Youk Of The Nation

An argument based, I am certain, on strong statistical evidence and historical data.

I understand, but my point is that not attending Pesky's funeral has nothing at all to do with the problems on the field or even in the clubhouse. No one should have to go if they don't want to and using this as yet another opportunity to vent frustration about players is unnecessary. This is a non-issue. They didn't go, they obviously didn't want to go. Let it be, it's their choice. Funerals are a different thing for many people, some people just don't like them.

Ah, well. Good then.

This is obviously a lie, there are no such thing as real Cubs fans.

I am sorry to hear that and wish him and you the best, as I'm sure all of us do, but there is no reason to snap at Brennan about it. He was simply mentioning why he was rooting for the Reds. Everyone needs to stop responding to everyone else as if each opinion is an attack on the very foundation of their existence. Relax. The Sox are terrible, yes, but there is no need to let your frustration with the Sox leak into every aspect of your posting.

I'm not doing it because it would royally piss off someone I cared about if I became a temporary Orioles fan.

Usually I don't decide who I want to cheer for in the postseason until the Sox are out of it for sure. Technically they aren't, but seeing as I doubt they will make it, I have decided to root for the Pirates. I've mentioned before I have a family connection to Pittsburgh, and it would be cool to see them win it all. Assuming they get knocked out, Washington. After that, I don't care really as long as it isn't the Yankees or Orioles.

I forgot how much I hated Vernon Wells. That guy used to kill the Sox when he was with the Jays, back when killing the Sox was a major accomplishment. I really hope they manage to pull a win in the bottom of the inning from an unlikely source. I'm sick of expecting the worst.

You can say it, just not three times into a mirror. If you do, you choke to death on your toothbrush.

During World War Two, in order to show their disdain for all things German as our military fought the Nazis, some American civilians began renaming food and other items with previously German or German-inspired names. Hamburgers became Salisbury Steak, German Sheperds became "Police Dogs", sauerkraut became freedom cabbage. In the spirit of that illustrious generation, to show my disdain for all things Aceves during the war against terrible relief pitching, whenever I eat at an Italian restaurant I will order Fettuccine With Cheese Sauce.

Watching Salty bat is like watching Ray Charles play Whack-a-Mole. Most of the time he hits nothing, but every once in a while he runs into one.

Apparently, yes.

Is there any particular reason you even bother being a Red Sox fan?

I do not understand you guys at all. If my boss dies, or a guy who worked at my job for 50 years dies, and I decide not to go to the funeral, it is my business. I am under no obligation to attend the services, whether I am a public figure or not, and I am certainly under no obligation to defend myself to those who disagree. The fact is that things like this have come up before. I remember a debate several years ago on this board about a player missing a game or two for the birth of his child. Some people felt it was good he was there, others said he should have stayed and played ball. But it was never as acrimonious a discussion as this, and I think it would be obvious to anyone skimming the posts made on TS in the last several months that this is due in large part to the Sox's on-field struggles. Everyone here might feel the same no matter what, but if the Sox weren't terrible right now I truly believe that the opinions would be expressed without the rage.

No...it doesn't. It could be because the ones who didn't do not have the views I postulated. It could be that their own family culture was different. It could be a great many things. I am not saying my theory is absolutely correct, but the fact that not all of the Latino players attended does not make the assumption less valid. In any case, my response was geared more towards Padilla in particular than the players in general. It was a suggestion in response to BPEF's comment about how odd it was that Padilla, of all people, showed up when others did not. I know personally plenty of people of other cultures who do not always follow the traditions of their families, especially those who have lived in America for long periods of time. All I'm saying is, in Padillas case, it is a possibility, nothing more.

No, there shouldn't, because it should be up to each individual whether they want to attend or not, based on their own personal beliefs. If they choose not to go, that is their choice and it is ridiculous to demand that they attend regardless of their feelings.

Mandating funeral attendance for employees is not only ridiculous, it may be illegal.

At the risk of turning this into a racial thing, many Latin or Hispanic or whatever you want to call 'em cultures are much more family-oriented than American culture. From personal experience, I can say it is much more likely for huge groups of extended family, from second and third cousins to in-laws to only distantly related people, to show up for memorial services for the deceased. Padilla, assuming he feels that he is a part of the Sox "family" or organization if you will, may have felt personally obligated to pay his respects in person to someone who was such an important part of the team that he is currently being paid by and whose uniform he is wearing. As I said, this is supposition on my part, based on an admittedly basic understanding of other cultures, but it could explain how someone so new to the team could feel his presence was required. In the same line of reasoning, it could explain why Matsuzaka did not attend, as in Japanese culture to intrude upon the grief of the family at a memorial service when you were not close to the deceased would be considered rude.

Somehow I get the feeling if the Sox were well on their way to a division title right now, you and everyone else in this thread who thinks they should have shown at the funeral would have made your opinions known a lot less aggressively.

Too subtle, I guess.

Well, since he's a former Yankee, this makes sense. I have always associated the Yankees with injecting testosterone into Colon.

I would like to state, for the record, that when I die I do not want my body preserved with chemicals or dressed and made up for viewing. No wake, no funeral. I want to be cremated within a day or two of death, or buried in a plain wooden box in the woods with no preservation, to be absorbed back into nature. Everyone who cared about me can have a party where they remember me and tell stories about me, and all of my ex girlfriends can get together with my wife at the party and they can talk about how I was the best they ever had, and maybe they can make out with each other a little, and everyone can watch some Star Trek in my memory. What I don't want is to be in full rigor, dusted with blush and dressed in a suit I would never be caught dead in (badumchh), lying in an open casket while people file by and talk to my corpse.

I think it's unfair to expect it. Everyone grieves in their own way. Some people don't like funerals. Some people prefer staying home and reflecting in solitude on the condition of human existence. Other people like to get pants-shittingly drunk and tell lewd stories about the deceased. Some people go rock climbing. Then, to top it off, there are people who don't care. Yeah, Pesky was a part of the Red Sox culture and organization, but some guys might not know him well. How many times has Nick Punto met and enjoyed time with Pesky? How about Podsednik? Other people might just not care. Maybe Pedroia didn't like Pesky? Maybe Pesky was a jerk to him. (Unlikely, I know). Maybe Pedroia, as I said before, loved the guy but doesn't like funerals. We shouldn't condemn these guys for not going to a funeral service unless we know exactly why they chose not to, unless we know their personal reasons for doing so. And since we can't know those reasons, calling them terrible people for staying home is ridiculous.

Yeah, we all know the team is awful and we all know that most of the players are dicks. I'd like to see more serious discussion on how to fix it and less reiterating of why the players are terrible.

To be fair, these are athletes. Generally egotistical, generally highly paid and almost never brimming with allegiance to anything. Law Enforcement is different. That truly is a brotherhood. I would be willing to bet that guys like Varitek, Wakefield, and Nomar showed up. That's just the kind of guys they are. Personally, I would have gone, out of a sense of obligation. However I dislike the entire concept of wakes and funerals. It seems...I don't know, ghoulish to dress up a body and parade it around. Grief should be private, you know? Eh, anyways, yeah I am surprised they did not attend, especially Pedroia and Lester, but I honestly don't think less of them for it.