This is my first post. Obviously, I hope my blog doesn't suck.
The big news is that the Giants won the Super Bowl. A fan always hopes for a good season, but before the season I certainly wouldn't have put money on the Giants to even get to the Super Bowl.
In the New York sports venacular, the word "believe" is typically associated with the Mets, specifically the 1969 Mets. These days, that overblown word will be spotted on banners in May at Shea and even at other stadia. But this Giants team really was about belief.
My belief was not unwavering. On December 24, 2007, I declared in an e-mail to friends:
"The frustrating thing is I don't doubt Eli's ability to win some games, but the Giants are not going to win the Super Bowl with such an inconsistent QB. He hasn't had a complete, 4-quarter effective game in a long time. So, sure, he'll get to the playoffs with a strong defense and good running game, but his play does not indicate that he will lead his team to a championship."
I can claim that I believed, because I put money on the game. I bet $10 on the Giants to win and $10 against the spread. (Shoulda put $100 on the line. I also should have bought real estate in Washington in 1998, but never mind.) My confidence was on display only after the Giants had made it into the game.
But the truth is that somewhere during the season, I stopped believing that the Giants could win it all. Does that make me a bad fan? Don't fans put too much emphasis on what they do? Some wear lucky jerseys. Some pray. Others say cliches like "one game at a time" as if it matters what we think.
I was skeptical. I needed evidence to believe that the Giants could win a championship with Eli Manning at the helm. Like religion, being a sports fan should be an irrational matter of faith. Following your team is not about evidence, it is about faith, irrational faith, rife with superstition and ritual. I will never lose sight of this again. As Theodore Herzl famously declared, if you will it, it is no dream.*
* Does not apply to Redskins. The irrational faith of the drunken ignorant Maryland masses in the 400-level will never be redeemed.
7 comments:
Not having faith in your team does not make you a bad fan.
In fact, it is impossible to be a good Philadelphia Eagle fan without completely embracing the knowledge that your team will ultimately fail, and failing to fail in the instant game, will get your hopes up and then fail in the playoffs.
The real question, I think, is whether you have faith that rubbing Kessler's kid's head is what led Eli to the promised land. Good subject for your next post! :)
Mike
I'll take angst-ridden realism to warm, fuzzy blind faith any day... of course I'm a Raiders fan, so what do I know?
Hey Seth -
At least you can go to FedEx, sit in the 400 section and make it out alive! I doubt the Cro-Magnons in the Meadowlands would show the same courtesy to someone wearing a Jason Campbell jersey.
John
"THIS GAME IS OVER!!!" I believe the Skins were up 21-0 in the second quarter at that point. That kid is most likely in college now and had put $500 on Michigan to cover vs. App State.
Don't get down on yourself as a fan. Eli hardly won the game single-handedly, or at all. If the defense and O-line hadn't played so perfectly, we'd still be calling Eli a disappointment.
John, you are confusing Giants fans and Eagles fans. Most Giants season ticket holders collect Social Security, but there's a jail and courtroom at the Linc. See http://www.johnnyroadtrip.com/cities/
philadelphia/footballstadium.htm
As a Red Sox fan, I concur that faith in your team is variable. On any given day, Manny rules OR Manny's a bum. Schilling's a fat f**k who can't get it done OR he's a crafty vet. Etc etc etc. Frankly, it's when your team defies your faith or lack thereof that sports reach the heights of glory and depths of tragedy. Like, for example, coming back against the True Yankees from 0-3 in the 2004 ALCS.
Or playing the defensive game of the millenium to beat the juggernaut Patriots (or Rams, if you will), against all odds. It's not important what you felt, but how the team made you feel in the process and at the end.
Just revel in that fierce pass rush that was unstoppable--no amount of scheming was going to deny the Giant D-line yesterday.
Post a Comment