"We've got a good team. I like this team."
- John Gibbons, Blue Jays Manager, April 20, 2013.
John Gibbons and I disagree about at least one thing. I don't like this team. At least not yet. 18 games into the season I've caught good parts of at least 15 of them, and I don't like what I see.
There's nothing to capture your fancy.. nothing to get excited about... nothing to like. Something's missing, and I'm not sure what that is. This team seems to have no personality and no cohesion. I was flabbergasted when we managed to come back from a 3-0 deficit in the 8th yesterday, but not the least bit surprised when the Yankees beat us in 10. It's at a point when watching my Jays, a team I've loved since 1983, isn't fun. It's becoming painful.
The marketing machine behind Rogers' Blue Jays have tried their very best to force the Twitter hashtag #LoveThisTeam down our collective throats, and I still see the occasional die-hard optimist using it, but you won't see it from me. After 18 games, there's nothing to love. The starting pitching is more miss than hit, the defense has been spotty and the hitting has been very disappointing. A 7-11 start isn't the end of the world, but it's a difficult pill to swallow following unprecedented pre-season hype.
And really, that hype is a huge part of the problem here. This team has accomplished absolutely nothing and we bought in on blind faith alone. I'm as guilty as anyone, gleefully predicting a World Series championship in March. Now after 18 games I'm certain it will take a major change to put this team in the playoffs.
All that glitters is not gold, and our 2013 Blue Jays are not the world beaters the hype machine sold us.
Before you comment that it's still early, I have one question for you. When is it not too early to dislike the performance of your favourite team?
