If You Still Hate Steve Bartman You're A Bonafide Moron

So today is the 10 year anniversary of the Bartman game. Of course its going to be all over the news, everyone reliving that night, talking about it, dissecting it. Even Comcast Sports is running a mini-series on the 2003 Cubs, because of course that’s what everyone is just dying to see. But the point remains today as always, if you hate or blame Steve Bartman then you’re a meatball idiot. And I’m not just talking about the game itself, the fact that Alex Gonzalez whiffed on the easiest ground ball ever that could have ended that inning. Or that Sammy missed a cut off man that forced another bases loaded situation, or that Dusty Baker mismanaged his pitchers because that’s what Dusty Baker does. Or that Kerry Wood had a 5-3 lead in the 7th game the next night and no one even mentions that. Or that Alou and the Fox cameras basically intensified the entire thing with their reactions even though that type of play happens all of the time. All of that aside, realizing that Bartman isn’t even close to blame for the collapse, no one in the world should hate Steve Bartman because he’s dealt with the entire situation with the utmost class.

Can you imagine anyone else handling the entire thing like Bartman has? In today’s day and age all anyone wants is to make a quick buck. To cash in on their 15 minutes. Anyone else in the world does a million interviews, makes commercials for headphones, ends up on celebrity rehab, basically soaks up the notoriety, no matter how negative, and cashes in on interviews and public appearances and all that bullshit. Bartman could do a tell all interview tomorrow and probably get a half a million dollars. But what has he done? He’s become a ghost. He’s never once even thought about talking about that night. He gave a written statement immediately after and that was it. He just wants to be a private person who lives his private life and roots for the Cubs from afar. If you don’t respect that then you’re fucked in the head. Steve Bartman never was to blame. If you watch that play, everyone around him was going for the ball. Any person sitting in that seat goes for that ball, that’s human nature, fan nature. I just don’t think everyone handles it like he has, which is something that gets lost in the shuffle and should be commended forever.