Comments on: Standards of Success http://www.notnews.org/s-o-s/standards-of-success.html Philosophy, public affairs and pop culture. Tue, 02 Dec 2008 12:28:25 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.5 By: Dave Thomer http://www.notnews.org/s-o-s/standards-of-success.html#comment-66 Dave Thomer Fri, 06 Jan 2006 04:12:22 +0000 http://www.notnews.org/s-o-s/standards-of-success.html#comment-66 While I don't think it's quite at the level of Green Bay, I definitely see the same effects around here. Heck, I know I'm usually in a sour mood for hours after an Eagles loss, although in my case the effect is more pronounced in cases of electoral contests, not less. But even with that feeling, I can look at what a team does and say, "OK, they weren't the best, but they were pretty damn good." I mean, I remember George Steinbrenner, the NY media, and many fans getting bent out of shape when the Yankees lost Game 7 of the 2001 World Series, after winning the series 4 out of the last five years. That's just absurd. While I don’t think it’s quite at the level of Green Bay, I definitely see the same effects around here. Heck, I know I’m usually in a sour mood for hours after an Eagles loss, although in my case the effect is more pronounced in cases of electoral contests, not less. But even with that feeling, I can look at what a team does and say, “OK, they weren’t the best, but they were pretty damn good.”

I mean, I remember George Steinbrenner, the NY media, and many fans getting bent out of shape when the Yankees lost Game 7 of the 2001 World Series, after winning the series 4 out of the last five years. That’s just absurd.

]]> By: Earl Green http://www.notnews.org/s-o-s/standards-of-success.html#comment-65 Earl Green Thu, 05 Jan 2006 23:49:32 +0000 http://www.notnews.org/s-o-s/standards-of-success.html#comment-65 This reminds me of the years I spent in Green Bay, where you could walk out of your door on Monday morning and, if you hadn't kept up with the Packers' performance on Sunday, you'd instantly know how they did just by people's moods. I can only assume that everybody, and I mean everybody, had money riding on the previous day's game, because surely a mere loss could make the entire city so...<em>surly</em>. People acted different. People drove different. As if somehow, the entire populace's collective Post Toasties had been peed in overnight. And it does seem to be a distinctly sports-related mindset for some reason (if only it <em>did</em> apply to elected officials!). I remember when Coach Mike Holmgren, who had just gotten the Packers to the Superbowl the year before, decided to make the jump to Seattle. At the very next game, there was a huge ruckus when a fan heckled him as he was coming out of the lockerroom doors onto the field, and Holmgren turned around and flipped him off. Conduct unbecoming? Well, yeah. There was a lot of complaining about the bird there...but at the same time, I could only imagine how Holmgren felt. Former Super Bowl champion coach, now a pariah to the fans. I bet he didn't look back even once when he started driving west. I believe a Mr. Charles Brown once summed this phenomenon up most succinctly: one moment you're a hero. The next moment, you're the goat. This reminds me of the years I spent in Green Bay, where you could walk out of your door on Monday morning and, if you hadn’t kept up with the Packers’ performance on Sunday, you’d instantly know how they did just by people’s moods. I can only assume that everybody, and I mean everybody, had money riding on the previous day’s game, because surely a mere loss could make the entire city so…surly. People acted different. People drove different. As if somehow, the entire populace’s collective Post Toasties had been peed in overnight. And it does seem to be a distinctly sports-related mindset for some reason (if only it did apply to elected officials!). I remember when Coach Mike Holmgren, who had just gotten the Packers to the Superbowl the year before, decided to make the jump to Seattle. At the very next game, there was a huge ruckus when a fan heckled him as he was coming out of the lockerroom doors onto the field, and Holmgren turned around and flipped him off. Conduct unbecoming? Well, yeah. There was a lot of complaining about the bird there…but at the same time, I could only imagine how Holmgren felt. Former Super Bowl champion coach, now a pariah to the fans. I bet he didn’t look back even once when he started driving west.

I believe a Mr. Charles Brown once summed this phenomenon up most succinctly: one moment you’re a hero. The next moment, you’re the goat.

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