the watch of time

Whenever in sports there is a purge of talented performers, or even when one beloved player switches to another team, fan support is tested.

When such moves occur around a ‘trade deadline’, such actions likely guarantee disappointment in the home team’s chances of getting into post-season play; moreover, any expectations for witnessing first-rate performances, leading to a ride into playoffs, seem pushed into the murky future.

If it seems to be a pattern for a certain sports community, maybe there’s something in the water.

Sometimes these happenings parallel larger societal issues, addressing their own contributing debacles and seriously needed updates.  Financial trade-offs involving infrastructure come to mind.

What many fans may wind up neglecting are the obvious upside benefits in the near-term:

• No long-term planning is required to get good seats for games
• One doesn’t have to leave as early as previously to allow for parking line-ups, nor for line-ups at facility concessions
• Young fans learn the important life lessons of being let-down and of delayed gratification
• No need to wonder about it being worth the extra cost of getting jerseys with players’ names on them
• Less likelihood of interest in the games interfering with other entertainment options
• We connect more quickly to the circle of life
• That proposed trip to visit out-of-town relatives becomes increasingly appealing
• No health concerns arise, due to stress levels in following local team fortunes
• Hey, with all those cable channels we’re paying for, there really is something else on
• Watching paint dry or the grass grow doesn’t seem so bad

Clearly, there are plenty of reasons to feel better…