Dissapointment when your team/person loses

[Koinek]

This past Sunday I saw the most depressing sports finale I've ever seen. Not only did my guy lose the championship but with unbelievable odds against him, he was winning until the last 15 seconds of the race.

I'm talking about F1 and the finale was terrible for fans of Felippe Massa. I still haven't got over it.

Anyway, this all got me thinking about how much emotion we put into sports and the teams/people we support. It can almost be characterized as odd. I've cried at sad championship endings (Schumacher's blown tire at Japan '98) but this was the first time that it has affected me for a few days after the event.

How do you guys feel about sports disappointment? Think I'm overreacting? Sympathize? Stories/Anecdotes?

 

[Super Grover]

Yeah, especially when they've worked hard, but still came up short.

 

[Zulu Romeo]

My first real brush with disappointment came about 17 years ago on the last day of the football league when our team, Aberdeen, was leading the Scottish Premier Division (as it was called back then) on goal diference against Rangers. The final game of the season was away at Rangers, which we needed to at least draw. Everyone in Aberdeen had tuned into it on radio and television, hoping we could see a return to the glory days of Alex Ferguson.

We lost 2-0.

Worse, the winning goal was flashed up during television promotional material for the next season all the time on BBC Scotland during the subsequent year. There's losing the championship, and then there's rubbing one's face in it...

The closest our team has since been to those dizzy heights involved almost qualifying for the Champions League a few years ago (but again losing out to Rangers ). It's been a painful few years...

 

[Tom Servo]

Worst moment for me:

Game 7 2003 ALCS, Tim Wakefield pitches to Aaron Boone...and boom...hearts around New England are broken for another year. That was the worst of the low. However, winning the World Series in 2004 made up to it, but at the time...AUGH!!!

 

[BRG]

I've seen my Kilmarnock lose two Scottish League Cup finals in the last decade, these were dissapointing, especially as this is the only domestic trophy we have never won. However, we really got hammered in both finals, 3-1 vs Celtic, and 5-1 vs Hibs, so it was never a case of nearly.

Two other football moments, this time with Scotland.
At the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, we only needed a victory over an ordinary Uruguay side to reach the knock-out stage, a Holy Grail for Scottish football. Uruguay got a player sent off inside 30secs! Yet even playing 89mins against a poor team with an extra man, Bonnie Scotland could not put the ball in the net.
And at the 1996 Euros in England, Scotland went into the final group game against Switzerland with only a slim chance of going through. We needed a good win against the Swiss and the English to do us a favour and beat Holland. Scotland went 1-0 up, and the English ran rampant and stormed into a 4-0 lead over the dutch. Scotland were on the brink! But Alas! The Dutch pulled a goal back, wich ment we needed one more goal against the Swiss to go through, but once again the Sweaty Socks fell agonizingly short, and could not force the vital goal, and crashed out again! Bastard!!!

BRG

 

[PK95]

Well, being a fan of the Tennessee Volunteers defines disappointment this college football season. Maybe things will turn around next year!

Also, watching the Nashville Predators lose three games in a row is a disappointment. But, at least they have time to turn their season around.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Football-wise...the Cornhuskers have really been in the crapper lately. So that kind of pisses me off. At least we have a decent coach (Bo Pellini) now, and we're racking up some wins.

But my main thing is baseball. And of course I'm disappointed there too, since the Yankees didn't make the postseason, and the Mets collapsed (again). In the World Series, I managed to pick the team that lost too, but the Rays definitely played well. So I'm not really disappointed there.

Not really concentrating on specific players although I find myself wishing that the last home run hit in Yankee Stadium had been by Derek Jeter. And...God bless Bob Sheppard, poor guy's in sorta bad health...I hope the 'Voice of God' comes back next year.

 

[Super Grover]

Worst moment for me:

Game 7 2003 ALCS, Tim Wakefield pitches to Aaron Boone...and boom...hearts around New England are broken for another year. That was the worst of the low. However, winning the World Series in 2004 made up to it, but at the time...AUGH!!!

the 96 & 98 ALCS. Texas had won the division, but got knocked out early. It looked so good for a while. Then we sign A-Rod and get set back ten years.

 

[archeryguy1701]

When the Broncos lose a disappointing game, it'll bother me the rest of the day, and on rare occassion the next day. However, the team that really effects me is my college volleyball team, which I manage for. They are good enough to beat literally any team in the conference, unfortunately they have a bad habit of either:
a)starting off in a hole and then deciding to play the game (too little, too late)
b)dropping games in the last couple points or...
c)making stupid mistakes at terrible times.

When they drop matches, that is capable of bothering me for a couple of days.

 

[Starbreaker]

Being a Georgia Bulldogs fan, it's always disheartening to watch your team do extremely well nearly every year and then get blown away a couple of times in the middle of the season. We've been ranked #3 before the championship game twice now in the last few years. It's maddening.

 

[SmoothieX]

Usually I just shrug it off and figure Oh well, life goes on. It's just a game and I have bigger problems to worry about. But sometimes the real heartbreakers sting for a while.

The ending of the Superbowl this year was pretty brutal. I had a big party that went from a rockin' good time to a funeral pretty quick. That one bothered me for a couple of days. The Pats were 30 seconds away from perfection for crying out loud!

Game 7 of the NLCS in 2006 was probably my worst heartbreak as a fan. The Mets were the far superior team in that series and lost to a mediocre St. Louis squad. If Detroit played the Mets as badly as they played the Cards in the World Series that year, they'd have another banner to hang in Citi Field.

 

[archeryguy1701]

^I was hoping the Pats would win as well, but by god, NY earned that win with "The Play." No way Manning should have gotten out of that and no way that the bal should have been caught. But he did get away, and it did get caught. If only I hadn't lost so many bets on that game...

 

[SmoothieX]

I'm not a betting man so at least there's not that aspect of it when my teams blows it.

Manning shoulda been sacked twice in that play, he was in their grips. If I'm not mistaken that would have brought up a 4th and long and desperation time.

 

[Darth_Yoda]

Being a Crystal palace fan I expect mediocrity , however back in 1996 when they lost in the (old) First Division play off final against Leicster in like the final minute!!!!! We did win the following years one though

Now with England I always get wound up, supposed to have one of the best squads in the world and yet we always fall short. However I do have faith in Cappello, to hopefully buck that trend.

 

[NCC1968]

I love it how when a team does well the fans say "WE are number 1," but when not so well they say "THEY suck."

 

[arch101]

I'm a Pats fan. You can imagine my ordeal over last years Super Bowl. I really began to believe they couldn't lose. Then, reality hit like a commuter train.

 

[Santa of Five]

This past Sunday I saw the most depressing sports finale I've ever seen. Not only did my guy lose the championship but with unbelievable odds against him, he was winning until the last 15 seconds of the race.

I'm talking about F1 and the finale was terrible for fans of Felippe Massa. I still haven't got over it.

I also really felt for Massa. I can't stand Hamilton, and I'm not exactly a big Massa fan, but I'd come to support him by year's end. But I mean how could that last lap not be emotional? Best finale to a season I'd seen since Hill won in 96, although I was 12 then.

As well as F1, I got pretty souped when Liverpool won the Champions League in 05. I'd thrown in the towel after the utter shite that was the first half, and was going to do something entirely different. Glad I didn't, twas an amazing night.

As a Liverpool fan I find myself disappointed on a regular basis. This season might be different, though I'm *very* reserved still.

 

[Mr. B]

I'm an Oakland Raiders fan so um... yeah.

 

[arch101]

[QUOTE

I'm talking about F1 and the finale was terrible for fans of Felippe Massa. I still haven't got over it.[/quote]

I also really felt for Massa. I can't stand Hamilton, and I'm not exactly a big Massa fan, but I'd come to support him by year's end. But I mean how could that last lap not be emotional? Best finale to a season I'd seen since Hill won in 96, although I was 12 then.

still.[/QUOTE]

Well, I AM a big Lewis and Ron Dennis fan, and I went from the depths of depression to outright elation in those last 30 seconds. I've been watching since 85 and I've never seen anything like it. Probably won't again (at least for awhile - I don't know in me wee bairns can take any more)

 

[SmoothieX]

I'm a Pats fan. You can imagine my ordeal over last years Super Bowl. I really began to believe they couldn't lose. Then, reality hit like a commuter train.

I feel your pain bro, I'm in that same boat. Plus I grew up in NY so I have a reason to root against those teams in the first place.

Not only did the Pats lose, but everytime I visit my folks I see reminders that the Giants beat them.