I thought the Bartman doc was going to be part of 30 for 30

Wayne Drehs thought so too. He wrote a piece about the Guy in the Grey Sweatshirt, the anti-Bartman. Fascinating stuff.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/eticket/story?page=110927/PatLooney

 

I don't know how you mention Buckner and don't mention Bob Stanley's wild pitch that allowed the tying run to score with two outs.

 

Great story. I never thought that Bartman was handling this wrong--by being as reclusive as possible--until I read this. This Looney guy claims he would be milking it for all it's worth. I wonder how the public would've handled it then.

 

I really hope that Bartman is happy with himself. I don't know how he can be, I just pray he is. All of us probably would have done the same thing in his situation.

 

At least he doesn't have to face the anguish of being a Braves fan.

 

I just read last week that the Cubs at least thought about taking a goat to San Diego for Game 3 of the 1984 NLCS and definitely had one walk around the ballpark prior to Game 1. Never knew that before.

 

IIRC, they also took a goat to Minute Maid Park in Houston in the final week of the 2003 regular season. I believe the Astros were the team chasing the Cubs that year.

 

Excellent doc. The Red Sox/Buckner stuff was slightly overdone, but I agree with Bob in the sense that this film was about scapegoating as much as it was Bartman himself.

I've thought a lot about the Kafkaesque horror of that situation for Bartman over the years -- and the doc confirmed how bad it really was. It is obviously the worst nightmare scenario for any true fan.

What if it had been me? What if I done that to the Brewers? Even as a grown man who is trained as a journalist to have perspective on things, I don't know how I'd handle that if I were Bartman. I admire his stick-to-it-iveness on keeping it private over the years.

It's also, obviously, a study in mob rule.

On the flip side of the "what if it were me" question is ... What if someone did that to the Brewers? Would I react with the same ugliness those Cubs fans did?

In the moment? If I'm honest with myself, I really don't know what I'd do. I wouldn't be uber-douche and toss beer, etc., or try to confront him as that smug motherfucker interviewed in the documentary did. As a journalist, you're better trained to see things for what they are instead of viewing things purely through an emotional prism, so that would certainly help.

But having said that, I've been waiting my whole life for a championship too. The Cubs' historic futility undoubtedly magnifies that moment on a national scale, but if it happened to the Brewers, would I be above an "asshole" chant? Probably not. It proves that anyone can get caught in the moment.

I hope I'm not tested by such a moment in the coming postseason. :-\

 

MankyJimy with the funny!

 

I couldn't agree more. I know if I was in Bartman's spot I would have damn sure been reaching for that ball too. I can't say I wouldn't have booed him if I was in the stadium, but I definitely wouldn't have thrown a beer or tried to confront him. The man made an honest mistake. Nobody deserves to have their life ruined for that no matter how long you've waited to see your team in the World Series. That smug fan you talk of made me sick. That smile he had on his face made me want to punch him.

 

I thought it was very well done. Sure, they could have scored a huge coup by getting Bartman to talk, but the female security guard's story was great, too.

And even though I'm a White Sox fan who thoroughly enjoyed the Game 6 meltdown (largely caused by Alex Gonzalez, not Bartman), that comment by Alou that he and Ramirez scheduled flights home after the Game 6 loss was stunning to me. Game 7 became a self-fulfilling prophecy for those two.

Finally, I also liked the interview with the female pastor, who noted the history of "scapegoating" from the church's early years. Bartman is an obvious modern-day example.

 

I wish there were a little less BoSox in there, but I get it. At least they showed the total collapse of the entire team that inning-Schiraldi, Stanley, etc. and not just Buckner.

I left the doc feeling absolutely horrible for Bartman. I can't even begin to imagine the pain, loneliness and suffering he's been through. I hope he's been able to move on and have a life where he's respected, he's not afraid to go anywhere or introduce himself by name, you know, all of the other things we all for granted. He deserves that much at the very least.

Since that happened, I've had box seats at a couple of games where the first baseman could've made a play with a foul ball. If a foul ball came my way, if it's April or September, and I see a player barreling toward me to make a play, I'm getting out of the way.

And PS-I kinda thought Moises was a bit of a dick in his interview.