"Ephemeral" Heroes and Villains: A Tale of Two Stevens

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7 thoughts on “"Ephemeral" Heroes and Villains: A Tale of Two Stevens

  1. Heh. These guys don’t deserve to be called either heroes or villains– the real phenomenon here is how stupid Human beings can be in large groups. 😀

    Seriously, some guy needed security protection because he interfered with a baseball game? No wonder the Galactic Federation has us under quarantine. 😀

  2. There is a part of me that really wants to feel sorry for Steve Bartman, but that inner Cubs fan simply won’t let that happen. Regardless, while Bartman isn’t one of my favorite people, I do concede that it might be a little bit unfair to call him a villain. (Though it has taken me a few years to be able to admit to this classification) Maybe the real villain is the Curse and not Bartman. Regardless, Bartman did not act out of ill intent nor did he harbor any sort of deep hatred for the Cubs so I’m not sure if it’s even fair to allow him the classification as a villain in the first place. But both Heroism and Villainy are perceived on an individual basis – there is no ‘standard’ to live up to or criteria that must be filled. Some will remember Slater and Bartman because the stories resonated more with them while others will simply forget. Bartman’s legacy is still very much alive in the city of Chicago. There are many rumors about his current whereabouts – many Chicago fans like the idea that the Marlins actually paid to relocate Bartman outside of the city.

  3. I agree with RJ in that these two Steves can not be classified as heroes or villains. While understandably labeled ephemeral because of their fleeting impact on the world, i believe that the words hero and villain, in their own definition, are people with much more shelf-life. Slater and Bartman are ephemeral individuals–neither heroes nor villains.

  4. I agree THey cant be classified as either because he really didnt do anything wrong. Any other fan of the game would have made the same action. ITs just a reaction for a fan who is sitting in a seat that a ball is flying towards to stick a hand out and grab it.

  5. I wouldn’t classify Steven Slater as a hero as I believe that what he did was wrong. Even though he may have been getting stick from a customer, it is his job and he should be able to deal with it in a controlled manner and not quit in front of everyone.
    Also, I don’t think that Steve Bartman is a villain as he did what any fan would do – reach for the ball. Every fan wants to be able to catch the ball and I think that anyone else in his position would have done the same.

  6. I also think it is a bit overboard to call Bartman a villain. I am a huge sports fan, but this kinda stuff happens all the time and Bartman did not have the intentions of causing harm.

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