copyright 2010 by gds
may be copied to share but not for profit
In America, many a male sports fan should be nicknamed Betty, after Betty in the Archie comics. Like her, some male fans hook up with a star athlete getting identity, meaning, and a sense of destiny from the relationship. For men it's unbecoming.
Here's the comic book scene played out in real life all too often. Archie makes the varsity baseball team earning a letter. The letter is sewed onto his school jacket, which Archie gives to Betty. Donning the jacket transforms her - she becomes Archie's girl and shares his identity. His every exploit makes her feel special, which is identity. She does nothing but watch.
Question: If sharing Archie's identity by donning his jacket transforms Betty into Archie's girl, what happens when a male fan wears a star athlete's jersey and shares his identity? This is ubiquitous. Everywhere grown men are wearing the names of other men on their backs, like so many starry-eyed schoolgirls. Every time a player scores, other me feel special, which gives them identity, meaning and a sense of destiny. They do nothing but watch, like Betty.
So, again. If sharing Archie's identity by wearing his jacket makes Betty Archie's girl, what happens when a male fan wears a player's jersey and shares his identity? The fan is also transformed. He becomes a Jersey Girl, a Sports Betty, whether he likes it or not.
Let me pick a name out of a helmet. It could be one of a hundred other monikers. When next you see a grown man wearing another man's name on his back, you can substitute that name for this one. For now: If I, an adult man, were to hook up with Johnny Damon by wearing his jersey - letting me share his identity by feeling special - wouldn't that make me Johnny Damon's bitch? Wouldn't I be Betty to Damon's Archie?
These questions are not about sexual orientation. Worse than that, they're metaphysical. As in, Who am I? Why am I here? Where am I going?
Humans are born lost souls in a quietly desperate search for meaning, destiny, and identity. Some spend their entire lives searching for their true selves. Too many try to find themselves by losing themselves in sports. Some play, most watch.
With this said, what if Moose, not Betty, wore Archie's jacket? This is closer to real life - one man proudly sporting another man's jersey. What if donning Archie's jacket gave Moose identity, meaning and a sense of destiny? Would we say that he wore the jacket only to honor his buddy? Or would we see that too much of who Moose was depended too much on what Archie did; that Moose was answering the questions of Who am I? Why am I here? Where am I going? by hooking up with a player in an immature way?
Of course, not every male sports fan is a Sports Betty or a Jersey Girl. For some the games are a momentary diversion. But if you're mad at what I've written - your anger is a confession. You share a player's identity in an unbecoming way. Too much of who you are depends too much on what other men do. If this was not so, you wouldn't be lugging around another man's name and or number on your back, the way Betty wears Archie's jacket.
One more thing, in your quest to find youself by losing yourself in sports, you drive up prices for everyone. When millions of Sports Betties pay from $42.99 to $100 or more for a jersey, players demand and get obscene salaries. Advertisers also take advantage. If you associate their product with your hero, you'll buy their stuff - tons of it. Especially beer. (What is alcoholism if not identity from feelings? And what about habitually drunken fans? They're people trying to find themselves by losing themselves in sports and alcohol.) Thus, a Super Bowl beer comercial costs $3 million for 30 seconds, Drew Brees is paid $10 million a season, and ticket prices soar.
It's time to man-up, ladies, and boycott. The federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, poets are paid a penny a word, and Manny Ramirez made $25 million in 2009. Ramirez's salary is a national disgrace - and Sports Betties are to blame. Couldn't you at least stop buying the jerseys? Couldn't you at least stop buying the stupid jerseys and making a fool of yourself in the general population? Your need to be Betty to a player's Archie is a public confession - there's a large, gapping hole in your life which you try to fill through the deeds and exploits of another man - or a group of other men called a team. The jersey you wear makes you feel too important and them too rich. It's time to stop buying the crap, Betty, including hats and other souvenirs. Boycott! Stop being a Baseball Bitch one quietly desperate fan at a time.
may be copied to share but not for profit
In America, many a male sports fan should be nicknamed Betty, after Betty in the Archie comics. Like her, some male fans hook up with a star athlete getting identity, meaning, and a sense of destiny from the relationship. For men it's unbecoming.
Here's the comic book scene played out in real life all too often. Archie makes the varsity baseball team earning a letter. The letter is sewed onto his school jacket, which Archie gives to Betty. Donning the jacket transforms her - she becomes Archie's girl and shares his identity. His every exploit makes her feel special, which is identity. She does nothing but watch.
Question: If sharing Archie's identity by donning his jacket transforms Betty into Archie's girl, what happens when a male fan wears a star athlete's jersey and shares his identity? This is ubiquitous. Everywhere grown men are wearing the names of other men on their backs, like so many starry-eyed schoolgirls. Every time a player scores, other me feel special, which gives them identity, meaning and a sense of destiny. They do nothing but watch, like Betty.
So, again. If sharing Archie's identity by wearing his jacket makes Betty Archie's girl, what happens when a male fan wears a player's jersey and shares his identity? The fan is also transformed. He becomes a Jersey Girl, a Sports Betty, whether he likes it or not.
Let me pick a name out of a helmet. It could be one of a hundred other monikers. When next you see a grown man wearing another man's name on his back, you can substitute that name for this one. For now: If I, an adult man, were to hook up with Johnny Damon by wearing his jersey - letting me share his identity by feeling special - wouldn't that make me Johnny Damon's bitch? Wouldn't I be Betty to Damon's Archie?
These questions are not about sexual orientation. Worse than that, they're metaphysical. As in, Who am I? Why am I here? Where am I going?
Humans are born lost souls in a quietly desperate search for meaning, destiny, and identity. Some spend their entire lives searching for their true selves. Too many try to find themselves by losing themselves in sports. Some play, most watch.
With this said, what if Moose, not Betty, wore Archie's jacket? This is closer to real life - one man proudly sporting another man's jersey. What if donning Archie's jacket gave Moose identity, meaning and a sense of destiny? Would we say that he wore the jacket only to honor his buddy? Or would we see that too much of who Moose was depended too much on what Archie did; that Moose was answering the questions of Who am I? Why am I here? Where am I going? by hooking up with a player in an immature way?
Of course, not every male sports fan is a Sports Betty or a Jersey Girl. For some the games are a momentary diversion. But if you're mad at what I've written - your anger is a confession. You share a player's identity in an unbecoming way. Too much of who you are depends too much on what other men do. If this was not so, you wouldn't be lugging around another man's name and or number on your back, the way Betty wears Archie's jacket.
One more thing, in your quest to find youself by losing yourself in sports, you drive up prices for everyone. When millions of Sports Betties pay from $42.99 to $100 or more for a jersey, players demand and get obscene salaries. Advertisers also take advantage. If you associate their product with your hero, you'll buy their stuff - tons of it. Especially beer. (What is alcoholism if not identity from feelings? And what about habitually drunken fans? They're people trying to find themselves by losing themselves in sports and alcohol.) Thus, a Super Bowl beer comercial costs $3 million for 30 seconds, Drew Brees is paid $10 million a season, and ticket prices soar.
It's time to man-up, ladies, and boycott. The federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, poets are paid a penny a word, and Manny Ramirez made $25 million in 2009. Ramirez's salary is a national disgrace - and Sports Betties are to blame. Couldn't you at least stop buying the jerseys? Couldn't you at least stop buying the stupid jerseys and making a fool of yourself in the general population? Your need to be Betty to a player's Archie is a public confession - there's a large, gapping hole in your life which you try to fill through the deeds and exploits of another man - or a group of other men called a team. The jersey you wear makes you feel too important and them too rich. It's time to stop buying the crap, Betty, including hats and other souvenirs. Boycott! Stop being a Baseball Bitch one quietly desperate fan at a time.
