When the planets are perfectly aligned, when the ancient prophesies of yore are reactivated, when the right combination of timing and attention are focused, an internet meme is born. You can't force these things. They have to be organically born from a complicated web of circumstances. That, or you have to be making a particularly silly face on live television.
This was the case for Kansas City Royals fan (and Do312 GM) Jeremy Scheuch. That expression, captured on an audience shot of the KC Royals vs Oakland Athletics game, was an odd mix of resignation and despairing hope.
Like the enigmatic Mona Lisa smile or Edvard Munch's The Scream, Jeremy's expression tells a thousand stories. There is real fear in his eyes, but there's also conviction in his mustache.
Anyone who loyally supports a perennially hapless sports team can relate, on some level.
The Kansas City Royals, after all, haven't played in a postseason game for the better part of three decades. So this moment, where KC could finally reverse that trend, was a big one. Then, suddenly, Jeremy's face sparked an internet wildfire...
Justin McGuire - MLB Editor for The Sporting News
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Within hours, Jeremy's face had gone viral.
Via 120 Sports
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KCTV5 - Kansas City
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Busted Coverage
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Two-time Emmy Award winning journalist Amanda Palumbo
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Barstool Sports
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From the Barstool Sports article:
"He’s PERFECT! The hat, the jacket, the jersey, the fanny pack, it’s all fucking perfect. Jeremy Scheuch is exactly what I wanted him to be when I first saw him last night. He’s the perfect die hard fan who you’d want to be out with last night. Probably went out and got hammered on moonshine, tipped some cows, swung baseball bats at mailboxes pretending he was George Brett then woke up passed out in a barn with a perfect double tapered shit in his pants."
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ou can never predict what's going to take the internet by storm. For instance, we thought Jeremy's list on Do312 of the best places to poo in Chicago would have been bigger, or his Chicago city-wide snowball fight.
But all it took to grab 15 minutes of internet fame was for Jeremy to wear a funny mustache, hat, and sell his Fleetwood Mac tickets to fly from Chicago to Kansas City for the game on Sunday. We hopped on a call with him to find out about his conviction for the KC Royals, internet fame, and facial hair.
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Do512: You're big on the internet right now. How did it happen?
Jeremy: A friend of a friend got us front row seats for the Royals clinching the postseason, so apparently I was on TV quite a bit. Someone took a screenshot of it and it made its way around the internet. And this morning, especially after last night winning the game, it exploded all over the place.
Do512: How has your life changed?
Jeremy: *laughs* Well, my phone won't stop blowing up. I've already gone through one battery today. It's been ridiculous. I've got a radio interview tomorrow morning out of Kansas City and I'm getting ready to jump on Skype to do a TV interview with Channel 5 in Kansas City. Shameless self-promotion. "Oh yes, I do have an art website, you should go buy art!"
Do512: Let's talk about the zombie baseball cards.
Jeremy: I've been doing those for years. It being post season is a good time to whip those out. It's one of those things I can't really do anything with, because I'm using likeness and logos. As cool as that letter would be to put on my wall, a cease and desist letter from Major League Baseball.
Do512: What do you hope to accomplish with your new found viral fame?
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Jeremy: Oh, I don't care. If I can get free tickets for Sunday's playoff game that'll be plenty for me. I was going to go see Fleetwood Mac but I sold those tickets so I could afford to go home.
Do512: You're missing Fleetwood Mac?!
Jeremy: I know, it's worth it though. Literally the only concert tickets I've bought all year long- I dropped like $200 dollars on them. Fleetwood Mac may or may not come through, but the Royals haven't been to the playoffs in 30 years. I've got a Royals tattoo, not a Fleetwood Mac tattoo.
Do512: Do you have any plans for continued internet fame?
Jeremy: No, after this I'm done. Unless the Royals want to fly me out and have me be their mustache coach or facial hair coach. I love them, but they've got some awful facial hair. They have these weird Amish beards going on.
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Jeremy Scheuch can be found
here. Follow him for important Kansas City Royals updates and mustache advice. For more Chicago-related advice,
follow Do312 on the
DoStuff network.
