It’s always tricky manipulating the memories of the masses. You know how you hear players or coaches periodically complain after an especially pointed question, “Please don’t put words in my mouth” — often as not deleting the “please” part?
Fans are that way, and rightly so. They don’t want outsiders to stuff memories in their brains. They have their own memories. And they are as diverse as the UN parking garage.
As you can imagine, a columnist’s email inbox is rarely as flooded as it is on the morning after Something Big happens. Now, sometimes Something Big can be a terrible loss, or a heart-breaking injury, or a big name retiring.