Bats and Brooms in St. Louis Mo - OR - The Value of "Fans"

Just what is it about winning that changes your mindset. Watching the Cardinal baseball team and the Cardinal fans for the last few weeks is like watching a giant paradigm shift in a whole town. The fans are "together" across all social and economic boundaries.  hey are fighting to spend $229 per ticket for standing room only when just a few days ago their mindset was lack.

Last fall my husband, Ron, and our friend, Irene, joined the curling club for the St. Louis Metropolitan area. The club was the brain child of Nancy and her husband who enjoyed it in Wisconsin and thought they could make it happen here. Last year was the first year and they had enough members for 16 teams. The teams were chosen randomly but with care by Nancy so that they each had a fairness factor in terms of skill and ability.  Most of the members had no previous experience.  

All of the games were played on Sunday evenings. If you recall, last winter was VERY cold. The stands for the fans was not exactly a comfortable place to be.  However, our team had fans at EVERY game. Every game Irene's 92-year-old dad and her husband would be there. I was also there for every game as we watched the team throw their rocks and sweep with their brooms.  After about the 2nd game, Mary, Ray's wife, started coming.  Then James' mother and his cousins started coming.  Our team was usually the only team that had any fans. 

James was our team leader because he had played the game in Alaska for many years.  Ray had played one year in New York.  Irene and Ron had never played before. We formed a real bond - fans and team members.  The fans came up with a name, Rockers, and I was commissioned to knit headbands for players and fans alike.  Rockers was a play on words factoring in the "rock" that is used in the game and the fact that our team had the oldest average age on the ice.  We were a rather motley looking crew and the only team with a name.  Every time our team won, the other team was in shock.  We really didn't look like winners.

There was a playoff.  Our team was #1 going in but all the other teams were still thinking it was a fluke. Every one of other teams thought they were going to bring us down.

We had a big group there the night of the final championship game (from as far as Austrailia) and you would have thought we had won the World Series when our team had its picture taken holding the trophy.  Fans and players were beaming and even crying with delight.

So what is winning all about.  Ask a St. Louis Cardinal player or a Cardinal fan OR ask one of the Rockers or their fans.  It's an all encompassing "feel good" for sure.

So for the next week I am going to make sure to be the best fan I can be to the St. Louis Cardinals and everyone who is in my circle of friends.

By the way, for those who are interested in curling, here is a link for information on the fall schedule.