So apparently it’s no longer victory Monday at the Lounge, it’s cranky Monday. And I’m about to join in. Somewhere beneath my rough exterior today, there is a person who is beyond ecstatic, but right now I’m annoyed. Normally I wait until Thursdays but let’s just be honest, crankiness can not be denied. Yesterday’s game was classic, perfection (well nearly) and we finally saw the emergence of the MIA Packers running game. But James Starks isn’t the only one who saw glory yesterday, the James Starks fans are also claiming victory.  And with the gloating comes some confusion. Yesterday I heard the repeated, “I was right” or “Suck it Starks haters." I have had some fun with the Starks craze. I call him Neo, and have had many laughs over the hype. Yesterday I was accused of being a Starks hater. Let me set something straight. The jokes regarding Starks were never actually about James Starks; they were about his fanatics. I feel fairly confident that only Justin Bieber knows the love that James Starks experiences. I know that some people “watched” him in college or spent some quality time with YouTube, but even before he played a snap for the Packers Starks was a man with fans possessed. That is funny. The fandom, the defensiveness, the craze; it wavered from absurd to humorous. But at all times, it was something that caused me giggles. And while I laughed, I never stopped supporting James Starks. When he first stepped on the field, I didn’t pray he’d fumble, I crossed my fingers and hoped for a first down. And no matter how many times I try to explain it, I am not a James Starks hater. Someone told me yesterday that by mocking I was being "unsupportive" of him and therefore was indeed a hater. I can see that logic, if I, or most of the so-called haters, were ever laughing at Starks himself. I don’t know how to say this anymore clearly, so here’s me being the most direct I can. Dear James Starks fanatic, I was not laughing at James Starks. I was laughing at you. Please don’t be mad at me for “hating” Starks. Feel free though to be mad at me for laughing at you. That I can handle. Jayme. p.s. Even as Starks has better games, it will still be silly to me. That will never go away. Neo forever! p.p.s.  Your general over-defensiveness of him still only makes it funnier to me now. Just so you know.