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Being an Angels fan is not always easy. Your team lives in the shadows of an older more respected franchise, the Los Angeles Dodgers. Its similar to living in New York and being a Mets fan or living in Chicago and being a White Sox fan. No matter how much success the Angels, Mets, or White Sox have the Dodgers, Yankees, an Cubs will always be the second fiddle in their respective towns. The Angels are the Clippers to the Dodgers' Lakers. (It is interesting to note that both of the big team in LA are actually transplants with names that specifically tied to the area where they came from). To make matters worse, their current team is coached at various former Dodgers from the miracle underdog Dodgers of 1988-Scioscia, Hatcher, and Griffin.

Another reason the life of an Angels fan is tough are all the painful memories the Angels have supplied over the years. What Angels fan doesn't remember 1986 taking a three game to one lead over the Boston Red Sox. They were one strike away from their first World Series. And tan disaster strikes. Al Michaels called it "the Pitch... Deep to left and Downing goes back. And it's gone! Unbelievable! You're looking at one for the ages here. Astonishing! Anaheim Stadium was one strike away from turning into Fantasyland! And now the Red Sox lead 6-5! The Red Sox get four runs in the ninth on a pair of two-run homers by Don Baylor and Dave Henderson." What Angels' fan doesn't remember the 1995 season. Edmunds catch that was possibly better that Mays' famous catch. (Almost blasphemous, right?) That team had a eleven game lead on August 10. After a couple of nine game losing streaks the Angels were forced to play a one game playoff with the Mariners to go to the real playoffs. The mariners crushed the Angels. Who can forget the 2005 ALCS where by cheating, the White Sox were able to deflate the Angels. The cheating player will go unnamed (and not just because I can't spell it) but his initials were A. J. P.
The last reason it is tough being a fan of the Angels is the perception of pure cheese. The cheesiness is displayed by the prime examples of the Rally Monkey and the remake of "Angels in the Outfield." The Rally Monkey at the game is entertaining. However the rules that the media showed at every game increased the level of lameness and cheese. "He only comes out after the 7th inning with the Angels trailing or tied blah blah blah." "Angels in the Outfield" was a bad remake of a classic movie. It was the cheesiest. A stadium full of Angel fans pretending to have wings started flapping them. I was at a game where the fans really started doing it. Of course the Angels lost. It was the one time I was truly ashamed to be an Angels fan.
Though occasionally the Angels have given us fans good times too. 2002 saw the Angels lose every first game in every playoff series but win every series. I recall jumping up and down for hours when the Angels finally won the Series. I was able to take my son to his first ball game. Maicer Izturis hit a grand slam to celebrate his first game. In the end all the tough times was worth it for the few great moments.

Learn more about this author, Matthew Richardson.
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