This external bravura, however, makes the mind-numbing conventionality of their interiors so much more disappointing.
But it is one of those places for which the reality is much more disappointing than the myth.
They are not as bad as the Miami Marlins in the National League, and their A.L. West neighbors the Los Angeles Angels have been much more disappointing.
While Shilton was surprised to learn that Nicholls had performed poorly – he was substituted after 78 minutes and culpable in one way or another for all three goals – much more disappointing was the phone call he received from Dave Sexton, the England Under-21 manager, when the players returned home.
Maybe it's just our default position to fear the worst when we watch British players, to expect that disaster is lurking round the corner, waiting to drag us back into reality - we're not good at this, we're not used to winning, bring back Tim Henman, bring back Jeremy Bates, life was so much more disappointing and simple back then.
The older sister Venus and the younger sister Serena were both in rare form, which was bad news for those who wanted to bask in the summer sunshine and enjoy a long, suspenseful match under their Panama hats and much more disappointing to the opposition.
If he had not been assassinated, some scholars believe, Sun would not have attempted his second revolution, and Yuan would have continued as an incorrigible president with too much power a disappointing outcome, but not as catastrophic as the country's slide into anarchy proved to be.
The problem with packing your audience with allies is that you care too much about disappointing them.
But when a game ends in mutual submission the fact that the audience has been watching for seven hours makes the anti-climax that much more disappointing.
