In the recent turn of hockey events, I have pondered and reflected on my life in sports and what has transpired so far in my life. And as I pondered, the fun little statistic flashed across the television and read that only four sports teams EVER have blown a 3-0 series lead in a 7-game series. FOUR.
You’ve got the Maple Leafs in 1942 when they won four against the Red Wings to capture the Stanley Cup. Then the Islanders put it to the Penguins in 1975 in the Quarterfinals after trailing 3-0, and of course in 2004, after the Yankees pulled out a 3-0 lead, the Red Sox miraculously took the next four and eventually won the World Series.
But while some folks have experienced the heartbreak here and there, and the emotions coming off such a high to stumbling to the lowest of low, there are few (remember, only FOUR TIMES IN HISTORY) that have been unfortunate to feel it more than once.
Aren’t I a lucky winner?
That’s right folks, while I might not have been around to see Toronto steal the cup from Detroit or witness Pittsburgh fall on their face,--nor care for that matter--twice in my very short lived 23-year life I have become a war veteran to the Game 7 disasters and have felt every sort of pain and disappointment a sports enthusiast can feel.
Yes, I am a Yankee fan, and yes I live in New England. But really, sports gods, does that mean I need to feel the pain from both ends of the spectrum? I think I was literally feeling some sort of PTSD after the Bruins lost game 4 in this series. Everyone else was still calm and confident after the first loss, but I knew the slippery slope of losing, especially when Krecji went down. I had seen it before, and I never wanted to go back.
But as history would dictate, loss after loss and momentum from the “other team” would lead to grief and eventual defeat.. And that leads me to my point.
I am sick of losing.
Some would say, I can’t complain because the Patriots, Celtics and Yankees have all won championships within the past four years. However, I will complain because I still see the Bruins and even UNH who have not won in so long and instead of a trophy after a promising season, they just give me anxiety attacks and long off-seasons. It’s like a bad relationship that you can’t get out of because there is still that glimmer of hope they give you just when you are about to give up completely.
And man, I’m a sucker for them.
But I guess when that happens, you have to be willing to deal with the game 7 insanities. But as Bruins coach Claude Julien said way back in January when the Bruins couldn’t win a shootout to save their lives, they started to dread having the game get to that point--and that’s how I’m starting to feel about game 7s. Normally in the sporting world, people love game 7. It’s the ultimate exciting game and nothing pumps the adrenaline more. But not me. I’m done. I want it to be a blow out in favor of my team and I want it secured as soon as possible if it has to be played at all. It’s like watching a movie you KNOW won’t end well, but can’t stop watching. In the end you feel awful and wished you had stopped watching 2 hours prior.
By the way, Bruins had a 3-0 lead in the first period. Such teases.
And that is the nature of sports. One team always has to lose, and one team wins. One team advances while the others make tee times for the next morning. Caps have felt it this year, and so has Pittsburg, perhaps just as much as the Bruins this season. But both of those teams have tasted recent victory, while Boston is thirsting for their first Stanley cup since 72.
And let’s not forget about the UNH heartbreakers who have never had the taste of a national victory ever. Yup, that’s gonna be a comeback reference all year folks… get used to it.
However, life does go on, and with Boston’s season coming to an end, New England hockey fans will once again take the lemons they have been given and toss them back with some tequila and salt and boldly proclaim, “Thank you sir, may I have another?”
But let's be responsible Boston, and for the sake of everyone, don't be giving us too many more lemons.
You’ve got the Maple Leafs in 1942 when they won four against the Red Wings to capture the Stanley Cup. Then the Islanders put it to the Penguins in 1975 in the Quarterfinals after trailing 3-0, and of course in 2004, after the Yankees pulled out a 3-0 lead, the Red Sox miraculously took the next four and eventually won the World Series.
But while some folks have experienced the heartbreak here and there, and the emotions coming off such a high to stumbling to the lowest of low, there are few (remember, only FOUR TIMES IN HISTORY) that have been unfortunate to feel it more than once.
Aren’t I a lucky winner?
That’s right folks, while I might not have been around to see Toronto steal the cup from Detroit or witness Pittsburgh fall on their face,--nor care for that matter--twice in my very short lived 23-year life I have become a war veteran to the Game 7 disasters and have felt every sort of pain and disappointment a sports enthusiast can feel.
Yes, I am a Yankee fan, and yes I live in New England. But really, sports gods, does that mean I need to feel the pain from both ends of the spectrum? I think I was literally feeling some sort of PTSD after the Bruins lost game 4 in this series. Everyone else was still calm and confident after the first loss, but I knew the slippery slope of losing, especially when Krecji went down. I had seen it before, and I never wanted to go back.
But as history would dictate, loss after loss and momentum from the “other team” would lead to grief and eventual defeat.. And that leads me to my point.
I am sick of losing.
Some would say, I can’t complain because the Patriots, Celtics and Yankees have all won championships within the past four years. However, I will complain because I still see the Bruins and even UNH who have not won in so long and instead of a trophy after a promising season, they just give me anxiety attacks and long off-seasons. It’s like a bad relationship that you can’t get out of because there is still that glimmer of hope they give you just when you are about to give up completely.
And man, I’m a sucker for them.
But I guess when that happens, you have to be willing to deal with the game 7 insanities. But as Bruins coach Claude Julien said way back in January when the Bruins couldn’t win a shootout to save their lives, they started to dread having the game get to that point--and that’s how I’m starting to feel about game 7s. Normally in the sporting world, people love game 7. It’s the ultimate exciting game and nothing pumps the adrenaline more. But not me. I’m done. I want it to be a blow out in favor of my team and I want it secured as soon as possible if it has to be played at all. It’s like watching a movie you KNOW won’t end well, but can’t stop watching. In the end you feel awful and wished you had stopped watching 2 hours prior.
By the way, Bruins had a 3-0 lead in the first period. Such teases.
And that is the nature of sports. One team always has to lose, and one team wins. One team advances while the others make tee times for the next morning. Caps have felt it this year, and so has Pittsburg, perhaps just as much as the Bruins this season. But both of those teams have tasted recent victory, while Boston is thirsting for their first Stanley cup since 72.
And let’s not forget about the UNH heartbreakers who have never had the taste of a national victory ever. Yup, that’s gonna be a comeback reference all year folks… get used to it.
However, life does go on, and with Boston’s season coming to an end, New England hockey fans will once again take the lemons they have been given and toss them back with some tequila and salt and boldly proclaim, “Thank you sir, may I have another?”
But let's be responsible Boston, and for the sake of everyone, don't be giving us too many more lemons.
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