I’ve decided to go on another energy-saving kick in the coming months, a mental/emotional energy cutback if you will.
Let me ‘splain.
As a guy, last year was an amazing vicarious success for me. In order, the Pittsburgh Steelers, North Carolina Tar Heels and Pittsburgh Penguins all won their respective championships. A Lombardi Trophy, an NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship trophy and Lord Stanley’s Cup: Not a bad sports haul for one guy to cheer about in six months.
Hell, my teams won the same number of championships during the first six months of 2009 that all of the professional sports teams in Philly won during the last 26 years. Not too shabby. To twist the knife into Philly a little more, my teams have won more championships in the last five years (another Super Bowl and NCAA title) than Philly has since 1975.
But last Sunday, as I watched the Steelers stagger around Cincinnati’s Paul Brown Stadium only to lose a second game in two weeks in the last 15 seconds, I realized something. That something is rooting for a team takes a lot out of you. All the “Damn it! Why the Hell did they do that?” and “How the heck do the Super Bowl champs lose to the fuckin’ Bengals?” well, there’s an emotional toll to be paid and I’m tired of ponying up every weekend.
Since I’m not going to stop watching college hoops, and hockey really isn’t televised until the playoffs begin in April, something else’s gotta go. That something is going to be football.
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Heinz Field: This is how it will look in the Black 'n Gold recesses of my mind this year
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Just like I cut a number of TV shows out of my life last year, I’ve decided that since the realities of professional football (salary cap, injuries, the Pats) militate against the Steelers repeating as Super Bowl champs in 2010. So I’m going to endeavor to be less emotionally involved with them this year.
It’s not that I’m not going to be a fan; it’s just that I’m not going to anxiously scan the TV listings to see if their games are on. I’m not going to religiously read the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s sports page every day.
Most importantly, I’m not going to get my panties all in a bunch if they lose. Also, since the Heels lost – through graduation or the leaving early – a goodly number of the players who beat the ever-living shit out of Michigan State last April, I’m pretty sure they’re not going to win either.
So I got that going for me.
For those of you wondering what effect this change of heart will have on the annual Gumbo Championship Party and its associate the Super Bowl Chili Party I can answer you in one word: Nothing. I enjoy gumbo/chili and football as much as the next guy.
The only question I have left is this: What do people do on Sunday afternoons in the fall?
