Why we care

Here we are at the end of another season. A season that ends in heartbreak. We all know this feeling. It’s a feeling that more often than not, we have as sports fans. Every year we see who is on the roster. We speculate and dream of what will happen at the end of the season. We watch every play. Hold our breath during the big moments and jump around the room when it goes our way. The high of winning feels so good that we chase that feeling year in and year out. We spend so much of our time, money, and emotional energy chasing that dragon. If sports is a drug, we are all addicts.

Being a sports fan is not easy. It’s more than sitting on your couch and watching tv. It’s being part of something bigger than yourself. Being in a crowded stadium and yelling all at once when a big shot goes in is a memory that lasts a lifetime.

Sports is something that has bonded fathers and sons for generations. Watching the Chiefs with my dad every Sunday has special meaning to me. He showed me how to fill out a bracket when I was a little kid and I thought then as I do now that March Madness is one of mankind’s greatest accomplishments. Now with kids of my own, when I look back at Kansas winning the title last year, what sticks out to me is not so much David McCormack hitting that hook shot or Remy Martin dancing as the trophy was hoisted up. What I really remember is jumping around the room with my son as we celebrated. I remember hugging him as the final buzzer sounded. That is a memory I will keep and cherish for the rest of my life. That is what sports means to me.

So as we feel the pain of losing right now we do so because this is what sports are. It’s a roller coaster ride. To enjoy those highs we have to endure the lows. And I know we will all be here again in October to do it all over again.