scream. Get loud, Be annoying. Sing "Take ME Out to the Ballgame." (Just don't get too drunk - that IS annoying.) Most of all - HAVE FUN!!!! This isn't the Opera and you're not at Benoroya so start acting like you're at a gosh darn sporting event!
I'll take going to games at the UW or Seahawks Stadium (I still can't bring myself to call it by its telephone company name) anyday.
Glad you had a great trip!!!! Sorry I missed you! :-(
Post a Comment