Better Know a MT Sports Fan: Clarence Toole
This is the story of how a guy from Shelby became a fan of the Chicago Bulls, Chicago White Sox, San Francisco 49ers, and Dallas Stars.
Better know a MT Sports Fan is a feature from the Montana Mint where we ask Montanans how they started rooting for their favorite team. Montana is unique in that not only does the state not have any pro sport teams, but neither do the states surrounding it. This leads to some interesting combos.
This week we ask Montana Mint Contributor Clarence Toole about his favorite teams. If you have an interesting group of favorite teams, email us your story at hello@montana-mint.com.
Chicago White Sox: In the Spring of 1990 I was introduced to my first coach, Coach Petterson. I like to imagine he selected me to the White Sox in the first round of Shelby’s tee ball draft, but all records have been lost. What is known, is after that point the White Sox started an unprecedented 7 year run. Granted, we didn’t track chips in tee-ball, but the Shelby ChiSox claimed 4 titles in that time. Shelby’s Baseball Association does a cool thing where you remain with the same team through Little League. Curiously, our team tee shirts were yellow and white, but that didn’t seem to bother me at the time. I played first base, because in tee ball, you put the kid there who isn’t afraid of the ball.
From 1990 onward I have been a diehard Chicago White Sox fan who devoured all things baseball. My favorite player (and it’s not even close) is Frank Thomas. I felt personally embarrassed when Nolan Ryan threw Robin Ventura in a head lock and tossed him 30 consecutive knuckle sandwiches.
When the strike hit 1994 I was furious (and confused) because the ChiSox were going to win the AL that year and meet the Expos in the Series. Sadly, the ChiSox have been one of the worse franchises in sports during our lifetimes. But I’m fiercely loyal and will never shed the ChiSox banners. What else will I do with so many Frank Thomas posters?
Chicago Bulls – Like almost every Bulls fan in our age bracket, I became a Bulls fan because of Michael Jordan. I won’t even pretend Scottie Pippen had anything to do with it. I jumped on that bandwagon and held tight. But I’ve never been just a casual fan, like when my Mom says she likes the Padres because she lived in San Diego for a few years. Most of my childhood was spend scanning the back of trading cards, reading statistics, wondering when I’d hit my growth spurt and be 6’6″ like MJ.
San Francisco 49ers – Just like with the Bulls, I chose my NFL team by popularity. I, alas, am a 49ers fan. I don’t think I became a real 49ers fan until I suffered Steve Mariucci years. That said, the Jim Harbaugh years were wonderfully painful. Damnit they were so close and missed their window.
Dallas Stars – I don’t follow hockey, but I guess the Dallas Stars. I never really had a team, but that’s because hockey didn’t exist in the universe I grew up in. I will say this: my friend and I took a trip to Dallas when he was checking out grad schools.
This friend has an insanely wealthy and insanely Republican great uncle who treated us to an amazing sports weekend. We watched Lebron James play the Mavericks. We watched Drew Bledsoe’s last NFL game. We watched the Cotton Bowl game that was decided on a final play field goal. And we watched the Dallas Stars play the St. Louis Blues.
Of all the games, the hockey game was the most entertaining. It’s incredible to watch live. You don’t realize how fast these guys zip around when skipping through EPSN3. I think I would have loved hockey if I had become aware of the sport before the age of 13.
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