If you’re not a sports fan, you simply don’t get it. This is why my wife thinks I’m certifiably insane.
Sports — specifically team sports — bring something out in us that defies logic. I have screamed, yelled, cursed, cried, kicked, and (my personal favorite) thrown the remote. All because a group of people I’ve never met performed worse at their craft than a second group of people I’ve never met. Yeah, it really is stupid.
But it’s all worth it for days like today — when your favorite sports franchise is one of only eight teams about to play in the Major League Baseball playoffs.
There are only two teams in sports (both professional & collegiate) that I give a darn about:
– Atlanta Braves (baseball)
– Buffalo Bills (football)
Earlier this year the Bills ended a 17-year playoff drought. (Had this blog been active at the time, I would have written about it.) But the Braves… the Braves are my true pride and joy. I spend more time reading about this organization than just about anything else. (Not something I’m particularly proud of.)
The Braves entered 2018 with few expectations. They had lost 90+ games three years in a row. They had not had a winning record since 2013. And then out of nowhere, they post a 90-72 record this season and win the National League East division.
I’m smart enough to know that I’ve probably lost my audience by this point, so I’ll just skip thru the season details and let you know my feelings for tonight:
I forgot what it felt like to be this giddy. Despite being heavy underdogs in this series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, I cannot keep from smiling. The fact the Braves are continuing their season into October gives me joy like nothing else. Plus it also gives me one other thing I don’t find in sports nearly enough – hope.
Baseball has its problems. (That’s a post for another day.) But tonight I’ll be the biggest baseball fan in America. This truly is a feeling like no other.
Rye's Blog 