The Fan's Corner with Greg Duff: 8/17/00

For more than 13 years I was involved in intercollegiate athletics in one form or another. When I left that world two years ago, friends asked what I was going to miss. The only thing I could think of was the daily interaction with the coaches, staff and student-athletes. I was really excited to spend more than just a few hours with my family on weekends and being a fan again. That is to actually enjoy watching a game, rooting for its outcome and not worrying how a loss might effect the next game's attendance.

I am a throwback of sorts to the days when fans supported their teams in good times and bad. I have been a lifelong fan of the Cleveland Indians and Browns. The first 26 years I followed the Indians they were dreadful, yet I could hardly wait for the start of spring training, ignoring the fact they would probably be eliminated from contention by Memorial Day. A few years before Jacobs Field opened, I was delighted to be among the 8,000 fans in 74,000-seat Cleveland Stadium watching the Tribe play at home for the first time. It did not matter that they were losing to the Oakland A's, only that I was there watching my team.

Following the Browns has brought me a few more happier moments but much more heartache. What Browns (or Denver) fan will ever forget "The Drive," John Elway's entrance into football lore that denied Cleveland their best chance to go to the Super Bowl. Even worse was Art Modell stabbing a knife in the back of Cleveland and Browns fans everywhere when he moved the team to Baltimore. In my mind the NFL did not exist for the three years there was no orange and brown playing on Sunday.

One of my favorite TV commercials features a father and son watching a game on the tube dressed in New York Jets gear. The next two scenes show older versions of the pair: the son with Jets clothing, but the father favoring the team of the moment. The final scene shows the same pair, again with Jets jerseys rooting for their team. I have little patience for those eager to jump on the bandwagon during a team's success only to jump off cussing at the first sign of trouble.

This column will be dedicated to other fans in Jackson County and beyond who share in the same joy of the game as I do and wonder about the future of sport in this country. I will attempt to give some insight as to what happens behind the scenes and interject some humor into a form of leisure that is taken much too seriously.

What you won't read is the printed version of a sports-talk show. Too much of those shows is spent second-guessing the players and coaches. I will not engage in that type of banter, first because I am not qualified to do so; and second, I have too much respect for how hard these people work.

I will sign off until next time with the thought that the best time to be a sports fan is upon us: the pennant races are heating up; football, volleyball and soccer seasons are about to start; and the Stanley Cup playoffs are still eight months away.

Back to Sports: 08/17/00.