St. Louis — Before Game 3, the Tigers were cheaters. Now, only hours before Game 4 was set to commence, the St. Louis Cardinals are the better team.
After leaving what has been the only Detroit-friendly territory since entering St. Louis— primarily consisting of business people and employees of Detroit sports in a private corporate party of ticket-holders — very little friendly, polite atmosphere seemed to be exhibited prior to Game 3.
That is, unless you count the people on the street trying to sell an alternative newspaper for $10 that clearly reads "free" on the front.
St. Louis fans have become elitists. They think they have this series on lockdown because of a few ESPN commentators who can't face the facts that this series wasn't meant to be a sweep or an easy win. The fans have gone rampant.
And while the fans here are in a frenzy, none of the commotion of Game 3 was seen Wednesday night. With a constant haze, a raining white-out over Busch Stadium and temperatures in the low 40s, Cards fans have earned their right to the fair-weather title.
With little or no evidence to back me up, I can still imagine Detroit would not be caught picking their noses inside an upper-middle class sports bar where the most exciting thing on tap is the local Budweiser.
And while ESPN writer Gene Wojciechowski is right — the Tigers lost 5-0 Tuesday night — the Cards have by far not "duped" us, which he also wrote. Did everyone not predict this series to be a long one full of tight squeezes and trading wins?
Well, to heck with the bandwagoners who have decided that since the not-as-important-as-everyone-thinks-it-is Game 3 went to the Cards, the Tigers are done.
Because they're not done.
This series will go back to Detroit, and while I refuse to call a winner, the Tigers better win because the hospitality is running thin in what I used to think was a happening spot.
While the weather played an important role in Wednesday's action, Cardinals fans took to the streets immediately after Game 3, gloating and arguing. The atmosphere of the games to come changed completely.
If there is one bright side, more Tigers fans have flocked to the scene, opening up more "Eat 'em up, Tigers! Eat 'em up!" chants and even the rare "Go green!" and the friendly "Go white!" follow-up.
Inside VIP-land, I met 1988 MSU graduate and current Chicago resident Paul Pastors. His general consensus: Go Tigers.
He even claimed he might dip some pine tar on his hand to keep a better grip on his beer. True Spartans style, folks. At least the sensible Detroit fans know what's going on, and they have the decency to admit when we get beat.
