It's not unusual but......
O what a year to be a Michigan and Georgia sports fan!
The Georgia Bulldogs were not quite as soul-crushing as the Michigan Wolverines, but they still came up short at crucial times. They lost badly to Florida in a year that was not particularly good for the Gators, and overall were not a bad team - just not a great one. but at least they're going to a bowl game.
The same cannot be said for the Michigan Wolverines, who could not even muster the six wins to qualify for a bowl game. Coach Brady Hoke came in making a very good impression, and no one can complain that he didn't bleed Michigan Maize and Blue, but his record was getting worse every year. Now as the year ends, Jim Harbaugh appears to be finally ready to come back where he belongs. Will that make the difference the Wolverines need? I hope so. I also hope that Harbaugh keeps in mind that these are young men, who technically are supposed to be STUDENT athletes.
The Atlanta Falcons had a horrible year, only kept in contention by being in one of the weakest divisions in NFL history. Still, Alison (the ultimate falcons fan) was devastated by the news the Mike Smith was fired as coach. She feels he did his best, and that he is the least to blame for their demise. What they really need is a healthy offensive front line, one that can give Matt Ryan more than half a millisecond to think.
The Detroit Lions had a better year, qualifying for the playoffs for the first time since 1993. The new coach, Jim Caldwell, has been very good in marshaling the team, particularly the defense. They have put in some extremely anemic offensive performances, which is mystifying given the talents of Stafford, Megatron, and Golden Tate (the most exciting receiver in football this year). Their bad boy reputation still lingers, although they were not as heavily penalized as in prior years, mostly due to stunts pulled by Raiolo and Suh, stepping on ankles and legs. The team gets little respect from the media, and no one anticipates they will beat the Dallas Cowboys in the wild card game. They may be right, but you gotta hope for the best.
The Detroit Tigers put together a very good regular season, but were hampered by the lack of good closers, and quickly lost out in the first round of the playoffs.
At the end of the year, the Detroit Red Wings are very much in contention while the Pistons are very much not.
The guy who works with me at Higginson & Paulk, Dean, is from Alabama and is a huge Alabama fan. He is spoiled by his team, as they are almost always in contention, and have actually won the prize several times.
I wonder what that feels like.
My favorite moments in sports?
Watching my son, Benjamin, participate in Pep Band at the middle school football games. It was a joy and a blessing to watch him perform, and enjoy the company and comradeire of his peers. I wasn't sure he was going to like band, but he has seen what the bonding of it can do now, and I am glad that he has that in his life.
Finally, just this last weekend, going up to a soaked rooftop tennis court with Doug and Benjamin, and hitting the ball around just a few times, as it splashed around in the puddles of water from a recent rain. It was a treasure to see the boys playing together, and it was wonderful to get out there and take a few swings myself. Am I good at tennis, with my zero stamina, and limited range, and a back that screams at the slightest turn? No, I am awful. But I love it anyways. And I loved being out with my boys, even it was very brief.
It's not whether you win or lose. It's the joy of taking the field, of participating with others, of screaming with pride and joy, of being part of a team, however tangentially.
Of course, a championship every decade or so would be pretty swell too.
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