The game breeds hope....

Happy, Pirates Opening Day!
(I'll pause for you to insert "Yeah, and it's also April Fools Day!" joke here.....)

So, why, after 20 consecutive years of losing, am I still excited about our Buccos?
Why will I once again root, root, root for the Pirates?

Here's ten reasons:

10. The game itself. Of all the sports, I love baseball the most. There is a beauty, a balance, and an order to the game. Even more, sometimes the Pirates show us those things.....

9. Tradition. I'm from here, this is our team and the Buccos are whom we support. I am a sucker for their slogan of showing the block-letter P and the words: Pride, Passion, Pittsburgh Pirates. I grew up when the Buccos were good and were the game in town --- Clemente, Stargell, Stennett, Moreno, Tekulve, Garner, Foli, Drabek, Smiley, Van Slyke....

8. The game is a part of spring and summer memories. I would get out of school to go to the home opener; we saved "Town-Talk" bread wrappers as part of a promotion that would get you a ticket to the game; listening to the game on the radio while sitting on the porch and sharing the joy and angst with neigbors; attending games with numerous church groups as a visible sign and effort of hope...do you think Pope Francis likes baseball?

7. As one ages, one instructs the next generation. Notably, I've taken my nephew, Nathan, to innumerable Pirates Fests, to the Hall of Fame, have instructed him on the greatness of Roberto Clemente, bought him ballcaps and game gear, and have attended many games....alas, he has these memories yet sadly can't remember the last time the Pirates won...

6. PNC Park is a beautiful place to watch a ballgame. Celebrate, folks, it was rated the "Best Ballpark in America!" I'm pretty confident this will be part of a bobblehead give-away sometime this season.

5. The "Why Not Us?" slogan of the team in the mid-90's who were in the hunt for awhile. Hey, it was way better than the "Come Hungry" campaign which highlighted the "All-You-Can-Eat Seats."

4. The dreams of former Little-Leaguers remain. If the T-Birds (team of my youth) can go from a 54-9 trouncing on our opening game and zero-wins our first season to league champs then anything is possible! Hey, maybe the Pirates should have a local car dealership or local business support 'em! Oh....that's right....the local taxpayers and fans...we do. You think for each of the 162 games played this year they could put "Sponsored By" and list the names of a 100 or so fans on the backs of their jersies?

3. There is a spriitual quality to the game...it soothes me....calms me.....and then the game starts.....

2. The ongoing quest to find what is the right "ju-ju" to break the losing streak. We know never to bring a bag of peanuts purchased outside the stadium into the park; we had a winning streak going when we ate curry puffs, alas that ended; biking to the ballpark was working....for a while; we've positioned Pirates caps on lamps during winning streaks....sigh, those hats were eventually removed. This season we will go through numerous rituals, outfits and lucky hats, sooner or later it has to work for the long haul...I have not ruled out sacrificing a small animal sometime this season.

1. The game has a timelessnes to it, there is no clock so the game can go for hours or feel like an eternity. My family has a solemn vow that we never, ever leave a Pirates game early....we are a hearty lot......LET'S GO BUCS!