Myself, I am not following baseball this year, though my mom in Nova Scotia mentioned the Blue Jays are still in it and seemed happy over it while asking if there’s any more boring sport.
At first, I misread a recent letter as asking who’s rooting for the Canadiens (i.e. the Habs) and was all set to write back, “heck yes,” and how about that Cole Caufield guy (born in Mosinee, Wisconsin). But as kids in Nova Scotia my brother and I certainly hoped for the Blue Jays, at least once the Expos ceased to be competitive and then ceased period. We especially liked Tony Fernandez (born in San Pedro de Macorís, Domican Republic).
The lining up with country was a departure for us from our younger selves, though. Earlier we had decided that hoping for the home town team was the height of arbitrariness and stupidity. My brother liked the Hershey Bears, and that due to the skill of their players not the tasty chocolate connection (I think). To my shame, I lacked his spine and came round to the hometown Voyageurs in the end. Still, I loved Vladislav Tretiak (born in Orudyevo, USSR) above all goaltenders except perhaps Ken Dryden (born in Hamilton, Ontario), so I consider myself to have held my head above water on that front.
It’s interesting when politics comes into sport. Last NHL season I watched an Ottawa Senators game on the TV wherein the fans roundly booed the Star Spangled Banner. Then they proceeded to cheer ferociously their team’s instance of the mythical Big Bobby Clobber, Brady Tkachuk (born in Scottsdale, Arizona). Go figure.
Mike Small
Greenfield