Manny being Manny, yes...but

isn't he mostly right? Wedensday he said this when asked about his feelings about the possibility of being eliminated from the playoffs:

"If it doesn't happen, who cares?" "There's always next year. It's not like it's the end of the world."

Now, as an Indians fan, I appreciate the sentiment. For me, it wouldn't be the end of the world if the Red Sox lost tonight (or in game 6 or 7 for that matter). However, I found this particular statement to be interesting.

Like any fan of any sport, I want to see the players on my teams win or die trying; give all the effort they can (which is 100%, not 110%, thanks). We want to see them fight tooth and nail for victory, and we even see this lived out on the recreational fields of rec league softball games and all the way down to our 4 year olds playing soccer. Win! Win at all costs, dammit!

There's an outcry of "You lazy piece of crap" when we hear athletes, like Randy Moss, confess that he doesn't go all out on every play and he really only plays when he wants to.

I confess I'm one that gives Mr. Moss plenty of crap for that reason.

Is it just me, or is the only time we hear athletes say something like "You know, we play a game and that's all we do" when there's been some large sweeping national or internation tragedy? Then they go out, play, and with everything in proper perspective, everyone enjoys the games for the reasons we ought, because they're games.

Isn't poverty a large, sweeping national tragedy? What about the genocide in Darfur? What about the AIDS pandemic? No athletes keeping their jobs in perspective over these. There's often only a black stripe on a sleeve, or a flag on jersey, or a number or initials on a helmet or sleeve, or a pink bat. No keeping their 'recreationally based' careers in the perspective as they ought.

Manny just did. Although, I'm sure he wasn't trying to. He's more like the airhead you went to school with that got 100%'s on everything (not 110%'s). But, he did hit on something true that no one will look at as truthfully as they ought because there hasn't been something big and tragic to help us remember and give perspective.

They'll just pissed that he seems to not give a crap.

That's just Manny being Manny...