You're a fan when it HURTS

I've been reading a lot about Theo Epstein's shocking resignation from the Boston Red Sox on Monday. The Boston Globe seems more involved than it would like to admit, with Dan Shaughnessy's column that supposedly convinced Epstein he needed to leave, and his "Hey, don't blame me - I'm just a sportswriter" response the day after. ESPN.com has had some interesting insight too, from Peter Gammons, Buster Olney, and Bill Simmons. Ken Rosenthal has thoughts, too.

But none of those writers has captured what it feels like for a fan of the team. And on that note, I have to mention Sam's Red Sox fan take on the situation at Blue Cats and Red Sox. Of course, I'm biased - Sam's a favorite of the Sweaty Men. (I was going to say we sweat all over her, but that has all sorts of other different connotations. Ahem.) And if you read my stuff, you probably read hers.

How do people react when they know you love a certain team and something crazy just happened? They want to know how you feel. Fellow fans want to commiserate and figure out what the hell is going on. You can't get to a TV fast enough. The internet doesn't have enough websites for you to check. And worst of all, you feel it. Sam felt it before she even knew what happened. She just knew something happened. That is being a fan. And sometimes, sportswriters forget what that's like. (Is it any wonder why blogs are so popular?)