When a star moves on ...
When Russell Wilson returns to Seattle to open the season, should he be welcomed like Ken Griffey Jr. or treated like Alex Rodriguez?
Some will read my guest column for Tacoma’s The News Tribune as a criticism of Russell Wilson, and it’s absolutely not. It’s more introspective than that, and it wonders why my affection for Ken Griffey Jr. and Marshawn Lynch transcended the transactional nature of most fans and why that hasn’t been the case for Wilson.
So, here's the thing, and I'm no enemy of nuance as a general rule: this is all very simple. A bunch of fans will boo Russell. Those who do will boo him because he's gone, because he wanted to leave, and because fans think they are 100% entitled to a player's loyalty to their team. They will articulate different reasons than that, because that one is kind of embarrassing to say that plainly. However, they're all lying. That is the booing fans' ultimate rationale. I understand that there will be a desire to complicate this issue, but unfortunately this one is just that simple.
If I were in attendance, I would clap for him politely but wouldn't cheer enthusiastically, because this is a game where he is here as an opponent and as a sports enemy. I would save my enthusiastic cheers for when he is later honored by the team in a ceremony that is specifically meant for him. Many of the booing fans from the opener will cheer him then also.
I wonder what role going home has to do with fan feelings. Griffey and Lynch both wound up playing for their hometown teams. Hard to begrudge anyone for wanting to do that. AROD and Wilson...not the case. I was at ARODs return game to Seattle and enjoyed merrily booing him along with tossing monopoly money. As for Wilson, I'd boo him from the stands too. However, I can attest first hand to Wilson's impact on the community here is Seattle and if given the opportunity, I'd tell him that too.