Reader Email - Was It Incredibly Lame For Baseball To Try To Steal Hockey's Hat Trick Celebration?
Hey Jordie,
Not sure if you saw this yesterday but Josh Donaldson had a 3 dinger game in Toronto. Is he on steroids? That’s neither here nor there. Question I wanted to ask was about the crowd’s celebration afterwards. Kind of messed up and incredibly lame for them to blatantly steal hockey’s “hat trick” shtick, right? I mean, do hockey fans need enforcers now to keep baseball fans in line? I’m just saying. Get your own celebrations and traditions, baseball. Quit trying to be like hockey so much.
Viva,
- Definitely Not Jordie
First off, I’d just like to thank this Stoolie for this question because I think it’s a very important one to ask. Now there are a few pieces to this story that make the issue a little more complex. It’s not quite as cut and dry as you’d think. Because the first thing you have to take into consideration here is that the game, in fact, was in Canada. Does that make it more probable than not that these fans at the Blue Jays game are also hockey fans? Yes, I’d say so. But that still doesn’t make it any better. Because it’s Pandora’s Box. It doesn’t matter that this started in Toronto. The box has officially been open. Now fans all across the league will think they have the open invite to throw their hats on the field after a player crushes 3 dingers in a single game. And therein-lies the issue, people. If it is contained to just one instance in Canada, then sure, go nuts. But if baseball fans start stealing hockey fans’ shit left and right and that becomes the new norm? Well then I guess you can buy me some peanuts and cracker jacks because this is a war we’ll have on our hands.
Bottom line is this; imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. I am well aware that hockey is the greatest game in the world and the best live experience for fans. So I get that fans of other sports would want to make their experience a little more like hockey fans’ because of jealousy. But it’s a fine line they’re toeing right now. Maybe your best course would be to tread lightly, baseball.
And yes, I’m well aware that baseball hair in general is a damn travesty.