That Magic Feeling...
(courtesy of the Washington Post)Going to take a break from talking about soccer today to talk about sports in general. Pat Walsh will give us his take on Tuesday and Wednesday's Champions League action on Thursday, as well as his usual tidbits of information.
My wife asked me last night why I was so excited about the Washington Capitals 2-1 series win over the Rangers last night. She knows I'm a hockey fan but not nearly as devoted or as knowledgeable as some of my friends (in particular, our My 2 Cents' own hockey expert, Scott Morath). I also get excited when the Washington Wizards win a big game (albeit it was sometime during the Carter Administration), the Redskins (the 1st Bush Administration), or any of the other 3 or 4 teams I follow, some obviously more closely than others.
It's kind of hard to explain to someone who doesn't care for, or "get," sports in general. There are fans, and then there are FANS. Ones who travel all around the country, sometimes without having tickets, to cheer and support their team. Others spend all day tailgating at the stadium, eating and drinking and getting psyched for the game, even though most of them have to get up at the crack of dawn to go to work the next day. The ones who scour the Internet for hours at a time, looking for something, anything, that will give them information on their beloved side. Finally, the ones who celebrate wins like it's New Year's Eve, or agonize over defeat like someone has run over their pet.
Last night, it was a win for the "good guys" (i.e. Caps fans). Anyone who has followed the history of the Caps knows the sudden empty and sinking feeling as their team was repeatedly beaten in a game 7 overtime, whether it was Philadelphia last year, or those many years of frustration at the hands of the New York Islanders.
Ah, but last night was different, wasn't it? Coming back from a 3-1 deficit to win a series wasn't familiar, was it? Usually, it's been the Caps holding a 3-1 lead and faltering when it mattered most. But as anxious and nervous as Caps fans were last night, this team was different; you have unquestionably the best player in the world on your team; you've found lightning in a bottle in a 21 year old rookie goaltender who speaks no English; you've got an ageless veteran who somehow finds a way to beat the evil Rangers' empire with a stunning strike from nowhere, and finally, you have a coach who's still fairly inexperienced, but showed the fortitude to make the right decisions and keep his team focused even when it looked like you were ready to plan your tee times on the golf course.
Capitals fans are as faithful as any in hockey, and can rival almost any sports team as well. I think that's one of the reasons why it's so easy to cheer for them. All those years of blue-collar hockey has transformed into a team that plays so wide open it resembles some of the Edmonton and Calgary teams from the 80's. The fans have endured repeated heartbreaks, letdowns, disappointments, and losing for multiple seasons at a time. But they have stayed faithful, and now it's paying off.
Watching on tv last night, I could hear the roar of the crowd with every shot, every hit, every call. Federov's goal with 5 minutes left might be one of the most overwhelming things I've witnessed as a sports fan (and I can assure you I've seen plenty of them in numerous sports). You couldn't hear the announcers. I couldn't hear Kim telling me to calm down. My cats scurried away as if this "madman" was coming to get them. I couldn't get to sleep until midnight, still having to get up a 4 AM. And let me tell you: it was worth every minute of it.
Again, I wish I could explain to my wife and others who don't quite understand why we get so emotionally involved in a game when there's so much going on in the world. Perhaps that's WHY we do it? For a few hours, every few days, we can forget about all of the bad things going on in our lives and put our minds on something fun, even though sometimes that might not always be the case (take New Jersey fans, for example, who watched their team give up 2 goals in less than a minute to lose game 7 AT HOME).
So, Capitals fans, exult in the win. I know there are a number of bleary-eyed folks at work today, but I don't think you care. Because, for the next 48 hours, nobody, let me repeat, NOBODY, can take this feeling away from you! Well done!
My wife asked me last night why I was so excited about the Washington Capitals 2-1 series win over the Rangers last night. She knows I'm a hockey fan but not nearly as devoted or as knowledgeable as some of my friends (in particular, our My 2 Cents' own hockey expert, Scott Morath). I also get excited when the Washington Wizards win a big game (albeit it was sometime during the Carter Administration), the Redskins (the 1st Bush Administration), or any of the other 3 or 4 teams I follow, some obviously more closely than others.
It's kind of hard to explain to someone who doesn't care for, or "get," sports in general. There are fans, and then there are FANS. Ones who travel all around the country, sometimes without having tickets, to cheer and support their team. Others spend all day tailgating at the stadium, eating and drinking and getting psyched for the game, even though most of them have to get up at the crack of dawn to go to work the next day. The ones who scour the Internet for hours at a time, looking for something, anything, that will give them information on their beloved side. Finally, the ones who celebrate wins like it's New Year's Eve, or agonize over defeat like someone has run over their pet.
Last night, it was a win for the "good guys" (i.e. Caps fans). Anyone who has followed the history of the Caps knows the sudden empty and sinking feeling as their team was repeatedly beaten in a game 7 overtime, whether it was Philadelphia last year, or those many years of frustration at the hands of the New York Islanders.
Ah, but last night was different, wasn't it? Coming back from a 3-1 deficit to win a series wasn't familiar, was it? Usually, it's been the Caps holding a 3-1 lead and faltering when it mattered most. But as anxious and nervous as Caps fans were last night, this team was different; you have unquestionably the best player in the world on your team; you've found lightning in a bottle in a 21 year old rookie goaltender who speaks no English; you've got an ageless veteran who somehow finds a way to beat the evil Rangers' empire with a stunning strike from nowhere, and finally, you have a coach who's still fairly inexperienced, but showed the fortitude to make the right decisions and keep his team focused even when it looked like you were ready to plan your tee times on the golf course.
Capitals fans are as faithful as any in hockey, and can rival almost any sports team as well. I think that's one of the reasons why it's so easy to cheer for them. All those years of blue-collar hockey has transformed into a team that plays so wide open it resembles some of the Edmonton and Calgary teams from the 80's. The fans have endured repeated heartbreaks, letdowns, disappointments, and losing for multiple seasons at a time. But they have stayed faithful, and now it's paying off.
Watching on tv last night, I could hear the roar of the crowd with every shot, every hit, every call. Federov's goal with 5 minutes left might be one of the most overwhelming things I've witnessed as a sports fan (and I can assure you I've seen plenty of them in numerous sports). You couldn't hear the announcers. I couldn't hear Kim telling me to calm down. My cats scurried away as if this "madman" was coming to get them. I couldn't get to sleep until midnight, still having to get up a 4 AM. And let me tell you: it was worth every minute of it.
Again, I wish I could explain to my wife and others who don't quite understand why we get so emotionally involved in a game when there's so much going on in the world. Perhaps that's WHY we do it? For a few hours, every few days, we can forget about all of the bad things going on in our lives and put our minds on something fun, even though sometimes that might not always be the case (take New Jersey fans, for example, who watched their team give up 2 goals in less than a minute to lose game 7 AT HOME).
So, Capitals fans, exult in the win. I know there are a number of bleary-eyed folks at work today, but I don't think you care. Because, for the next 48 hours, nobody, let me repeat, NOBODY, can take this feeling away from you! Well done!
posted by Bushman @ 8:05 AM
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