7th heaven and yet, silence...

For those of you who read my list of 100 things on my other blog (see link down to the right), you know I can take my sports seriously - perhaps TOO seriously some would say. I prefer to use the term "passionate." Unfortunately for passionate fans like myself, I endure an almost constant barrage of jabs, criticisms, and reminders regarding my teams' short-comings. In fact, I have an acquaintance who even started ribbing me (via email) about my vaunted Red Sox losing their season opener to the historically lowly Royals within hours of the game going final. Yep - time to throw in the towel. I don't see how we'll dig out of THAT hole since we've only got 161 games left.

Another example from even more recent times - my beloved Tennessee Lady Volunteers had, until late Tuesday night, endured a so-called "drought" of 9 years without a national championship in basketball despite winning a record 6 through the 1998 season. Invariably, each time they lost in the NCAA tournament I would receive a barrage of insults and razzing from people who not only had ZERO vested interest in the game (i.e. they weren't fans of the opposing team) but who often I didn't even know personally. The even more interesting half of this story comes in these recent times of plenty - NOT ONE SINGLE UNSOLICITED COMMENT has come back to me. NONE. Where's the love? I guess I cannot expect too much as the exact same phenomenon occurred when the Sox won in 2004. Silence.

Does our culture have an allergy to congratulations and praise?

Let me tell you another story - the story of the one and ONLY time I attempted to "rub someone's nose in it" and the story of the one and only individual on this planet that I believe takes his team anywhere NEAR as serious as I take mine. My uncle George is a dyed-in-the-wool Green Bay Packers and New York yankees fan (if you haven't read my list of 100 things on my other blog, don't try to correct my capitalization)... and in the mid 1980's the Bronx Bombers got the better of my Sox most of the time. Uncle George always told me that he rooted for "winners" and as legitimate a reason as that is, I always chuckled when he said that only "winners" get to play in a stadium, while others only got to play in the park (e.g. Fenway). However, one sunny weekend in mid-summer my beloved Red Sox ripped apart yankee Stadium to the tune of a 3 game sweep. Upon seeing my Uncle (whom I idolized and still love and greatly respect to this day) the next week I asked him, "So what do you think of those boys who play in the park?!" To which he glared directly at me in total seriousness and gave a simple, "I'm disappointed" with a steely stare that all but challenged me to open my little smart-alecky mouth one more time so that he could fit his fist between my molars. I've never rubbed it in again - not even after the 2004 ALCS. Not even after the Lady Vols' three-peat in 1996-98. Never.

What would be the point? Who would benefit? Obviously not me. Obviously not my team's opponents' fans. So why? Why would someone do this? Somebody explain this to me. I believe that it is due to our innate need for entertainment - even, or in some cases especially because it is at someone ELSE'S expense. And who better to pick on than the most fanatical, emotionally-attached fan you can think of? I think it basically serves to identify me as one of the most devoted fans sports has ever known. I've cried at more disappointing championship games (and my teams have been there OFTEN) than I have sappy movies or even funerals.

My Lady Vols STOMPED Rutgers - talk about a beat down. After Candace Parker and Alexis Hornbuckle our team doesn't have a starting lineup that would scare ANYBODY, never mind everybody. But basketball is a team sport and this team won that way. And don't for a minute believe the garbage from all those cynical hoops fans that say Pat Summitt is mean and boring and ruthless - she wins, but she NEVER does it at the expense of people's feelings or at the expense of good sportsmanship (see my list of 100 things). Just check the tape from the moments after the championship game was over - she immediately motioned for her players to line up and congratulate the opposing team, and when they were continuing to celebrate (not seeing her direction) she lost her smile and had her assistants gather the girls up for the handshakes, hugs, and such. She understands people's feelings. She knows what matters most. She does it the right way. And if you don't like her just because she is intense and her team wins (a LOT), then go find another coach to pick on - you won't find justification for your cynicism in Knoxville.

So if you're green with envy, blue with disappointment, red with rage, white with fear, or pink from embarrassment - don't rain on my parade. Someone ELSE'S team lost (not yours) and a little pat on the winner's back won't set your character or your image back a decade - just ask the women of Rutgers and fans like me who value good sportsmanship. We understand completely.