SIDEWAYS GLANCE FINDING THE DEEP-ROOTED REASONS KINGS FANS WILL ROOT FOR THE DUCKS.Byline: - Tom Hoffarth --The book: ``True Believers "True Believers" is the fourth episode of the first season of the CBS television series The Unit. The episode aired on March 28, 2006. Summary The team is sent to Los Angeles to protect Mexico's drug minister from an assassination threat. : The Tragic Inner Life of Sports Fans'' --The author: Joe Queenan, who has written seven previous books about pop culture, freelances for GQ magazine and is painfully devoted to Philadelphia sports. --The other essential info: $23, Henry Holt Publishing, 236 pages. --The premise: Taken from the prologue: ``It would seem almost impossible to do something your entire life without knowing why, yet this is what most sports fans do as a matter of course. It's perfectly clear why people root for the Yankees or the Lakers: the return on investment is relatively high, and the vicarious vicarious /vi·car·i·ous/ (vi-kar´e-us) 1. acting in the place of another or of something else. 2. occurring at an abnormal site. vi·car·i·ous adj. 1. sense of achievement generated by associating with these teams is priceless and can at least partially compensate for a rotten job, a horrible marriage, a receding hairline hair·line n. The outline of the growth of hair on the head, especially across the front. , a tiny brain. These fans know exactly what they get from the arrangement. ``But what about the pitiful souls who root passionately for the accursed poltroons like the Red Sox, the Cubs, the White Sox and the Phillies? Is it purely a tribal thing? An attempt to maintain contact with one's long-vanished childhood? Does it signify a need to believe in fairy tales This is a list of fairy tales, the dates of their earliest known printed version, the author and, if known, the collection of tales in which it was published. It should be noted, however, that not all stories listed below would be categorized as fairy tales by a strict definition , in which the tormented, despised underdog, after decades of abject failure, finally enjoys a flickering moment of shining glory? Or is it simply proof that men would rather watch any sporting event than interact with their wives and children?'' --The process: Queenan hired a therapist when he felt he needed help finding the cause of his torment. From this, he groups fans into 10 categories: those who love too much, know the score, run in front, see green, misbehave mis·be·have v. mis·be·haved, mis·be·hav·ing, mis·be·haves v.intr. To behave badly. v.tr. , are short, get an earful ear·ful n. 1. An abundant or excessive amount of something heard, such as talk or music. 2. Gossip, especially of an intimate or scandalous nature. 3. A scolding or reprimand. , just enjoy it, walk away and are true believers. --The conclusions: Jerry Seinfeld This article is about the comedian. For the character, see Jerry Seinfeld (character). Jerry Seinfeld (born Jerome Seinfeld on April 29, 1954 in New York City, New York) is a Golden Globe- and Emmy Award-winning American comedian, actor and writer. once figured out that since we cheer for teams that constantly are changing players, we're really just associating ourselves with the uniforms. So basically, we're cheering for laundry. Queenan could appreciate that, but at least he's trying to figure out why this obsession is so fulfilling and destructive in an equally comical way. The enjoyment any fan will have with this humorous yet self-reflective book is trying to determine what category he or she fits into. Ignorance can be bliss, but so is having a laugh at your own expense once you realize your fanaticism Fanaticism See also Extremism. Adamites various sects preaching a return to life before the fall. [Christian Hist.: Brewer Note-Book, 8] assassins Moslem murder teams used hashish as stimulus (11th and 12th centuries). is never going away. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: no caption (book: ``True Believers: The Tragic Inner Life of Sports Fans'') |
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