I’m sitting on my couch watching Monday Night Football. The Dallas Cowboys are hosting the Carolina Panthers. I know. Yawn. Actually, it’s not a bad game.
I grew up with three older brothers who were very into sports so I grew up the same way and I think it all began with football. I remember playing Madden ’95 on Sega Genesis and though I knew a decent amount about football, I wasn’t really familiar about teams. So there I was, sitting on the couch scrolling through countless team logos flashing before me on the TV screen. Then I saw it … MY NEW TEAM!
My favorite animal was (and still is) the lion and whaddaya know? There’s a team called the Detroit Lions! Ever since that day, I’ve stuck with them. For as far back as I can remember, they’ve sucked but always had that glimmer of hope in running back Barry Sanders.
Then last season, the team did something no other team in the history of the NFL: they LOST every single one of their games during that season. And not only that, they lost the first three games of the 2009 season as well! Being a follower of the team for so long, I couldn’t help but feel ashamed to call them my team at times. But with a win finally under their belt, I couldn’t help but feel super proud! There are always going to be ups and downs in life and the Lions were the PERFECT example of the downs but they got themselves out of it.
Then, on the other side of things, we’ve got the Los Angeles Dodgers. I grew up loving this team, not because I liked the way their logo looked on a video game but because I grew up bleeding (and thinking) blue! We’re a Dodger family all the way and I grew up having huge crushes on Mike Piazza and Raul Mondesi (yes, I regret those now). The past few years when I’ve been able to get to more games have been even more amazing!
I wasn’t old enough to really enjoy the 1988 World Series so last season’s post season run was thrilling for me. Unfortunately, they didn’t make it. This year, the Dodgers actually held the best record in baseball and early on were showing signs of championship caliber. And what did I do? I got my hopes up. Now, as they always have a tendency to do, the Dodgers are showing signs of collapse! I mean, how are they going to go 3-4 on a road trip against two of the worst teams in baseball and expect to make it to the World Series? I don’t know either, but I can’t give up on them.
Getting through adversity is a never-ending struggle in every aspect of our lives. Whether it’s a band struggling to keep themselves together or a team trying to find the chemistry to win a game (which I guess is essentially the same thing). The struggles in our lives prepare us for something bigger and teach us lessons. I remember a friend asking me if I would live a life of constant happiness if I could. He was surprised when I said I wouldn’t. What would you ever learn in life? As much as hardship sucks, I love it because it’s one other obstacle to get over and learn from!
In the words of the great Dory from “Finding Nemo”: “Well, you can’t not let anything happen to him. Then nothing would ever happen to him!”