The Scizz
A few thoughts as I sit here, still numb after last night's...I don't even know what to call it. As the Yachtsman kept yelling and tweeting last night; we don't win those games. We just don't. Not just the Sabres, but the Bills, and as a Cubs fan....my dear Cubbies. These teams continue finding ways to capture heartbreaking losses. Last night was no different, as emotions were high at Beckett's with the DGWU crew and friends after that amazing 3 - 0 start. For the FIRST time in the series, we all felt relaxed and in a solid mental state. Then van Riemsdyk scored.
You should have seen our faces. You would have thought the Flyers just took a 1 - 0 lead with two seconds remaining. Why? Because we have all been there before, so many times. I don't even need to list all the heart-wrenching losses that these teams have experienced, and us as fans endured right along with them. It was still friggin' 3 - 1, but we immediately deflated (Pommer's injury didn't help either). Don't get me wrong, we were still cheering and yelling like idiots, but something felt different among us.
And as always, the 2nd and 3rd goals came and we just HOPED for overtime so that the team could at least re-group. I feel like nobody I was watching the game with expected them to pull it out. But they did. They won. Tyler Ennis burst through, nailed that rebound and BOOM....the Yachtsman, Apologist, and I were embracing in a three-way man-hug.
I hate to give them credit, but go over to most Philly blogs and fan pages and take a look. For the most part, they are still exuding insane confidence right now. Two of their top players are out for the series, they have a ridiculous goal-tending controversy, and their power-play has managed to be worse than ours, yet they still think they are going to win this series without a problem. It's not just Philly though, it's also New York Fans, it's Boston fans, and it's many other large market fan-bases. They always exude confidence. Maybe sometimes (ok most of the time) they come across as douche-bags, but at least they never give up on their team, which I totally did last night. I use to say these fan-bases took their winning for granted. I'm sick of saying "I would be happy with just ONE cup, or ONE Lombardi trophy". I'm sick of knocking on wood every time I say my team is going to win or do something right. I'm sick of having to walk out of the bar mid-period because I can't bear to see them screw up.
I may take some flack for this post. I mean c'mon, I gave Philly/NY/Boston fans credit AND admitted to giving up last night. I have been hurt too many times by my unhealthy love for these teams. But that hurt made me realize that I couldn't even enjoy that victory last night because I felt guilty. That's some bullshit. If this team can win like they did last night, then I as a fan need to change who I am. That starts today. WE ARE GOING TO WIN THIS SERIES. Forget superstition. Forget jinxes. Forget being over-confident. Forget regrets.