The 20-Minutemen aren’t afraid to leave some blood on the field.
I’m afraid a major fact has been lost as the 20-Minutemen have accused of being brash, nay, unsportsmanlike during Saturday’s victory over Comcast SportsNet: This is media softball.
And by definition, media softball shouldn’t be taken so seriously.
There’s no need to get bent out of shape if we lose, nor rub it in an opponent’s face if we happen to win.
If we’re not having fun, there’s really no reason to play.
One of the best traits of the Minutemen is that we have fun.
Because Express’ staff is so small, the softball roster truly represents the paper.
As a result, there is a camaraderie present that may not be possible for other teams in our league.
We express — sorry for the pun — ourselves in boisterous ways.
Our shortstop may tweak someone for their unusual shorts or for sporting a mustache, but it’s all meant in good fun. Our team gives its best effort each week, which sometimes may result in an unnecessary slide, but surely there is no ill intent.
As coach, it’s my job to make sure we don’t cross the line — and as a couple of players can attest to, I am not afraid to speak up if necessary.
If you are going to give up your Saturday morning for a trek to Montgomery County, you might as well have fun doing it.
Winning’s great, but if we don’t, there’s always the next game.
Fortunately, that fact has never been lost on the Minutemen.
I appreciate our future lawyer’s practice in arguing our case from afar, but let’s drop the comments war once and for all.
After this week’s fallout, I can’t help but think of John McEnroe’s famous line: “You cannot be serious.”
This is media softball, after all.
4 Comments
May 5th, 2010 at 9:38 am
You say that it’s only media softball, but look at the record:
–Los Angeles Times goes winless in the league. The company is now bankrupt.
–UPI eliminated from the playoffs in two games. The company is sold a few times.
–Washington Times eliminated from the playoffs. The company cuts its staff and its editor quits.
–Comcast doesn’t play one season. Verizon starts Fios to compete against them in the cable-TV business.
–AOL drops out of the league. Time Warner jettisons them.
–Reuters no longer fields a team. The company merges with Thomson.
–Montgomery Journal leaves the league. The Examiner buys it.
May 6th, 2010 at 12:37 pm
Minutemen- it’s great that you are a tight-knit team and seem to have so much fun playing softball, win or lose. But what’s surprising is that the point you bring up repeatedly, “it’s only a media softball league”, seems to be lost on some of your team.
Talking trash, however good-natured you claim it is, is inappropriate and (in a media softball league) pointless. You say your shortstop “tweaks” members of the other team. Others might say he runs his mouth unnecessarily. If he knows his foes then great- it is all in good fun. But if not, it’s just ridiculous. As are the derogatory comments from the bench. Personal comments about your opponents aren’t welcome in this league. Period. Here’s an idea: cheer for YOUR team. Let the other team be.
It’s great that you play hard. But taunting does not qualify as playing hard in any league. High-stepping and jaw-flapping are examples of this.
Hard-sliding when there’s no play- we’ll agree to disagree. It’s obvious your view differs than other teams’ but hey, that’s life. I do wonder how your tune might change if the cleats were on the other foot.
Having your own softball website, in addition to a league-wide media softball website, indicates that you take this more seriously than most, if not all, of the other teams in the league. Especially when you take deliberate barbed shots at people/teams/companies on this website.
The point I’m trying to make is that it might be you whom many in this league see as taking things way too seriously. Try taking heeding your own advice. Notice I wasn’t rude, inappropriate or personal in this comment. I mean, after all, it’s only media softball right?
May 6th, 2010 at 12:50 pm
We take the dorky Web site seriously, sir! Not the softball. That’s the fun part.
May 6th, 2010 at 7:51 pm
The second best media team website (also the only other one in the league): http://www.press.org/softball
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