So this is perhaps only a half-serious post, but as I spend a little free time studying up on the Patriots-Jets matchups for the game tonight, and hoping the Pats can re-write the ending to what should have been a perfect season in 2007, it brought to mind the almost irrational frustration and emotion that comes about when someone "invests" in a sports team.

On one hand there is something completely contrived and silly about getting wrapped up in the success or failures of rich athletes, but there is certainly a passion for sports in Boston where I grew up in, and I tend to follow all the major sports teams there (and I still play soccer competitively in an indoor league). After many years of painful losses through the 80s and 90s, suddenly things turned around after 2000 and in the past 10 years Boston has won 6 major championships between football, baseball and basketball.

Yet losing the close one is more painful than the championship victory is pleasurable- Pats blowing a lead and loosing the AFC Championship to the Colts in 2006 season- Bruins losing multiple game 7s in the playoffs - the 2003 Red Sox meltdown against the Yankees, Celtics losing to the Lakers in game 7 last year, and so on... In my own life, our soccer team came painfully close to winning a state championship but lost in a marathon penalty kick shootout, something like 24-23, and sometimes I still look back on the missed opportunities during the game and what I might have done differently.

Then of course there were the Pats coming so close to a perfect season and falling short to the Giants in the Super Bowl 3 years ago- even though the Pats got outplayed most of the game it still took a freak play near the end (the "helmet catch") for the Giants to win, and in the aftermath I found myself irrationally frustrated about it (when there are more worthy causes in the world to be concerned about).

But it ended up being a good thing for me personally - in the need to vent frustration and energy elsewhere, I decided I was going to tackle my fears and start going to open mics every week, which I did for the entire year of 2008. The first few times were painful- I was nervous the whole week leading up to the open mic, and was very uncomfortable on stage. But each time got easier.

From there, more live performance opportunities came up, and I've been fortunate to be a part of some great musical events the past couple years.

So while the emotional investment of following a sports team might be somewhat silly in concept, at that point in my life the Super Bowl loss partially fueled the motivation to get out of my comfort zone and push to a new level of accomplishment in my own life.

It also made me realize the big contrast between performing as a musician and an athlete- in sports someone has to lose and suffer defeat, in music everyone wins (well, unless I play like crap).

That being said, I hope the Pats crush the Jets tonight.

Go Pats!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Brett

Rob,

I also grew up in the Boston area and am old enough to remember Bobby Orr & the Big Bad Bruins win the Stanley Cup both times ('69-'70 and '71-'72, I believe). And of course, Celtics won numerous Championships during the 70's and then the 80's with Larry Bird & Co. My family and friends are all still there and I visit often.

When I first left the area, I moved to Buffalo, NY and was there about 15 years before moving to northeastern NJ in Jan of 2004, where I am now. My tenure in Buffalo taught me to be grateful for the fact that I was able to have not one, but two winning teams in my area during my childhood. The city of Buffalo has ached for a winning team for decades (I believe their last "win" was when the Bills won the football championship before there was such a thing as the "Super Bowl"). To make matters worse, their most recent losses have been very "memorable". Almost any older sports fan remembers 4 straight Super Bowl losses for the Bills (including the infamous "wide right") and the Buffalo Sabres most recent Stanley Cup loss to the Dallas Stars (dubbed "no goal" because the video showed Brett Hull's skate in the crease at the time the goal was scored). Talk about having your hopes dashed again and again, decade after decade!

But the reality for me now is, I simply don't follow sports anymore. I absolutely can't stand Football, if only because it takes 3 hours (or more) to play 60 minutes of game...the rest being filled with commercials. I have become a big Rugby fan and wish I could watch more of it. But it's rarely available here in the States, so there's not much I can do. I turn a hockey game or 2 on over the course of the season, but the talent is stretched so thin across the league that it's depressing.

So while I certainly am rooting for the Pats to win, if they don't, I won't be losing any sleep.

Jim

Aaahhh yes. I've certainly the questioned the irrational connection to the success of sports teams many times. We certainly have our share around here. There are the sellout crowds that have devoted their lives to the Lions thinking "this will be the year" even though they've never been good in my entire 40-some years on the planet. Then there are the Red Wings fans (of which I am one) who, in spite of almost unprecedented success, only end up convinced that they somehow deserve more and cry foul when the team doesn't win. Truly bizarre.

As a fan of ice hockey and someone who plays regularly today, I follow the playoffs to the very end regardless of who is playing. I've commented to people before that I almst enjoy it more after Detroit is eliminated just because I can get back to enjoying the game.

BTW ... I follow a Canadian major junior team that plays about 10 minutes from my house who, after last season, sent their best player to the Boston Bruins as the #2 draft pick (Tyler Sequin).

Hey, Rob - sounds like you just passed from vicarious success or failure courtesy of your football team, to getting out there and doing stuff in public for yourself. Unfortunately, many people never get to do that - doesn't it feel great!

I don't know anything about football (American or English), or any other team sport for that matter, but although I'm a complete beginner on Stick, I've played fiddle in public in bands on and off for about 40 years. The first band I played in never practised, they just had bar gigs where you were invited to join in with whatever they were doing, whether you had every heard the song or not. Once you figured how to cope with that and realised how much you can get away with in front of the public, it's not so difficult - although the worst gigs for me were always the ones where we didn't play well and the audience loved it. Maybe football players feel the same?

robmartino said:



Yes, you got it - except sometimes the bar owner loses a few dollars, on a quiet night

Max

Well, I'd say yesterday ranks up there as #2 all time painful Patriot loses, 07' season is #1 followed by either the Packers SB or the Denver playoff lose a couple years ago. It's tough because after that game, I felt the matchups were favorable to win it all with the Steelers and Packers. The Packers would be tough but I thought the Jets defend well and would be the toughest challenge. It hurts because this loss is to the Jets, and with no CBA, we might have to live with this loss a long time.

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It wasn't as painful as the 2006 AFC Championship loss (since they were way ahead in that game and gave it up at the end) but still very disappointing. Have to hand it to the Jets- they came up with a great gameplan and confused Brady, it was so bizarre to see him with so much time in the pocket and not finding anyone open, and there were also problems with dropped passes and poor execution in other key moments as well. If the Jets are this prepared the rest of the playoffs I think they have a great shot at winning the Super Bowl.

Unfortunately, they went.

Well Rob you're right in that Colts in AFC champ game was worse. In fact WEEI was kind enough to rank the top 10 worst loses this century.

http://leeinks.weei.com/sports/2011/01/21/leeinks-list-bostons-most-devastating-losses-of-the-century#more-11563

It's hard to complain when you had 3 SB's in 4 years but since then it's been tough going. This doesn't include 09 and 10 but it's a cool graph showing the history of the team.

http://www.boston.com/interactive/graphics/200909_patshistory/