Agreed. I gave up on homerism around the same time I gave up on being a "fan" of particular players. Will always be a Sox "fan", but don't go in for the divisive bullshit and strict allegiances. If I had the access I'd spend as much time watching other teams as I currently do listening to / watching the Sox.

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By the same token; I can't stand when people are blinded to when their team is either bad or that their love of a particular player is so blinding they'll overlook anything and everything. The columnists this week about Sammy Sosa were disgusting. "I'll hold my nose and vote for him anyway?!?!?!" Goes to show how some people will absolutely overlook anything just to remain loyal to a team or former players of that team.

I get a lot of heat because I was critical of Frank Thomas over the years. Simply put, for a good lot of years, the man was a complete ass to far too many people. But, will I say he shouldn't go to the Hall? No, I wouldn't. But; by the same token, when he left the Sox, I wasn't the bit upset over it. Sure, some of those home runs he hit in 2005 won a few games, so yes, he did contribute to a World Championship. But for the 11 games won in October; no, he was not on the active roster. Will I be excited when he gets into the Hall? Heck yeah, I saw him play most of his career on my favorite team. But I certainly wouldn't consider him a "good" guy or someone who I think highly of as a person.

As a player who could hit home runs; he was one of the best I ever saw. But as a man? From personal experience; I saw how much of an ass he could be.

I have to ask frontman - what were your personal dealings with Frank Thomas? How many times did you see or hear him in action outside what you heard in the media?

Here's mine; at picnic in the park 2000, where he stood in centerfield for over three hour signing autographs and taking pictures with fans, when the players were only required by contract to stay for the first hour and half; when his sin was playing flag football with my son at Waveland fields on the lakefront, and he stood and signed autographs and talked with everyone while he was trying to watch his son (this was after the divorce), or at Wells Park, when he was trying to watch his him play in a game. He always acted the best to whomever ask him for an autograph, or wanted to just stand next to him - I ended up somewhat knowing him from our sons - but were certainly weren't close. In seeing him in action - perhaps different from know it all fans who tried to tell him that he sucked or was ungrateful - he was a gentleman and a decent guy in situations where he did not have to be..

So tell us, frontman, how do you know Frank to justify such strong opinions?

Well, who knows if Frank changed since I saw him; and I will say this was one time experience.

(I will apologize for the length in advance of those who give one rat's ass about Frank Thomas.)

I once had to keep his bodyguards/handlers go to work over a Dad of two kids who Frank had promised autographs to, only to snub them on his way out the door. (This was back in 1995/1996.) Probably would of gotten really ugly had myself and the rest of the security at the facility this happened at had not intervened.

On the way in to the facility, Frank turned and looked right at the kids and the Dad, said, "I'm running late for this thing, if you can wait, I'll take care of you when I come out." Now it was true that they were running late, and my team were instructed to get him in as quickly as possible. I even did explain that to the Dad as such just before Frank arrived. The Dad and the kids were on the way out as Frank and his group came in; so had Frank been two minutes later, probably wouldn't of even had to say anything to anyone. But he says what he said, he went into to the event, and a few hours later when he came out?

The kids came up, he blew right past them, and when the Dad went to say something, the handlers pushed the Dad back. (From my vantage point and experience working security, this Dad couldn't of worked over a 5th grader, much less 3 grown men like Frank and his guards.)

The kids got really scared, and we moved in quickly to keep this from getting really nasty. I even had to step between the one guard and the Dad (who was in front of the kids; who my first concern was that they didn't get stepped on or something really stupid) and said this wouldn't look good, as it was a PR event Frank was attending for his charity in the first place!

I turned to Frank and said, "You did promise these two kids your autograph. I heard you say that, so did these other two men who work with me," because the three of us were on the team that helped get him in the door without issue, but these two kids were the only two who asked him for autographs, and were the only two at the door when he left. Frank then gave the three of us a dirty look, and without a word left. The Dad was obviously shook up, the kids left extremely disappointed, and the three of us went back to work thinking we helped this jerk out? Stay classy San Diego!

Could he of forgotten about the kids? Yes. But he also could of just not said anything while on his way in earlier and while the kids would of gone home disappointed; and at least it wouldn't of become a nightmare like it did.

Was there a way to salvage it? I don't know, but I think Frank could of been the one to say something to the guards; not a separate team of security. Would it of killed him to sign two baseballs and said, "Sorry this got out of hand" to the Dad?

I think if he did that it would of been then "Hey, his bodyguards are overzealous, but Frank is cool and made good" but from how Frank had this look of distain for being called on his word? Left such a bad impression on me, I still don't really like the guy.

Now, you saw him over the course of some time, I will admit I saw him that one time. You also experienced a man four or five years older, and hopefully a bit wiser.

Could he also have had a God-awful day/moment? Yeah, I'll give you that. But, at for me; my coworkers, that Dad and especially the two boys? That moment really was a defining one; because that might of been the only time any of us might ever deal with him.

And during the following years with the White Sox, the prima donna BS behavior I saw from Frank fit the bill of the man I dealt with that one time.

Now, is it far easier for the reporters to report about say Frank's failed record deal, and his money woes and divorce and what not? Sure, of course it is. Things like Thome's and Konerko's charity hardly get a mention (and I'll even bet quite a few didn't know Frank even HAD a charity back then) at the end of a news broadcast, whereas bad PR makes ratings.

But I also will give credit where credit is due. The Frank Thomas I saw after his departure from Chicago, and how he conducted himself is far different than the man he was back in the 90's. His alleged "pillow abuse" commercial and how he handled that "bad" PR showed a man who did change. I will also say that Frank has never once said a bad word (at least as far as I've seen) about Sox fans or the city of Chicago. His beef really has been with Kenny Williams; which both him and Kenny acted like two spoiled kids on a playground.

I was using this as an example from a personal experience. I still don't like the guy, as the personal moment was rather ugly.

But my whole point back in the original post (talk about getting sidetracked) is that as a Sox fan; I can look at the moment I had with Frank and instead of saying, "Oh, he's a White Sox player, so he couldn't of done ANYTHING wrong in this situation, its all on the guard or the Dad or the kids!" And I have gotten that type of response from Sox fans; who weren't there, who didn't see how ugly this situation was. To them, the man walked on water. (I also find that many of them still pine for Jon Garland, Brandon McCarthy, and Aaron Rowand to be back on the Southside, so take that with a grain of salt.)

The best phrase I have ever heard when it comes to being a sports fan is "I root for the name on the front; not the one on the back." Far too many times I see people overlook a player's faults as a man; because they are enamored with his achievements on the field.

Look at the writers at this week saying Sosa should go into the Hall, yet they won't vote for McGuire; and look at the fans voting for Manny to go to the All Star Game, even though he's currently suspended from the league, and that's what I can't stand about some sports fans.

And Mike Murphy, for all his bluster and sound drops, is just as bad. Santo is a borderline Hall of Famer; I can see a point either way about him being inducted into the Hall.

But since I wouldn't say that he's a sure fire lock, Murphy would accuse me of being a "Sox fan" and that I hate Santo and would make fun of his condition; just because he's a Cubs player and I'm a Sox fan; forgetting that Santo ended his career on the Southside.

I can't stand the blind love of an athlete people have for those who can dunk a basketball, hit a home run, or score a touchdown.

it's a tough conundrum that we as fans have to deal with. look. athletes, for the most part, are freakin' assholes. yeah, there's the "grinders" who live a blue collar life and know what struggling is, and blah blah--they can relate to the common man because they don't have the talent or drive to be one of "the greats"; and "the greats" have been told so since they were little asswipe toddlers so they grow up thinking their shit doesn't stink...they hit the grand slam, they make the double play, they do everything we want...we love them so much.

we want their autograph, and they're so insecure about social endeavors because their whole life all they've had to do is be put up on a pedestal so they can't relate to "us", so they just look like cocky jerks, and whatnot.

do they have a right to be pricks? does the media factor into it? what do they owe us? i guess, when it comes to athletes, all they owe us is that clutch play or whatever, do what you're paid to do...go above and beyond. when it comes to entertainers, just entertain us. i've already met my hero in life and at first he was an ass, but he turned out to be a good guy in the end--and that was that. they're people...we just focus on a part of them that we selfishly indulge in and covet. that's not their problem.

but it's somehow everyone's problem at the same time.

Hey, this is the Murph folder!

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I knew I'd grow on you

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

yeah, i thought that was sweet.

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@audioidkid