Monday, July 24, 2006

A broken heart...

Sports have a way of evoking every emotion. Moments during sporting events bring excitement, amazement, astonishment, anguish, pain, and heartache, among other things, and these experiences provide us with varying emotional feelings. In one game, you can experience a variety of emotional ups and downs - one minute, you're overcome with joy at your team's success, and the next minute, you've overwhelmed with frustration because of someone's foul-up in a clutch situation.

Since I live in the south, during baseball season, I most often only get to watch the Cardinals or the Braves, if I want to watch some hard ball. The fact of the matter is I'd rather watch the History of the Honeycomb on the Discovery Channel than watch the Cardinals or the Braves. I'm a Phillies fan, I always have been, and I probably always will be. I say probably because on an average of three times a week, I get so annoyed with the Phillies that I want to give up on them and root for another team. But that's how sports get at you - even when you want to let go, throw in the towel on supporting your team - you can't. You're so tied to the emotions of supporting them that you stand by them through the hard times, hoping that "next season will be our season." And so this is where I find myself. It's just not all that fun.

The past few days I've lucked out because the Phillies are playing the Braves, and thus, I get to watch them. On Friday, this was amazing because my favorite player, Chase Utley, increased his hitting streak to 22 games by knocking in the game winning run. Not only did I get to watch the Phillies (a rare occurrence), but I got to see them win, which is an even more rare occurrence. Anytime I can watch Chase Utley makes me happy - I can consider for one small second what it would be like to "round second base with Chase." Oh, the emotions...

Back on the subject.

Anyway, I got to watch the Phillies again last night. I watched every freakin pitch. They were something like 1 for 9 when runners were in scoring position. Clearly, this is not helpful, and I was frustrated. Then their closer, dumbass Gordon, comes in during the 9th inning and gives up a three run homer. This was the second game in a row he gave up a homer in the 9th. Way to blow the game, morons. It was at this moment that I screamed at the tv in pure frustration. My roommate can attest to the fact that I may have called the pitcher a "wench" as it seemed appropriate.

As I watched the game slip away from the Phils, I couldn't help but feel heart-broken. These millionaires break my heart when they fail to keep their shit together long enough to actually win some games more than sporadically. I mean, isn't that what they get paid to do?

And so it is again that the Phillies are on tv tonight and I have the choice to watch them. My faith in them is so weakened at present that I don't want to watch them. I don't want to watch them blow saves. I don't want to watch them lose because I don't want to be frustrated. But like any disdained lover, I'll probably watch with pure interest, and I'll set myself up to have my emotions wrecked from every angle, and my heart broken yet again by my team.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

dont be so hard on gordon. they blew the game when Fatso (uncle charlie) took the bunt off and myers hit into a double play in the 7th. i mean if thats not a genius move i dont know what is. lets analyze: tie game, 7th inning runner on first nobody out, pitcher batting. pitcher may i add is 1 for 35 on the season. "lets let him swing away" great plan. u cant win when the ppl sitting at home know more than the manager.

Carol V said...

how about in the 8th when abreu tried to be a hot ass and got thrown out going to second? what about dumbass burrell who can't hit worth shit? if we still have these two after the trade deadline i really won't watch for the rest of the season. for the love.

Bridget said...

If anyone can feel your pain, it is your buddy the Cubs fan. Take heart-even a blind squirrel finds a nut sometimes (we beat the Mets 8-7 tonight). Keep in mind that you can watch the Cubbies too on WGN quite frequently (not that you would want to this season). It ain't over 'til it's over. I'd kill to be only 6 games out of the Wild Card race...

Carol V said...

well they did it again... made a good effort to come back after being down 7-2... i got my hopes up in the 7th and 8th only to have them shattered again in the 9th... it never fails.


susan - rub it in about your tigers and i'm not talking to you for a whole day.

Anonymous said...

Carlos, I was not going to rub it in about the Tigers. I was going to offer support.

For YEARS I have been saying "The Tigers will do it next year." And I used to spend entire 1:1s talking to Sean about how the Tigers were going to win the pennant. . . someday, and despite what the critics say, I think they will -- maybe not this year, but some day.

So, if my TIGERS can do it (recall they hold the record for the worst season in the history of the AL) then your Phillies can do it too!

Don't walk away from your team. One day, they will come back and you will be one of the few, the proud who was a fan even when things weren't so good.