Comments on: The Sports Gods Hate Washington

By: Adam Farnsworth

Adam Farnsworth — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

So true. Being a life time Mariners fan really gives you an unhealthy optimism to life. Well put, I think Seattle’s sports teams are a pretty good representation of it’s citizens: we like it, but were just not quite committed enough…

By: Bradley

Bradley — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I live near Cleveland. Have since long before LeBron.

I will probably never follow basketball, certainly not football. Haven’t followed baseball since Carlos Baerga wasn’t lazy and Albert Belle was pounding baseballs instead of reporters and his girfriend. ‘Nuff said.

“Better luck next year” doesn’t seem to cut it when the team was perfect this year.

I can’t say I fully emphathize right now, Mike. But I hear you. Let me tell you, I love sports (used to play most of them), but it’s really hard to be a sports fan when all your teams do is lose.

Unfortunately, your teams were actually expected to win; I’m usually not very surprised to hear we lost. But you can’t say that, especially when you (used to) work for the company that does all the in-arena video and graphics for the Cleveland teams. Uye…

By: Eric Meyer

Eric Meyer — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

To follow up on Bradley’s post, I was wondering what Cleveland has done to deserve all its last-minute chokes when its sports fans are about as loyal and passionate as any you could name? I mean, sure, a lot of the time the teams are bad, but even when they’re good they seem to choke.

I say this as a Clevelander with no particular interest in sports. I personally don’t give much of a damn what sports are being played or how the local teams are doing, but I have to respect the fans (though they annoy me from time to time). They stick with their teams, even though utterance of the phrase “Just wait ’til next year!” is pretty much an annual rite for any local fan.

By: Jeff Hartman

Jeff Hartman — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Being from Chicago and a fan of the Cubs ..well, there’s nothing more to say there.

An option for #10: The Holiday Bowl loss to Kansas State (my Alma Mater)
http://holidaybowl.com/1999.htm
.. although KSU was ranked higher and going in and the favorite to win, it was a great game!

Another tongue-in-cheek option: Rick Neuheisel.

And Eric, what are you talking about? Haven’t you seen “Major League”? They won it all! Cleveland Rocks! :)

By: Jason

Jason — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I live in CT. I got to UCONN. I personally think UCONN should have lost the game they played 1st round against Albany because of how poorly they played. The #1 team in the country losing first round in their regional tournament and then having a _lot_ of trouble in the first round of the NCAA tourney? Come on.

Amazing game last night…I definitely feel for you WA fans. I’m not a hardcore fan of anything sports, I just am hoping UCONN wins again so I can see one of the craziest riots to hit college campus over a sports win first-hand.

By: Ryan Stewart

Ryan Stewart — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I was going to almost this exact post yesterday, but I’m glad you did it. After I got home from watching the huskie game I asked my wife “exactly what have you gotten me into.” I don’t know how you guys live with sports disappointment like this. I don’t know if I can take being a Seattle fan, it seems so depressing.

By: Mark Centz

Mark Centz — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Pittsburgh loves itâ€™s Steelers, the Pirates not so much. The Pirates have a Series win in my lifetime. Los Angeles loves those fabulous Lakers, and the Dodgers and the Angels get popular when they win. And they have in twice in 20 years. Football, letâ€™s see â€¦NFL football in LA â€¦ Gone. Boston! Now thereâ€™s a real sports town. Rewarded with their1st series win since WWI last year, despite fan love beyond all understanding. Sounds like the Cubs and those Buffalo Bills, doesnâ€™t it? Meanwhile, the Pats couldnâ€™t get a crowd in Boston so they moved out of town, and now theyâ€™re getting all kinds of metal for their mantel lately, right? Florida Marlins, 2 Series wins in the last 10 years to reward that fanatic fanbase, and Phoenix rewards their legions of fans with one more. The Raiders havenâ€™t won much in a generation, I guess that must be more lack of support in Oakland.
You owe Seattle fans an apology. Weâ€™re no worse than most cities in our love of sports. Cities do not get the teams they deserve. Itâ€™s another random process which rewards the deserving and the undeserving alike. If Seattle fans are less involved with their teams than Buffalo or Green Bay, it might have something to do with the wider variety of cultural choices here. So when we are â€“lucky- enough to get a very good team here, we can emulate SF 49er fans and be ridiculously smug wherever we go. In the meantime: pain, suffering and pain.

By: Mike D.

Mike D. — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Mark: I agree with most of that, especially this line – “it might have something to do with the wider variety of cultural choices here”. It’s *definitely* because of that, and I’m not saying Seattleites are “bad people” because we’re not as passionate about our sports as some other people are. I’m just saying we’re not — for whatever reason — and because of that, we probably do not have the right to be as pissed off as, say, Boston fans, when we go decades without a title. The thing about most of the cities you mentioned though is that they have had a lot more recent success than we have. We pretty much have the ’91 Huskies who *shared* a national championship (unfortunately) and that’s it. Boston has titles from the Celtics, the Patriots, the Red Sox, and a Final Four from UMass. Chicago has the Bulls dynasty, the White Sox World Series ring, and the Bears Super Bowl. Green Bay also has a ring. Etc, etc. I agree with you on L.A. though. L.A. fans are no more knowledgeable or passionate than Seattle fans when it comes to sports. They do have an owner who knows 1000 times more about basketball than our owner, however.

By: Jamison Kelleher

Jamison Kelleher — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Candidates for #10

Sonics/Suns 56 freethrows
Seahwks/Jets Vinny’s helmet
Sonics/Nuggets #1 vs #8

By: adam

adam — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Go Ducks!!

Sorry, just had to represent my alma mater.

I see the same thing happening in Portland. When the Blazers were good, the Rose Garden was full and the city was supportive. Now Paul Allen is taking about selling the team, and the city doesn’t seem to care about whether they stay or not.

My #1 – 2000 Western Conference Finals – Portland vs. LA
Portland had come back and forced a Game 7. They led LA by 15 in the 4th quarter. LA goes on a 15-0 run, and beats the blazers by 5. Ouch.

I would write a top-ten myself, but over half of those would involve Robert Horry beating us in a playoff game with a buzzer-beating 3 pointer.

But hey, at least you have a baseball and football team.

By: Martin

Martin — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Mike,

Watch that non-specific title; the sports gods are loving WASHINGTON (DC) — sorry to get off topic, but how about George Mason.

By: Matt Bailey

Matt Bailey — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I’m going to have to second Eric on this one. Cleveland fans have it all over Seattle or any other city when it comes to sports and disapointments. I think ESPN did a top 10 list for both baseball and football for the cities with the longest disappointment streaks. Cleveland was #1 on both of them.

By: bre

bre — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Ya, but I’ve heard that Seattle are ultimate frisbee world champions. Is that true?

By: Jesse J. Anderson

Jesse J. Anderson — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Unfortunately our new motto in Seattle has become:

“We’ll see you next year!”

By: Keith

Keith — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I agree with you when it comes to most Seattle sports with one exception: The Seahawks. There are plenty of direhard Seahawks fans here in Seattle, and while they might not be Packer fans, they’re pretty solid.

As well, you run in a bit of a different crowd than I do, but in general everyone I know is a pretty devout sports fan here. As well, I would guess that there aren’t many Green Bays or Buffalos out there.

Explain to me this? If your theory has any merit, how and the hell can the Lakers have any history of winning? No, as far as fans go, I don’t think Seattle is the most apathetic.

As far as this game goes, we got screwed on Friday. Plain and simple. Same goes for the Super Bowl. I totally agree that Seattle teams are up there when it comes to choking. Look no further than the Sonics and Mariners for some of the greatest chokes of all time.

And that 1998 game was right up there — bad luck and poor execution.

However, this year we’ve really been given the shaft. This weekend we would have won by about 10 were it not for truly horrible calls all game (Roy’s Technical? Come on!) long and you know how The Superbowl went down.