Dynastic Politics

Aaron Schatz:

I was talking to some guys in Seattle at my book signing last week and I said, 'You know, Patriots-Colts is a lot like Yankees-Red Sox.' For a while, the Red Sox were everyone's favorite and people wanted them to beat the Yankees, but after a while, people were so sick of the whole thing that anyone who isn't a Red Sox or Yankees fan despises both the Red Sox and Yankees. I think we're about four months and five billion Peyton Manning ads away from hitting that same point with the Colts and Pats. Right now, everyone is out to get the Pats, but in a few months, they'll hate the Colts just as much and be desperate for someone like San Diego or Pittsburgh to win something.'

This seems exactly right. It's clear, I think, that dynasties are good for the health of sports overall. Yes, parity is important, but so is familiarity and the joy of having someone to root against come playoff season. Thus baseball in the late '70s, with the Big Red Machine giving way to the dysfunctional Yankee dynasty, and a bunch of consistently good teams (Phils, Royals, Red Sox, etc.) nipping at their heels, was better than baseball in the '80s, when the only thing you knew going into spring training was that last year's division winners wouldn't be repeating.

But two-team rivalries, on the other hand, tend to only be interesting to the fans of the two teams involved, particularly once the weaker half of the rivalry finally pushes itself over the top. The Yanks-Dodgers combat of the '40s and '50s stopped being interesting to anyone who wasn't personally invested in the two teams the moment Sandy Amoros ran down Yogi Berra's liner in '55; for anyone outside the northeast corridor, the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry died in October 2004; and the same will go for Pats-Colts from now on, I'm sure.

This means that having either the Red Sox or the Yankees in the playoffs is good for baseball: They're the big kids on the block, and someone for the rest of baseball to measure themselves against. But having both of them - not so much. So last year, as painful as it was to watch, was good for the health of the sport. And now, of course, it's the Yankees turn to take an October off - except that being the Yankees, they don't seem to have realized it yet.

Photo by Flickr user Brent Danley used under a Creative Commons license.

Comments

I thought everyone already hated the Colts, owing to Manning's poutiness and hucksterism.

Posted by Elvis Elvisberg | September 13, 2007 11:55 AM

No, Elvis. Some of us grew up in Indiana hoping against hope that maybe, one day, the Colts would have a .500 season or maybe select a 1st Round draft pick who neither blew out his knee as a Rookie nor devoted his entire career to throwing the ball into triple coverage. Then we spent several years watching our team choke in the playoffs. So no, some of us were too busy engaging in drunken celebrations last winter to be put off Manning's poutiness and hucksterism.

Colts fans don't hate your favorite team. We just feel sorry for them. (Hey, this arrogant Yankee-fan vibe is fun!)

I have no doubt that Peyton Manning irritates millions of fans of other teams. But he led a sad-sack franchise to the promised land, and gave Indianapolis its first major pro sports championship ever (unless you count the Pacers' ABA titles.) So we're entitled to a bit of obnoxiousness, I think.

Anyway, love them or hate them, you can't deny that the Colts are a fun team to watch. And when someone bumps them off their throne (be it this year or 5 years from now) football fans everywhere else in the country will enjoy it immensely, I'm sure.

Posted by LaFollette Progressive | September 13, 2007 12:49 PM

Manning's play has transcended my deep dislike of him. He's so good that I enjoy watching him for the sheer beauty of it. As a football fan, it's a privilege to be able to watch a guy who will be remembered as one of the alltime greats.

Posted by Led | September 13, 2007 1:00 PM

Since when does everyone hate the Colts? I don't think I've ever heard an unkind word spoken about Peyton Manning. Add to that Clean-Living America's Favorite Football Coach and a roster free of big egos, and what you've got is the anti-Patriots.

They kicked the crap out of my team last Thursday, and even I don't hate them.

Posted by BP | September 13, 2007 2:23 PM

Peyton Manning's commericals are funny, and the SNL United Way sketch was priceless. ("I throw. You catch. It's not that hard."). And Marvin Harrison is everything we want an NFL star to be.

The post-SB celebration was a little over the top with the tent revivalism, though. It was like watching a theological PDA.

Posted by David B. | September 13, 2007 2:35 PM

I'm a Pats fan, living in Boston, where they sell "I Hate Peyton Manning" t-shirts on the streets. But I have a certain sympathy for the Colts. I remember the days when the Colts and Pats would fight it out to determine the worst team in the AFC East, if not all of football. And now they are the two perennial powers that the rest of the league resents. I don't hate Peyton, he's one of the best in history, a nice guy, and a true professional. I pulled for the Colts to beat the Bears in the Super Bowl because they were the far superior team, and deserved to win.

I can fully understand why the rest of football has had it with the Pats and Colts, and would like to see someone else on top. I'm sure that explains a lot of the schaedenfreude [sp?] around the Patriots this week.

Posted by wph | September 13, 2007 3:42 PM

I would note for the record that the Steelers won the Super Bowl two years ago, although not having to play the Patriots to get there was a big help.

Posted by Tom Hoffman | September 13, 2007 3:48 PM

"Since when does everyone hate the Colts? I don't think I've ever heard an unkind word spoken about Peyton Manning. Add to that Clean-Living America's Favorite Football Coach and a roster free of big egos, and what you've got is the anti-Patriots."

I miss the good old days, an out-of-wedlock baby, Randy Moss signing, HGH suspension, and Totally Hidden Video brouhaha ago, when the Patriots were regarded as honorable and sympathetic good guys. I guess those days are gone forever, alas. At some point the Patriots did take on Yankee-like arrogance, with the added disadvantage that Jeter has yet to knock anyone up.

Posted by James Kabala | September 13, 2007 9:09 PM

Part of the reason that everyone else in baseball hates the Yankees and Red Sox is because media organizations, especially ESPN, treat the Yankees and the Red Sox as if they are the only two teams in baseball.

Fox Asks White Sox To Play Yankees For 'Real World Championship'

HOUSTON, TX—In a historic development in the 2005 Major League Baseball postseason, Fox executives announced that the Chicago White Sox, who defeated the Houston Astros in four games after a 1-0 victory Wednesday, must now play the New York Yankees in the best-of-seven "Real World Series" beginning Saturday night at 8 p.m., in order to determine the actual world champion. "The White Sox must complete one final challenge before they may be crowned true champions," Fox president Peter Liguori announced over Minute Maid Park's PA system, interrupting the White Sox's celebration. "The Yankees are the keepers of the Real World Series trophy, and in order to win it, the White Sox must travel to New York and beat Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Randy Johnson, and the other formidable, marketable stars who await their arrival." Liguori added that, in the event that the White Sox decline the challenge, the Red Sox have been scheduled to stand in for them.

Posted by Steven | September 14, 2007 1:54 AM

No, Elvis. Some of us grew up in Indiana hoping against hope that maybe, one day, the Colts would have a .500 season or maybe select a 1st Round draft pick who neither blew out his knee as a Rookie nor devoted his entire career to throwing the ball into triple coverage. Then we spent several years watching our team choke in the playoffs. So no, some of us were too busy engaging in drunken celebrations last winter to be put off Manning's poutiness and hucksterism.

oh, to be so lucky!

Some of us grew up in Baltimore, recently stripped of our beloved football team, hoping against hope that maybe, one day, the NFL would bring a team back to us. We spent years hoping the Baltimore Bombers would become a reality, but watched as the NFL decided to expand to Carolina and Jacksonville.

In the meantime, our USFL team, the Baltimore Stars won a championship; as did our CFL team, the Baltimore Stallions.

I have to say though, having strongly rooted against the colts in Indy, now that they have won a superbowl, I dont really care so much. I like Peyton. He's a good ball player, and he helped keep NE out of the Superbowl last year.

Posted by johnny u | September 14, 2007 2:39 AM

I have cried a river on your behalf, Johnny U.

Seriously, I live in Maryland now, and I can't help but notice that Baltimore has a popular and successful NFL franchise that managed to win a Super Bowl before the Colts did. So, basically, you missed out on a dozen years of really bad football. And you saw some exciting non-NFL football in the process.

Bob Irsay was obviously a dick to the city of Baltimore, and should have left the team name behind for a future franchise. Baltimore was decent enough not to do the same thing to the Browns... though you did make all the children in Cleveland cry. Anyway, it's all ancient history now. Indy and Baltimore have superior NFL teams, and Cleveland has a terrible team called the Browns. All is as it should be.

Posted by LaFollette Progressive | September 14, 2007 5:36 PM

I've been a Colts fan since the Baltimore days, but since I live on the West Coast the move to Indy didn't alienate me. It was a cheap shot to a great city, but I stuck by the Colts.

I don't think most fans hate the Colts - at least not yet. Most fans were happy that Manning, Dungy, and Harrison finally got a ring. Now, if they win it again, I fully expect the hate.

The one group that hates Manning and the Colts, wph and a few others excepting, are Pats fans. They seem to have a genuine hatred of Manning and strong dislike of Indy.

There are only two reasons I can think of. First, Peyton vs Brady debates set them off. I think Peyton is the better QB, but I still love Brady, so I don't really understand if that's it. Maybe they're upset about the Colts fans complaining a few years back about the manhandling in the secondary in the AFC Championship Game. I don't know. For a team that generally has beat the Colts when it mattered, I don't understand the hatred. Oh well.

Posted by ksquires | September 15, 2007 1:55 PM