Posted by Dr Fro 10:50 PM

Wow

Beltran delivers.

I will not make a post about all the trials and tribulations I have gone through in life as a Houston sports fan. It has been written many times and usually by much better writers and occasionally by bigger fans than I. So while I lived through Renfro's TD, the Fuckin Mets, The Mother's Day Massacre, the NC State game, the big Choke in Buffalo, and the ensuing death in KC, I believe that the Astros trials and recent success belong in a category all of their own.

Only in MLB and college football are the odds completely stacked against the have-nots. In a weird irony (or a moment of insightfulness) I realize that the only two sports I truly follow are MLB and cfb, with cfb ahead by a couple lengths. But in both of those sports, there is zero sense of parity. There are the haves and have-nots, and the system is stacked to favor the haves. This is the exact opposite case in the NFL, which makes any long term success that much more impressive and, say, the Oilers complete lack of success that more difficult to comprehend. Only in college football can Northwestern LOSE the Rose Bowl and be remembered forever as overachievers. Only in baseball can the Astros get 1/2 way through the NLCS and already be considered winners. No matter how this NLCS plays out, these guys are winners. They will never have the Yankees' payroll. To be fair, they won't have the Expos' payroll either. But, we are something like the 20th largest TV market. We don't have the payroll or other advantages of either team in the ALCS. To go as far as we have is just unbelievable to me. I want to keep going, but if we lose, I can sleep well knowing that the Killer B's showed that they COULD bat in the playoffs. As a matter of fact, they have been unbelievable in the 9 post-season games this year.

If we lose, I am ok to lose to the Cards. Everyone talks about 'what great fans the Cubs have. Neat. I agree they are knowledgeable fans, but so are Cards fans. And they are loyal, too. There are only 2 differences between Cards and Cubs fans:

1. Cubs have an enormous city and their own network. Aka: advantages

2. Cardinals don't go on and on and on and on about what great fans they are. They just are good fans and that's it. Cubs fans never freaking shut up. Cards fans = Nebraska fans. Cubs fans = Texas A&M fans. If you don't get the regional comparison, then I will give you USC fans. Fans that talk just a wee too much about what great fans they are.

So good luck, Astros. Win game 5 or 6 and you set up Game 7 with the Rocket on the mound. I hope you win, because you have shown a lot of heart. (As I click 'post' the Sox just scored the tying run)

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