Holy cow, what a week.
Crazy politics, a wild ride on the markets, an absolutely terrible weekend for the Bulldog Nation (and Gator/Badger/Trojan Nations, respectively) resulting in a shakeup in the Top 25 polls, and the White Sox may join the Cubs in the playoffs if tonight's tie-breaker game goes well.
And it's only Tuesday.
Since sports seem to dominate the news (immediately following the news that matters, you know, like to our wallets, our health and our nation's reputation), I decided that we must be doing okay.
If we still can find the extra cash, reserves of passion and boosts of energy it requires to be a sports fan, even in these trying times, then I believe (naively, stubbornly) that we are still alright as a nation.
If we can still dress up like this:
and hang on to some shred of hope that this year will be different, then we must still have heart. And, heart is what it takes to be a sports fan these days.
Especially when your team goes into the season ranked #1 and falls in week 5 to a conference opponent in a decidedly ugly game.
Especially when the "voice of football" in your head retires and it just doesn't seem quite right without him up in the box.
Especially when your city has two teams that may make it to the playoffs, and you're curious what will happen to the city when the north/south side rivalry really heats up in a head-to-head battle across 3 miles of urban terrain.
Especially when you watch your team, with its sorry quarterback and supposedly dominant defense, give up two games in a row in the fourth quarter (or overtime) and you have to hang your head in shame, again.
Especially when your team hasn't won the world series in 100 years and it would just be so nice not to be famous for blowing it.
It is tough to be a sports fan these days.
Call us stubborn. Call us ignorant. Call us in denial. Call us losers. Call us ridiculous. Call us overrated. Call us against the odds. Call us down-and-out.
I'm still game. We believe.
Go Dawgs! Go Cubs! Go Bears! Okay, fine. Go Sox!
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