I typically only use Jerome Solomon's columns as starter for my charcoal grill, but his most recent "work" may not be worthy of such an honorable demise. Solomon lamely attempts to align the Phillies' recent 10,000th loss to the Texans' five years of futility, which is sort of like comparing a 16 year-old who gets his first speeding ticket to a 55 year-old who gets his 19th DUI. Solomon clearly is taking some summer courses at the D. Justice School of Flaming Rhetoric, which is a bad thing for the readers of the Chronicle: "Their fans were rabid and loyal before the team even had a nickname. But they're all losers -- maybe not the biggest, but losers just the same."
I urge you contact Jerome directly and let him know your feelings on this subject. I understand the hunger for a winning team that the city of Houston is currently experiencing, and as a rabid Texans' fan from the franchise's inception, I guess I can be (according to Solomon) classified as a world-class loser. However, labeling the entire fan base of a infant franchise as "losers" is third-grade quality work, and more should be demanded from one of the country's most circulated sports pages. Why is the blogosphere exploding? Because our sports columnists choose to try and incite readers by calling them names and trashing their favorite teams rather than engaging in any thoughtful analysis or commentary. Thanks Jerome - Tim and I could not have made it here without you.
One more thing - one is not classified as a winner or a loser based on the success of his favorite sports team, Jerome. Being a fan is about enduring the endless abyss of ineptitude and rejoicing in finally reaching the elusive pinnacle of your sport. It's in praying that Jacoby Jones turns into the next Steve Smith, not the next Corey Bradford. It's in staying until the bitter end when your team is losing by 24 to the Colts, banking on the miracle of your lifetime. It's in tracking the supplemental draft. It's in scanning the web for details on the OTAs. Thanks to hacks like Jerome Solomon, being a "fan" is now not what it used to be - you're only a "fan" if you follow a winner. I would like to personally welcome Jerome to head back to Boston, king of the fair-weathered fans, where Red Sox Nation emerged from nearly 100 years of anonymous losing and, after winning a single championship, starting turning out throngs of obnoxious lifelong Sox fans at ballparks all over the nation who would not know Carl Yasztremski if he spilled a Sam Adams Light on their uncovered toes. I am damn proud to be a Texans' fan - from Day One, and my status as a Texans' fan is not contingent upon whether they win a Super Bowl this year or in 2050. Most of all, I certaionly do not rely upon talentless scribes like Jerome Solomon or Richard Justice to guide me in the proper ways of a "fan". As a general rule, if Jerome Solomon calls you a loser, you are should stand tall and proud - you're probably acting with character and integrity.