Seedy K: Reflections on Another Loss

The ways of fandom are personal.

How and where we watch our team’s games. With whom? And where we sit and what we eat and what we wear.

So our personal situations dictate how we perceive a win or loss, how it affects us.

So, my apologies if this take on U of L’s fourth straight defeat, this time in Chestnut Hill to an injury plagued BC eleven, is less about the game, and more about how we deal with our favorite teams in times of trouble. How I had to deal with yesterday’s disappointment.

For both the Cardinals and me, it was deja vu all over again.

U of L came out flatter than a pancake at Twig & Leaf. Down 14 after six listless minutes, the Cards were gifted the ball at the BC five, showed a semblance of life and focus, couldn’t sustain it, and were defeated falling away.

Same ol’ same ol’.

For me there was eery coincidence.

In my weekly picks, I shared about my visit to watch the Cards against the Eagles in Beantown in ‘91. How a leg injury from a year earlier reappeared, and required further surgeries. How my gang left that 33-3 L at the half and went shopping.

Friday night I slipped on a step coming out of a restaurant and blew out my knee. Spent the night in the ER. Was so tired, I could hardly keep my eyes open during the game. Tried to watch tape morning after, but could see there was no reason to and turned it off.

Surgeries will ensue for me. Hopefully, eventually, I’ll heal.

Wish I could say the same about the Cardinal footballers.

This team is toast. Perhaps U of L conjures some fortitude in the bye week, maybe conquers Wake Forest. Even though the Cats are significantly better than U of L this season, that’s a rivalry game. Thus the Cards only other conceivable W.

Truth: Wishful thinking.

Those of us who are diehards will still watch, eschew other plans. But it will be with heavy hearts, knowing this season is off the rails already, with minimal chance for realignment.

We love sports, we have favorite teams with which we figuratively live and die. Because they provide a respite from the exigencies of real life. Most of the time anyway.

At other moments, when our favorites are down, when our serenity is breached, we are forced to look within. Find our succor from family and friends. Find the faith to believe we will survive and find serenity despite the adversity.

So it is this gray Sunday morn.

-- Seedy K