The Red Sox’s Shane Victorino did an amazing thing last night: He brilliantly and effortlessly shut down the “lift their weary spirits” narrative surrounding Boston’s World Series win.

During an on-field, postgame interview with Victorino destroyed Ken Rosenthal’s question about the Meaning Of It All and the marathon bombing. “To all those that were affected in the tragedy: Boston Strong!” He said. Then adding that he had nothing more to say about it.

The meaning was clear: Boston “healed” itself. The Red Sox just played baseball.

Hundreds of sports reporters across the globe had the same thought when Koji Uehara struck out Matt Carpenter to end game six Wednesday night: It healed a city that had its heart broken during the Boston Marathon tragedy and…well you know the rest of this maudlin pap. Thankfully, Victorino told them wear they can stick it.

Ever since Roone Arledge figured out he could entice non-fans to watch sports with soft-focus feature packages, sports has been mired in this shallow myth-making about franchises and athletes inspiring their fans to…well, it's never really defined.

Search Google News for World Series and Boston Marathon. In the last month, you couldn't avoid this schlock.

“Marathon tragedy changed, galvanized Red Sox,” wrote MLB.com.

“Boston Red Sox stayed strong for Boston after marathon bombing,” explained the LA Times.

“Triumph after tragedy: Boston celebrates after World Series win,” said NBC News.

Aljazeera America is the worst offender because a network promising a different perspective shouldn’t puke out Mitch Albom-ish subheads like: “The city's beloved Sox lift post-bombing spirits with run to the World Series.” Dreadful.

The Onion brilliantly parodied the entire concept: "Red Sox Fan Dedicates Garbage Can He’s Lighting On Fire To Marathon Victims."

Detroit athletes should learn from Victorino next time a bored tv producer or lazy columnist tries to manufacture a story about how its So Much More Than A Game. There will be a next time.

How often were Detroit teams supposed to lift our weary spirits in recent years? Hell, if not for the Boston Marathon tragedy, the Tigers would have won the misery Olympics—largest municipal bankruptcy!—and been the team playing for So Much More this post-season.

The entire conversation cheapens a team’s on-field accomplishments. Are we to assume the Cardinals would have won the World Series if only terrorists targeted the Gateway Arch instead of the Boston Marathon? 

Worse, it cheapens the impact of the underlying tragedy.

As a prominent part of the Boston community, the Red Sox did an admirable job tastefully honoring Marathon bombing victims in pregame ceremonies all season and the franchise should be commended for that. However, it’s not as though the city’s recovery would have been hindered if the Sox went 80-82 and missed the playoffs. Bostonians, not baseball, deserves credit for rebounding from that terrible event.

To believe otherwise is to infantilize victims of civic tragedy. It turns us into a nation of cancer-ward kids waiting for our hero to hit a home run that will cure our afflictions.

The same is true for Detroit’s economic troubles. The 2009 Tigers were supposed to be the “Righteous Franchise,” boldly standing with Detroit in the midst of the auto bankruptcy didn’t help or hinder the auto recovery. And no team's performance will affect the course of the city’s bankruptcy, or its impact on residents, businesses, and retirees.

Next time Justin Verlander/Matt Stafford/Chauncey Billups are asked to pontificate about the local unemployment rate, they should respond like Victorino did last night. Just say something generally positive about Detroiters and change the subject.

When our athletes don’t buy into the patronizing media narrative about lifting weary spirits, they demonstrate actual respect for their fans. For that, we should be appreciative.