COMMENT
by Rick Reiff
Winging It
WHAT HAS TURNED LAID-BACK AND LACKADAISACAL ANAHEIM ANGELS’
fans into the most rabid rooters in sports? Sure, front-running plays a part, but is there more to the sudden and dramatic change in attendance, mood and demeanor at Edison Field?
Does Orange County’s avid adoption of the Rally Monkey and thunder sticks say something about the community’s creativity and flair for trend-setting? Does the Angels’ reaching the World Series for the first time in the team’s 41-year history mirror Orange County’s own coming of age? At a time of increasing fear and cynicism, are the Angels a heavenly reminder of the rewards that come from old-fashioned virtues like perseverance, dedication and teamwork?
We asked some experts to explain what’s going on.
The sociologist
Professor Calvin Morrill, chair of UCI’s sociology department: “The easy answer, and it’s partly true, is that the Angels are winning, and when you win people want to be a part of it. But the broader picture is that for more than a year, since 9-11, Americans have been very interested in all forms of escapist entertainment and particularly entertainment in which they can get behind a winner. A winning sports team is a way to escape some of the collective uncertainty. Being in a group at the stadium creates what classical sociologists refer to as collective effervescence, the ‘bubbling up’ of a group. This provides an escape from the collective malaise, uncertainty and fear of the past 14 months, or even longer if you go back to the economic woes.”
The psychologist
Newport Beach psychotherapist John Jolliffe: “Skepticism is the mood of the day. With our time-honored traditions of marriage, stability of Wall Street, homeland security and employer loyalty all under serious reevaluation, the Angels have given us a reproof. More than merely good news triumphs over bad, I believe the enduring exuberance we hear is the victory of hope over despair. Hope is the assurance that something is true. For those who believe that a sustaining commitment to hard work produces results, the Angels are fast becoming the archetypal celebrity of hope.”
The cleric
Monsignor Lawrence Baird, spokesperson for the Diocese of Orange: “God created the angels, who are pure spirits without bodies who have keen intellects and resolute wills. Angels were created good by God. Some, now called the devils, disobeyed God and now make their home in hell. The good angels continue to serve God and to act as his messengers to us. My prayer is that our Anaheim team play with keen bodies and spirited intellects in this battle, not between the forces of heaven and earth, but between Angels and Giants, that we might enjoy a little heaven on earth.”
Amen.
Wagering
IF MAYORS, BISHOPS AND EVERYONE ELSE CAN BET ON THE WORLD SERIES,why not the columnists of Orange County’s and San Francisco’s business papers?
So here’s the deal I made with my former OCBJ colleague Jim Gardner, now managing editor of the San Francisco Business Times and author of its “Talk of the Town” column:
If the Angels win, he gives me three left-wing politicians, four homeless people and 10,000 square feet of subleased office space. If the Giants win, I cough up three light-rail planners, four Bill Simon advisors and 200 acres of Great Park.
, Rick Reiff
