hsnterprize
02-01-2005, 08:09 AM
Here's what I shared with Orioles' fans on their website about their newest team member...
Hey Orioles fans,
First of all, let me intorduce myself. My name's Harlin, and I'm a radio news and sports reporter here in Chicago. I'm also a Chicago WHITE SOX fan, so admittedly, I'll be speaking to you with "Silver and Black" glasses on. However, what I'm about to write is pretty much what a lot of a lot of non-Cubs/non-Sosa fans have been saying about your newest team member for years. It's just with all the popularity Sosa's had over the years, anyone (especially us White Sox fans) who "dared" to critize Sammy would either get ignored or lambasted with accusations of "jealousy", "bitterness", and being "Sosa-haters". And now with all the "dirty laundry" out in the open about Sosa's selfishness and "it's all about me" attitude...Cubs fans are more than willing to turn him over to the first team that'll take him off the North-Sider's hands.
Seeing the Orioles over the years makes me respect "The Oriole Way" of playing baseball...especially with Cal Ripken at the helm. Cal's work ethic of perseverance and hard play every day was an inspiration to all of us who ever played baseball regardless of our favorite teams. However, Sammy Sosa is NOTHING like Cal Ripken at all. Granted, he'll hit more home runs than Ripken, and he'll bring more crowds into Oriole Park (which will be good considering the Washington Nationals starting this season), but his popularity will be short lived once you see what Sammy's truly made of. After the initial "honeymoon" is over, and once Sammy is no longer the "star of the show" in Baltimore, he'll resort to the same "me first" attitude that turned him from an icon to a reject here in the Windy City. Now like I said, not everyone in this town was in love with Sammy as much as the mainstream press wants you to believe. But if those who cheered for Sammy are all-of-a-sudden turning on the man here...imagine what would happen where you are. His ilk is enough to make you puke up your crab cakes if Peter Angelos or whoever's running your team lets it happen long enough.
I know I'm being long-winded here, but take this warning seriously. Sammy Sosa is BAD NEWS for you guys. Popularity isn't worth the mess you'll be going through with Sosa very soon. Think about this...if Sosa's so well-loved, then why would one of the more popular teams in all of sports be willing to pay him $12 million to get out of town? Sosa's antics of corking bats, dissing fans, and walking out on teammates wouldn't be tolerated in New York, let alone Baltimore with Ripken there. I feel Cal would rip Sammy a new one if they were playing together every day. But...at least as it's being portrayed here...the Orioles need popularity to compete with Washington for baseball dollars. As if Oriole Park wasn't enough of a draw to bring in fans (it's only being lauded as the park that started the "retro-ballpark" boom in the 90's)...now it appears the O's made a deal with the devil to get some butts in the seats. Enjoy the salsa, Baltimore. You'll get used to the bitter aftertaste after a while.
The reponses to this post were positive at most. One person told me some fans bleed orange and black, and don't care about this move other than it makes their team more popular. I posted something similar to this on the Florida Marlins' fansite after someone asked why their team didn't get Sosa, but got Carlos Delgado. After I wrote what I wrote, one responder told me he would take my post "with a grain of salt BECAUSE I'm a White Sox fan."
Can't please everybody.
Hey Orioles fans,
First of all, let me intorduce myself. My name's Harlin, and I'm a radio news and sports reporter here in Chicago. I'm also a Chicago WHITE SOX fan, so admittedly, I'll be speaking to you with "Silver and Black" glasses on. However, what I'm about to write is pretty much what a lot of a lot of non-Cubs/non-Sosa fans have been saying about your newest team member for years. It's just with all the popularity Sosa's had over the years, anyone (especially us White Sox fans) who "dared" to critize Sammy would either get ignored or lambasted with accusations of "jealousy", "bitterness", and being "Sosa-haters". And now with all the "dirty laundry" out in the open about Sosa's selfishness and "it's all about me" attitude...Cubs fans are more than willing to turn him over to the first team that'll take him off the North-Sider's hands.
Seeing the Orioles over the years makes me respect "The Oriole Way" of playing baseball...especially with Cal Ripken at the helm. Cal's work ethic of perseverance and hard play every day was an inspiration to all of us who ever played baseball regardless of our favorite teams. However, Sammy Sosa is NOTHING like Cal Ripken at all. Granted, he'll hit more home runs than Ripken, and he'll bring more crowds into Oriole Park (which will be good considering the Washington Nationals starting this season), but his popularity will be short lived once you see what Sammy's truly made of. After the initial "honeymoon" is over, and once Sammy is no longer the "star of the show" in Baltimore, he'll resort to the same "me first" attitude that turned him from an icon to a reject here in the Windy City. Now like I said, not everyone in this town was in love with Sammy as much as the mainstream press wants you to believe. But if those who cheered for Sammy are all-of-a-sudden turning on the man here...imagine what would happen where you are. His ilk is enough to make you puke up your crab cakes if Peter Angelos or whoever's running your team lets it happen long enough.
I know I'm being long-winded here, but take this warning seriously. Sammy Sosa is BAD NEWS for you guys. Popularity isn't worth the mess you'll be going through with Sosa very soon. Think about this...if Sosa's so well-loved, then why would one of the more popular teams in all of sports be willing to pay him $12 million to get out of town? Sosa's antics of corking bats, dissing fans, and walking out on teammates wouldn't be tolerated in New York, let alone Baltimore with Ripken there. I feel Cal would rip Sammy a new one if they were playing together every day. But...at least as it's being portrayed here...the Orioles need popularity to compete with Washington for baseball dollars. As if Oriole Park wasn't enough of a draw to bring in fans (it's only being lauded as the park that started the "retro-ballpark" boom in the 90's)...now it appears the O's made a deal with the devil to get some butts in the seats. Enjoy the salsa, Baltimore. You'll get used to the bitter aftertaste after a while.
The reponses to this post were positive at most. One person told me some fans bleed orange and black, and don't care about this move other than it makes their team more popular. I posted something similar to this on the Florida Marlins' fansite after someone asked why their team didn't get Sosa, but got Carlos Delgado. After I wrote what I wrote, one responder told me he would take my post "with a grain of salt BECAUSE I'm a White Sox fan."
Can't please everybody.