This isn't a rant about the recent ten (yes, ten) game losing streak of Pittsburgh's beloved minor league baseball franchise. Sports are supposed to make people happy. As fans we use them as an escape, revelling in the athletic accomplishments of others for our own entertainment, or to live out our own failed dreams through spoiled millionaire athletes who often slept their way through high school and one or two years of college...either way. But when we invest emotionally in a sports franchise what do we do when that devotion causes us more pain then it does enjoyment? Where's the enjoyment when you're experiencing the heartbreak of a Super Bowl loss or the lingering heartache of two decades of futility? Some even take a perverse pride in supporting a perennial loser. Chicago Cubs fans would lose their identity if they won a World Series and flood confused therapists throughout the northern Illinois area immediately afterward.This isn't really about sports. To me it's about moments. What the Pirates make me think about is what we're willing to endure for those moments in our lives that make us truly happy, or at least that we believe will make us truly happy. Every Pirates, Cubs, Browns, Clippers, etc. fan waits in building anticipation for their support to be rewarded with that moment. To bask in a moment of happiness that has been made all the sweeter for all the sour they endured (for the three of you who saw it, yes I did just plagiarize Jason Lee in the cinematic classic 'Vanilla Sky'...I would only apologize if it had been one of Tom Cruise's lines).
I think each of us has our own threshold for what we're willing to endure for those moments. Some people will sacrifice a tremendous amount for moments they deem to be worthy. Others want their satisfaction instantaneous and constant. We call those people 'Yankee fans' and we hate them. I guess I sometimes wonder if there's a point where the sacrifice is greater than the potential reward. Would we even be self-aware enough to recognize if we're just following a pattern or do we make an honest, informed decision that some things are worth fighting and sacrificing for?
Everyone has their own moments. It might be a hug from your child. A promotion at work. Being published. Winning a game. Conquering an addiction. Falling in love. Making it on your own. Getting a house. Paying off a bill. Having someone read your trivial blog and deciding not to turn you over to mental health professionals. The list is endless.
I am a moments guy. I am 75 inches and 250lbs of pure sap. I am unquestionably a hopeless romantic, although it's a term I find a little misleading; hopeless romantics are typically the ones who never give up hope. We believe in the fairy-tale endings and the good guy finishing first despite all historical evidence to the contrary. In short we live 80's romance comedies, even if Molly Ringwald wouldn't be my first choice as co-star. To me a smile or a quick word or yes, even a text from the right person, at the right time is enough to make a lot worthwhile. It doesn't matter if other people can't understand your moment: they're yours to embrace and noone elses. Only you can decide what it's worth to you. You can pursue the job, chase the girl and yes, even put your heart into rooting for the Pittsburgh Pirates for as many years as it takes.
As. Many. Years. As. It. Takes. Right Cubs fans? (Sorry, Ram).
What's your moment?
my personal Pirate moment was watching Sid Bream round third base in what seemed like slow motion only to beat the throw to the plate and give the Braves a game 7 victory that took the Pirates out of world series contention and took the parrot out of my sole.
ReplyDeletesitting in Busch Stadium in 2006 game 6 (or game 5 depending on how you want to look at it, with the rainout/replay that happened) and watching Adam Wainright throw that final strike and Molina meet him at the mound as the team dog piled them both...jumping up and down like a little school girl, that was a great moment...almost as great as both of my kids being born.
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