True Blue

Tonight is the fifth (and perhaps final) game in the 2010 World Series. The SF Giants are up 3-1 against the Texas Rangers. The last time the Giants contested the WS was in 2002 and that series ended in a loss to the Angels. The last time the Giants won the WS was in 1954 when they triumphed over the Cleveland Indians in a 4-0 sweep. Back then the franchise was known as the NY Giants and they played at the Polo Grounds in Manhattan.

In honor of my adopted town, Go Giants!

And yet...

As successful as they have been this year, I am challenged to throw my whole support behind the Giants. It's not their fault. Really. It's their colors: black and orange.

From a very young age, I have been trained to only respond to blue in my athletic heroes. Blue is the chromatic theme running from my hometown (blue and white) to college (blue and orange) to Chicago's professional teams (blue and red for the Cubs and blue and orange for the Bears).

As I said, it's not the Giants' fault. I'll just squint and try to imagine that black and orange is really blue and orange. Go Giants!