Unbearable lightness of being a sports fan
Roar Pro By Nicholashugo, 18 Jul 2012 Nicholashugo is a Roar Pro
- Tagged:
- NRL, Rugby League, South Sydney Rabbitohs, Sydney Roosters
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I felt empty watching it happen. I tried to come up with something to describe what I was going through, but no words would suffice.
I could tell it was coming; after all there couldn’t have been a better ending to one of the acts of the great Souths-Chooks script. No one could have come up with the storyline but somehow it made perfect sense.
It had to happen that way. You can even call it justice for them to serve back what the Roosters did to them back in round one.
Going into that match, I didn’t think the Roosters would have a solid chance of stealing another victory from the Rabbitohs. The Souths have better players who are in form and I never thought I would say this about Russell Crowe’s boys, but they have a more consistent squad.
I didn’t have any expectation for the Roosters to win. But when they were leading towards the end of the match, I started to believe. In retrospect that was a bad decision.
Bill Simmons put it this way: “You’re not even that mad. You just feel empty inside. You head into every big game assuming you will lose, and when it happens it’s a self-fulfilling prophecy”.
“You claim you have your guard up, only deep down that guard is lowered just enough that you’re hoping against hope that this game will be different. Only it never is.”
I never really felt sorry for teams suffering heart-breaking losses. Bayern Munich deserved to lose the Championship Final because they wasted chances to put Chelsea away.
The Heat went down against the Mavs because LeBron failed to become the player he is now.
Milan was defeated in Istanbul because they relaxed in the second half.
It was only right the Red Sox won Game seven in 2004 when Yankees got outpitched by a Curt Schilling bleeding into his sock.
The Tigers were never going to win in 2010 after they lost an uncontested scrum; I mean how on earth do you lose an uncontested scrum?
To be fair, I am only being a prick because my teams pulled off a few of these amazing victories over the years. I can still vaguely recreate these scenarios in my mind.
They are the reasons why I am a sports fan; I stick with my often disappointing teams so I get to experience the joys when these unlikely wins happen.
As fate would have it, on Monday night my fellow Roosters supporters and I were the ones whose miseries the rest of NRL got to build their happiness on, and I accept it wholeheartedly.
As a sports fan you know what you signed up for. It wasn’t the first time and i’t wont be the last.
Last night’s game was just a reminder that for every ecstatic fan out there, there is another fan who is suffering from unimaginable gut-wrenching agony.
Karma is a bitch.
The Crowd Says (23) | Page 1 of Comments
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- NRL, Rugby League, South Sydney Rabbitohs, Sydney Roosters
July 18th 2012 @ 2:20am
paddyeff2 said | July 18th 2012 @ 2:20am | Report comment
Kundera and rugby league. Never before. Never again. Well done.
July 18th 2012 @ 3:29am
joshie93 said | July 18th 2012 @ 3:29am | Report comment
I remember in 2008, I attended a semi final in Brisbane, all decked out in my Melbourne Storm gear. We were going to lose the match all game, it just looked that way! I was so nervous and upset, but then Greg Inglis crossed in the corner and we had snatched victory and knocked out the Broncos. I was ecstatic.
But then I learnt how it felt last season, to be put of the finals serious by a fast finishing squad. The Warriors played their grand final against us and we just could not beat them. I will never forget watching the Warriors put that ball in, having flash backs to 2008 again when the Warriors beat us in the last moments of a quarter final.
It is tough being a sports fan as you say, but the rewards outweigh the negatives easily.
July 18th 2012 @ 7:38am
oikee said | July 18th 2012 @ 7:38am | Report comment
Yes, i felt that pain, and when Lockyer broke his jaw last year, i again felt that sinking feeling.
You cant win them all, and the other teams have to rise to win. It evens itself out i think.
Remember Lockyers reaction, that is pretty much how the fans felt as well. I was empty for weeks.
July 18th 2012 @ 8:36am
Will Sinclair said | July 18th 2012 @ 8:36am | Report comment
It’s even worse when you remember the Storm were cheating.
July 18th 2012 @ 10:20am
Nicholashugo said | July 18th 2012 @ 10:20am | Report comment
I was thinking about saying this but thought it was inappropriate to take the shot at the poor guy who just poured his heart out…
July 18th 2012 @ 1:41pm
joshie93 said | July 18th 2012 @ 1:41pm | Report comment
Money can buy you a lot of things, but it can’t buy victories on a field. It didn’t give the players momentum nor the toughness to keep going. The only thing it did was keep them in Melbourne – where they wanted to be. We lost two grand finals in that 5 year period, even a world club challenge, finished fourth in one of our peak years during the scandal. I know it is hard to believe but money can’t buy everything.
Why can’t people just remember the good old times instead of reflecting a bad light on everything.
July 18th 2012 @ 2:44pm
mushi said | July 18th 2012 @ 2:44pm | Report comment
If money can’t buy wins please explain Manchester City?
July 19th 2012 @ 1:56am
Nicholashugo said | July 19th 2012 @ 1:56am | Report comment
You think Mancini doesn’t deserve credit, any one of balotelli or nasri or tevez would get most coaches fired…
July 19th 2012 @ 12:59am
someone said | July 19th 2012 @ 12:59am | Report comment
“The only thing it did was keep them in Melbourne”
Umm that was the whole point of them cheating the salary cap, instead of losing players like every club does because they cant afford to keep them they paid them extra outside the cap which is illegal.
How people don’t understand that is beyond me.
July 18th 2012 @ 8:06am
Andy said | July 18th 2012 @ 8:06am | Report comment
I know what you mean, but it could always be worse. Remember the 97 grandfinal i don’t and i was there whenever it gets mentioned or footage comes up I think damn those druggies and Bill Harrigan.
July 18th 2012 @ 8:19am
Pot Stirrer said | July 18th 2012 @ 8:19am | Report comment
As bad as that loss is, it didnt hurt quite as much as the Anzac day loss, i thought that was our Karma for rnd 1, Not only dont the refs like the roosters, the footy gods dont either.
July 18th 2012 @ 8:33am
Will Sinclair said | July 18th 2012 @ 8:33am | Report comment
“The Tigers were never going to win in 2010 after they lost an uncontested scrum; I mean how on earth do you lose an uncontested scrum? ”
I STILL don’t know how the referees let that go.
Honestly… in 80 minutes of every game of the rest of the season it’s blown up. But just once, they decide to let it go.
I’m still bitter.
July 18th 2012 @ 10:22am
Nicholashugo said | July 18th 2012 @ 10:22am | Report comment
I rated that in my top ten fan experiences.
July 18th 2012 @ 11:32am
Will Sinclair said | July 18th 2012 @ 11:32am | Report comment
Nicholas – I was actually at the Bledisloe Cup that night and checking the NRL scores on my phone.
The Tigers were beaten in extra time, and the Wallabies were beaten by a point.
It was not one of my better nights.
July 19th 2012 @ 9:43am
Haradasun said | July 19th 2012 @ 9:43am | Report comment
That was one of the great moments of Rugby league. I will treasure that forever.
July 18th 2012 @ 8:34am
Will Sinclair said | July 18th 2012 @ 8:34am | Report comment
By the way – you should try being a Waratahs fan.
You get to experience losing in the closing minutes every week.
I can confirm that it never gets easier.
July 18th 2012 @ 9:37am
Bring Back the Bears said | July 18th 2012 @ 9:37am | Report comment
You think that’s bad, you should try being a Bears fan. In 91 years they had 2 premierships (1921 and 1922). Spent most of their money in the 90s helping finance Bluetongue stadium so they could relocate to the CC and ensure their future. This happened around the same time as the Super League war which led to them being deemed one of the less viable Sydney clubs when teams were being culled. Then in 2008 they had the most complete and sustainable bid to get back into the NRL only to lose out because the CC happens to be geographically located near Sydney, and it’s sounding like this will happen again at the next expansion.
On the plus side though, you could argue that the Bears have been undefeated in the NRL since 1999
Up the Bears!
July 18th 2012 @ 10:25am
Nicholashugo said | July 18th 2012 @ 10:25am | Report comment
The Tahs, I would argue may be you should probably just focus on the wallabies, so many heartbreaking losses you can call them a health endangering hazard to fans.
July 18th 2012 @ 2:12pm
The Barry said | July 18th 2012 @ 2:12pm | Report comment
GF qualifier in 2006 Broncos v Dogs.
I was at the SFS. The Dogs dominated the first half. The atmosphere was massive. I was hoarse from cheering. They went in 20-6 up at halftime, but I think it was 20-0 for quite a while and maybe the Broncs scored just before half time.
They were two different teams in the second half and the Broncs won 30-odd to 20. I was in shock for hours after the game, I couldn’t believe the second half had happened. I’d start enjoying myself for a split second and then a memory of the game would come flooding back and I’d be shattered again.
Ended up running amok at the Paddo-Wollahra RSL more from the emotional blowout than the copious sorrow-drowning beers.
July 18th 2012 @ 8:12pm
dogforlife said | July 18th 2012 @ 8:12pm | Report comment
Barry, I wasn’t there but I feel your pain. I’m a born and bred QLDr and have followed the dogs since 79. Living, working and surrounded by Broncos fans on a daily basis. That’s not even the worst because I still remember 1998. I do however believe in karma, and not unlike the author agonise over the lows, but then embrace them let them fester and spit them out 10 fold at the very first chance I get. Being at Suncorp when we flogged them 40 odd to 4 a few years back helped a littIe, not enought though.(I swear there was more Blue and White in the stands that night too) I have a looooong memory and am most looking forward to repaying the favour to some of the best mates and biggest losers I know in couple of months time, when we knock the ponies out of the finals.
July 19th 2012 @ 1:06am
someone said | July 19th 2012 @ 1:06am | Report comment
Mason shot his mouth off in the tunnel saying something like “We’re in the Grand Final boys!”
Lockyer had other ideas – down 20-6, came back to win 37-20.
July 19th 2012 @ 9:47am
Haradasun said | July 19th 2012 @ 9:47am | Report comment
As a Manly Fan, the Manly v Newcastle grand final of 1997 was a tough one to swallow.
I think the toughest would be to be being a Parramatta fan throughout the 2001 grand final. I almost feel sorry for eels fans because of that game.
July 20th 2012 @ 4:53pm
Mac said | July 20th 2012 @ 4:53pm | Report comment
Yep last week hurt like hell as a roosters fan. Was in shock for a day or so. The fact that the final try came directly from a kick off with no tackle being made really rubbed the salt in..The way Braith took as long as he could to kick the ball even after the clock was stopped gave me the feeling he was just delaying the inevitable and sure enough it happened..