“You Blockhead”: Orioles and ‘Peanuts’

Entering into September, the 2013 Orioles season can only be described as a series of misadventures.  This is no 2012 season where magic was in the air.  But then again, this is no 2011 season where apathy and despair were Birdland.  This season is different, but neither in a good or bad way for us Baltimore fans.  And with September approaching and the Ravens season looming, Orioles fans are left with a question of not “Why Not”, but “What If”.   That’s a topic for another day and time when the season is complete.

With the Ravens opening this Thursday in Denver, the fingers have been pointed by fans back and forth since the September 5th debacle of where each team should fit into Baltimore sports environment.  Voices shouting “Baseball Season” and “Football Season” as August dawned has been reminiscent of a Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck Looney Tunes Episode.

Now with Fall on the horizon, there are games looming for both sides that will be obvious conflicts for both teams.  At this moment, the following conflicts are had between the teams:

• September 5:   CWS@Orioles at 7PM;  Ravens@Denver at 8:30PM
• September 15:  Orioles@Tor at 1PM; Cleveland@Ravens at 1PM
• September 22:  Orioles@TB at 1PM;  Houston@Ravens at 1PM
• September 29:  Boston@Orioles at 1PM;  Ravens@Buffalo at 1 PM

This leaves us fans in an awkward position of determining which games to watch as the two seasons diverge upon each other.  This didn’t happen last year as the games were spaced so that often you could watch both games live on the same day.  We here at Bird’s Eye View have already made a commitment to attending the Orioles game this Thursday as a sign of solidarity to the team we love.  However, a part of me is struggling with the prospect of missing out on the rest of these games and the thought of missing over a quarter of the football season.  If only there was someone I could talk to….

Perfect!    (Drops that shiny nickel in the cup)

Alright, the fact of the matter is I don’t want to feel like I missed something for either team.  I want to be there in their moment to say I was there when “it” happened.  And so in regards to the Orioles….I wait.  I wait for that winning streak.  I wait for the moment the Orioles are within a game of the division or wild card like last September 6th.  I’m waiting for the magic to return to the team that I’ve loved my entire life.  However, a part of me feels like I’m sitting in a field waiting for something that everyone knows is never going to come.

THAT’S IT!   I am Linus sitting in the pumpkin patch waiting for the Great Pumpkin to swoop down and deliver toys to me and all the children who believe in him.   Sure, I could go out trick or treating with the other kids.  But I have the inherent hope and faith that it will come finally and deliver me what I have been waiting for in this field for years and years now.  You know looking back on this now, the ‘Peanuts’ truly are a great epitome of Orioles baseball for this season.  We started this season off with such hope from last year and everyone rocking the house on Opening Day.

But as the season progressed, we could never quite get any consistency.  We would get so close and it was as if something or someone just quickly pull it away from us.

Oh brother…this is just getting ridiculous now.   However for the moment, I’m going to remain in the pumpkin patch waiting for that brief flicker of hope that the Orioles will rise up.  They will rise up and deliver me with presents and magic in order to make up for so many years of missed tricks and treats from my childhood.  Let’s hope those that follow us into that pumpkin field, including our significant others, do not demand restitution:

================================================================================================

Bird’s Eye View is a proud member of Baltimore Sports Report Network. Check out our show, and lots of other great content at www.baltimoresportsreport.com/network. Also, check out the live post-game shows at www.baltimoresportsreport.com/live. Hosts from all the shows cross-pollinate for insightful commentary, and (more than) occasional venting.