August 31st, 2006 → 2:02 am @ Seth Mnookin // No Comments
Do you remember August 1? I mean, for some other reason than it being the day after the trade deadline. That’s right: that was the night that an injured crow was flitting (never sitting) feebly around the bases at Fenway. And remember how funny it was? Remy and Orsillo spent most of the ninth joking about how said crow was trying to swipe second base. The Globe ran with the same joke the next day. Ha ha.
It doesn’t seem so funny anymore, does it? Since that time, the Sox have been swept by two out of three last-place teams in the league, and two out of three first place ones (they did manage a single win against both Detroit and Tampa Bay). Against Kevin Millar-less clubs, the Sox are 5-21. Even more ominously, the number of players with broken wings, er, serious injuries is growing by the minute. It won’t be long before the Fenway scoreboard installs a (corporate sponsored) injury ticker with up-to-the-minute updates.
From what I understand, this whole made-up curse thing can be pretty lucrative, and as I pondered, weak and weary, the state of the Sox I realized: Boston is currently dealing with the Curse of the Gimpy Crow. (Take that, Chicago: you’re no longer the only city that suffers at the hands of the animal kingdom.) Before you cry shenanigans, let me remind you: Indian tribes from Puget Sound (you know, Mariners country) knew the raven — and really, what’s the difference between a raven and a crow? — as the trickster god, and believed he created the human world after dropping a stone in the ocean. Not a good dude to piss off.
So I am sorry, Mr. Crow, and truly your forgiveness I implore for any offense I might have caused. Now please, let us play the rest of the season in peace. And to this curse I say: Nevermore!
TimmyMac
18 years ago
Ha! I’ve been thinking the exact same thing. You totally beat me to it.
I still call dibs on “Quoth the raven – never score!”
Nice. I can’t believe I didn’t come up with that one…
— Seth
cursemyreverse
18 years ago
Except the prevailing theory is that it was eaten by our resident red tailed hawk, and birds of prey have been considered by native peoples good omens for far longer than crows have been considered bad omens (by only some cultures) Of course on the other hand, a lot of good any number of good omens did the native americans against manifest destiny. My main bullet point about the 06 sox at this point is that it is the worst team I have seen fielded within the life of my fandom I think. (That is of course assuming I am actually watching them, which I am not) The are reinventing losing. I never thought I would see another team like the 2001 sox… but at least the front office is Duke-less. BTW favorite Duke story: At the last game of the season at Fenway in 01, the fans had obviously turned on the Duke, so much that there were signs being brought in about it, and not wannabe mastercard ads (will those EVER stop?) or blown up Remy baseball cards. But security would come in to remove the signs AND the fans who refused to stop holding them. At one point late in the game, someone in right field unveiled a rather large bed sheet spray painted with “Down with the Duke!” Security was sent in to deal with it, but our pesky fellow fans start tossing it out of their reach, and once it got a safe distance the fans currently holding it unfurled it again to grand applause. Once some fans stretched it back out and it was upside down, and after some beer hindered logistical figuring they spun it around and everybody roared again. Then came the security so it was passed down the line still some more. From my view point they must have tossed at least a half dozen plus people as a result, all in different sections. In the end the banner had probably travelled 8 sections. And I was at a vantage point where I could see up into the press/office boxes, and I swear I could see Duke up there standing perfectly still watching over the crowd. He had the menacing presence of a cold war dictator, and although I didn’t actually see it happen, I just knew he was up there pointing out anti-duke signs to security. It was the last time I ever saw him, although I so wish I could have been there in 02 spring training to yell out “DEAD MAN WALKING!” when he arrived.
Bjnicholson24
18 years ago
This is awful.
I’m not sure I can even watch anymore. I had forgotten just how difficult 2001 was at the end once Jimy had been fired and good old Joe had taken over (of course, other events in September 2001 took my mind off baseball). I have never looked forward to the hot stove baseball season as much as I am at this moment.
I sincerely hope Jon Lester only has a bad back.
gmschmidty
18 years ago
I certainly hope this isn’t the curse of the gimpy crow. According to folklore the black-bird symbolizes not only bad luck, but also death. Given the state of two of our players, its scary to say, this is not a lughing matter. Let’s hope the season is the only thing thats lost right now. Talk about a crappy August. Times like these, it is hard to care too much about being a fan.
Beth
18 years ago
all i can really, truly hope for right now is that we DON’T end up with another “curse” franchise, crow or otherwise.
chowdahead
18 years ago
I hope none of you hurt yourselves jumping off the bandwagon.
A friend of mine (Cubs fan) has been trying to convince me all summer that Sox fans were becoming as annoying and spoiled as Yankee fans. I fought him all summer, but now everyone is proving him right.
Back to the same old chorus. Woe is me. The poor life of a Sox fan. It seems as if 1 world series and 3 superbowls were never really enjoyed by New England fans.
10/27/2004
18 years ago
Here we go. Now we can ignore this flawed team by saying it’s a magic bird’s fault.
And by the way, I’ve seen crows. That little bird was definitely not a crow.
remylacha
18 years ago
So whatever did happen to the bird anyway? Other than being stranded at second base, that is . . .
archie
18 years ago
Yeah. It was the crow. Sure Seth…
Just like there are “baseball gods”…
JoeFoy
18 years ago
My first view of the offending bird was a picture of it standing on a base…and from my perception that is more likely a grackle and not a crow. A crow (unless it is a baby) would cover much more of the base. I don’t know if there is any grackle related folk-lore, but I’m guessing it’s not an omen of good things to come.
living reflections from a dream » links for 2006-09-01
18 years ago
[…] Introducing the Curse of the Gimpy Crow (tags: baseball) […]