RrSports Fans
This isn’t an essay that’s going to label different types of fans and define them. That’s been done. They’re all true mostly. This is an attempt to stick up for a certain type of fan. A level a fandom that I fall under. A level that I’ve named, the Optimus-pessimist. The educated sports fan that can also identify an issue when it’s presented and also feel the potential impending doom if it’s not corrected.
This isn’t to say I’m just a big negative Nancy about everything. I’m a very positive person in many aspects of my life. I’m a Christian and hold those values true to my life in all aspects, except sports. Perhaps it’s my downfall. But I have a hard time letting up considering that from as early as my mind could comprehend what was happening in a sporting event, I’ve been a fan. All Dallas teams are my teams. I live and die with those teams and I’m not ashamed to admit that.
The latest streak of Ranger games has resulted in the team losing a 3 game lead in 4 days. This presents a concern. I’m not sure how one doesn’t understand that, but there arethose that see nothing wrong with it. Upon raising these concerns on Twitter I’ve had a constant stream of negative feedback. People are saying that the group of concerned fans are “giving up”, or “throwing in the towel.” This couldn’t be further from the truth. Texas has a great team; they’re just slumping, at the worst possible time. There’s also the group of fans that will say that they’re just “Happy to be competing in September” and that it could be “much worse.” God bless those people. If I had that mindset it would be much easier. But in reality, that’s the same group of people that are happy with participation trophies and getting a ribbon for last place. I hate to lose. I don’t care if its beer league softball or watching my Cowboys get beat on Sunday. It’s all the same. I’ve developed a personal attachment to those teams that force me to feel the way I do.
There are loop holes, for sure. Take the Dallas Mavericks for example. The 2 years after winning the NBA title they’ve been a mediocre team. Sure, I’m upset about it. But not nearly as upset as I would’ve been had they not captured the title in 2011. So the last 2 years I’ve managed to deal with it and have defended the team on multiple occasions for blowing up that 2011 roster. A great move, for the record.
But the Texas Rangers are a different animal. They were locked in obscurity for years until that magical 2010 season. Some say that we should be happy just to make it this far and be relevant for 4 consecutive seasons. I find that mentality very weak, just my opinion. ESPECIALLY given that the team was 1 strike away from a World Series, twice. Also, they blew a division lead in the West last year with a week to play. So when I see a developing slump in the last month of the season, like the one I see right now, of course I’m going to get concerned. And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.
Being the optimus-pessimist that I can be at times, I’ve learned that the wins are even sweeter. The 2011 Mavs title was a glorious night. The pessimist sports fan has a far greater passion for the game than the other fan types may realize. When we win, it’s a release of built up aggravation, and in my case, in the form of sports tears. Don’t ever question the fandom of the optimus-pessimist. I never call out the positive rainbows-and-butterflies fan base until they attack the fans that show and admit concerns. I don’t care if the team has had a winning record in August. I don’t care if the team leads the league in runs. I don’t care if the team has the lowest E.R.A in baseball. All that matters is how they play these games in September. I don’t care what the saber metric spreadsheet shows you, it means nothing if you don’t win when it counts.
If moral victories are your thing in sports, then good for you! But I don’t hang a newspaper clipping in a frame in my man cave for having a “winning record.” I don’t/won’t tell my children, nieces/nephews, grandchildren of the time we almost made it. I don’t tell them of the time we had a winning August. The best stories are the ones where the team is holding the championship trophy at the end. That’s what I care about. That’s what I want.
