Bob Lobel: Great Expectations Lead To Great Disappointments
Wednesday, May 01, 2013
Mediocrity is not the place to be in the NBA. You either have to be really good or really bad to have any realistic expectations about the future.
The Jason Collins “I am gay” story is the discussion of choice in most columns and blogs. His revelation comes on the heels of “42," the movie about Jackie Robinson's first year with the Dodgers. I'll plagarize myself by saying racism, anti-semitism and homophobia all march in the same parade. Let me add, the parade they march in is driven by fear. Jason Collins played here and may do so again. Boston fans will be able to handle it. The question I'm asking myself, is, “What's the big deal?" Why is Sports Illustrated making it a cover story? Why do I feel like this is a story that happened years ago?
I would like to think we have all moved to a different place on that parade route. I have those expectations.
Expectations on the Bruins are being tempered. Most people feel their recent lackluster play is because they are not a Cup-challenging team. Without a Tim Thomas type of performance in goal, they probably aren’t. Adjust your expectations.
There is no expectation change on the Patriots. As long as BB and TB are running the show, the expectations, no matter how high, are justified.
The Red Sox is the team demonstrating realistic expectations and they will continue to create the day. There is no way on this planet that anyone thought the team would be in a position of setting a record for April wins. It feels good—actually, better than good—because none of it was expected. What happens from here is anyone's guess. I don’t expect them to continue this. No one should. If they do, then we can feel good about the nice surprise. It’s a much healthier feeling than the one that permeated the baseball landscape a year ago. Let's sit back and enjoy the ride.
The Red Sox showed up at just the right time, with just the right expectations surrounding them.. With the Celtics checking out and the Bruins offering no real tangible evidence of a Cup final run, the baseball team has become the drug of choice for feeling good. It’s a role reversal that any Boston sports fan can understand. There are some side issues to keep us all distracted along the way: Will Tebow settle in with the Patriots? Why not? Will Alfredo Aceves ever pitch for the Boston Red Sox again? Why?
And sorry, but I have to add a flashback that won't go away. Will we continue to recover from the Marathon bombings? We do need to help each other in whatever way possible (The One Fund is a place to start.) Can we appreciate the great care given by our hospitals and the courage displayed by first responders? We have expectations about those things, too. Although we expected nothing less that what we got that Monday and days after, we do need to reinforce the good that was unleashed by the bad. Those always should be our expectations. We need to pass those expectations on to future generations.
Related Articles
- Bob Lobel: Fellowship of the Miserable
- Bob Lobel: Hockey Parents Belong in the Penalty Box
- Bob Lobel: The Boston Marathon and Me
- Bob Lobel: The Night Neil Diamond Came To Fenway
- Bob Lobel: Wes Welker, Helter Skelter
- Bob Lobel: The Lesson of Lance Armstrong
- Bob Lobel: The Red Sox Need Fan Support Now More than Ever
Follow us on Pinterest Google + Facebook Twitter See It Read It