Heartbreaker
San Diego is the worst city ever to be a sports fan.
I’m serious. You’ve got a football team who’s been to ONE Super Bowl and lost, a baseball team who’s been to two World Series and lost, and now a college basketball game who won their first two NCAA tournament games ever but couldn’t make it anywere.
Welcome to our world.
It takes a ton of dedication to be a sports fan here. We’ve been disappointed so many times. I’ve only been a San Diego sports fan for about five years, and I’ve already lost track of the times that San Diego teams have let me and the city down.
It’s really, really awful. It’s so sad. It’s heartbreaking. It’s like being stuck in a never-ending rut. I don’t see how we’re ever going to get out. For some reason, we just have never been a winning city.
Tonight, the No. 2 ranked San Diego State Aztecs lost the No. 3 UConn 74-67. It was heartbreaking. We were trailing for most of the night, and we were no where near our best. We did have the most incredible season of Aztecs basketball ever, but it doesn’t seem to mean as much where you don’t get anywhere for it.
It’s so hard to watch and to cope with after it’s over. This city bonded with the team and followed it and cheered it on so hard. We wanted them to win so badly. We want them to do what no other team has done before (besides the Little League World Series): win a major championship for San Diego.
I’m heartbroken for the Aztecs. I’ll be the first to say that I was definitely a bandwagoner for this team. I didn’t follow the Aztecs all season long. I haven’t been a long-time Aztecs fan who’s been through the good and the bad. But even though I wasn’t there all the time, I’m still really sad about this loss.
But Padres baseball starts in a week. San Diego will have another team to root for. I hope with all my heart that we’ll do well, but I’m scared that they’ll let us down again. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a die-hard Padres fan. I don’t give up when it gets tough. I’ve stuck with the Padres through some of the most horrible games and stretches of games ever. But that doesn’t mean I have to enjoy it. I don’t have to like losing. I’m scared of disappointment.
I sure experienced that last year. We were in first place for the entire season, and then things fell apart. With no warning, we lost our lead to the stupid Giants. But then we won two games against them in the last few games of the season. That was hope. That was excitement. And then we lost in the last game of the season to give the Giants the West and ultimately, the World Series.
It stunk.
It makes me wonder when this drought is going to end. Are we going to have to endure 10 more seasons of disappointment? How long is it going to take for us to break through and have a team that can make it all the way to the World Series?
I’m so glad that I have hope in something bigger than baseball (JESUS!!), because if not, I would be so seriously depressed right now.
Sports can obviously never satisfy. San Diego sports definitely cannot satisfy. They all fall somewhere. I’m very thankful that because of God, there is meaning to my life that is way outside of cheering for a sports team.
Despite it all, San Diego is my city. It’s my home. Even though we can’t get our sports act together, I wouldn’t trade being a sports fan of this city for anything. It’s hard, but anyone can be a Yankees or Red Sox fan. It takes a lot of guts and a lot of dedication to be a fan of the Padres. I really, truly love it.
But for now, we’ve got a brand new season of Padres baseball to look forward to. We don’t know where they’re going to be at the end of the season, but why don’t we enjoy the ride? I’m looking forward to some good, solid, fun baseball. I can’t wait!
GO PADRES!!
Unfinished Business 