One baseball-addicted grandma in Korea is worrying her family by just how invested she is in the game. This video from the show Hello Counselor explains the depths of her fandom.
This 82-year-old grandmother was so addicted to baseball her family staged an intervention on Korean TV
James Dator has been covering a wide range of sports for SB Nation for over a decade, with a special focus on the NFL.
The show is basically Dr. Phil with chill banjo music and an awesome panel sitting in a set that looks like a slumber party, rather than an over-inflated sack of skin playing fake therapist.
It’s understandable why the family is concerned, because their grandmother:
- Refuses to eat when her team loses.
- Swears endlessly when her beloved Lotte Giants give up a run.
- Keeps immaculate records of wins and losses in a series of notebooks.
- Refuses to answer the phone on days her team loses.
- Stays up all night watching highlights and gets confused what time it is.
- Asked for a smartphone, which she proceeded to use to watch a game during a family member’s funeral.
This story hits super close to home for me because my grandmother was the exact same way with cricket in Australia. Every afternoon I’d go to her apartment until my mum got off work, and more often than not during cricket season she’d be sitting in her chair, wine drunk, screaming “BITCH!” at opposing bowlers who dared deliver bouncers to Australian batsmen (the equivalent of pitching at the body).
More often than not I’d make her a late lunch, because she’d forgotten to eat during the game — always accompanied by a cup of instant coffee that had to be served so hot it was practically boiling in the mug, otherwise it would be too cold for her.
This Korean baseball grandma is a lot like mine. Two incredible women utterly obsessed with the sport they love, and willing to destroy themselves for their favorite game. The clips becomes really sweet when they air a video of her favorite player, Dae-ho Lee, who asks her to keep herself healthy to keep supporting the team, and promises her that if she looks after herself he’ll invite her to a game and give her a signed bat.
In the end,the family reconciles and the woman’s granddaughter explains she’s only worried about her health. Everything ended happily for this family, who solved their problems and ensured baseball wouldn’t destroy their lives.
This one’s for you, granny. I love you and miss you every day.
h/t @iamjoonlee
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