Baseball

Apparently there was a little scuffle last night at the Yankee/Red Sox game.

BOSTON - Gary Sheffield was fielding Jason Varitek's two-run triple along the low right-field fence in the eighth inning of the Red Sox's 8-5 victory over the Yankees Thursday night when a fan swung a short uppercut in his direction, appearing to graze the side of the slugger's face with his right arm.

Sheffield turned to the Boston fan who hit him, his fist cocked and his temper hot. Then, the Yankees outfielder stopped himself from doing something foolish.

How about that? A professional athlete didn't pummel an idiot fan for taking a swing at him. That's a good thing.

But, a professional athlete not showing ego about it? Well, that's a different thing.

"It could have been worse if I didn't hold my composure," Sheffield said. "I almost snapped, but I thought about the consequences."

Yes Gary, how wonderful you are that you didn't beat up a fan, even if he did swing first.

It's interesting how athletics reflects society as a whole. Just last week one little leaguer killed another by hitting him in the head with a baseball bat. A couple years ago, the father of a youth hockey player beat the kids coach to death at a practice. Players abuse steroids. Fans go absolutely insane after their team wins a big game.

Perhaps that is the price we pay for living in the greatest country in the world. It's that "win at all costs" attitude that has propelled America into it's place in the world. It truly is not how you play the game; it's whether you win or lose. Those attitudes spill over into nearly every facet of life in this country.

I'm glad I was born American, and I'm happy with the way things are going. Still, I probably have a more European outlook than American.

** update **

In all fairness, European sports fans are probably more psychotic than Americans. Is that an American influence, or maybe I'm all wrong and it's just some people in general are pretty crazy?

** update 2 **

Forgot to mention that NY and Boston are playing some really exciting baseball. Wish I was at the game.