Here's the thing about sports: they'll break your heart. The San Jose Sharks season ended in dramatic (and weird) fashion tonight, going out in a double overtime loss to the Vancouver Canucks. The Western Conference Finals and the six-game losing skid the A's were sliding down until tonight got me wondering, why do we even bother? Only one group of fans in each sport won't have their hearts broken with a season ending loss and the odds that you are going to be among this group isn't good (unless you're a Yankees fan...bandwagoner). Most likely you're going to end up like me tonight. Staring blankly at the television, watching another group of fans celebrate. It seems too much to take! Seriously. Why do we bother? Why do we wear the same clothes we were wearing the last time the team won? Or make our dogs sit in the same chair? (I'm looking at you Justin and Keith!) Or decide not to shave until the team loses? It's because there is so much in life that we can't control and will never be able to control. There are things that don't fall our way or make us feel small and insignificant. But sports can be an escape from all of that. In sports, there's the chance that we could be a part of something big. We feel like maybe we can affect the game based on which way we turn our hats. We torture ourselves by thinking about the outcome and feel as lousy as the pitcher who gave up the winning run, because of how big that payoff could actually be. I'm talking hysterically crying, running around the house, pulling off your shirt like Brandi Chastain, happy. We care because even though most seasons end in heartbreak, there's always the hope of next year. And that's something you don't always get a whole lot of in normal, every day life.
Thank you for a wonderful season, Sharks. Hey, A's. It's your turn. Go get 'em.
And if my little blog, written at 1:00 wasn't enough to console you, how about a blog from my favorite rinkside reporter:
Brazil: 20 thoughts from the Sharks' playoff run
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