Oh goodness. Sports just may be the death of me. Some people might expect I’ll die because my field camp has flooded and we can’t get away, my plane to nowhere has crashed, a bear has ravaged camp, or I’ve hit the speed of sound while cruising down some hill on my bike.
Actually, those thoughts have never come to mind. I’m quite at home being away from everywhere, and I’m not very concerned about getting injured from strange happenings.
On the other hand, as much as I love my sports, I suffer from extreme nerves when I watch my teams. (Of course, whenever the Michigan Wolverines play, I enjoy cheering for their opponent.) When it comes to my Michigan State Spartans, Detroit Tigers, Detroit Red Wings, or New Zealand’s All Blacks… it’s a different story. Try watching the final of the 2011 Rugby World Cup IN NZ with the All Blacks holding a lead of 8-7 over France for a healthy chunk of the match. That’s too close!! Put simply, my health and well-being are in danger when my teams play.
Have you ever seen Remember the Titans? Remember the time during the final game when Sheryl Yoast and Coach Boone’s daughter Nikki are watching from the stands? Sheryl is clearly distressed at how the game is going and how much time remains on the clock as she half-watches through covered eyes. Nikki, who is no sports fan, just doesn’t understand the gravity of the situation – even when Sheryl pushes her away…
Sheryl: Oh my gosh. I can’t watch this. […] I can’t watch this. No.
Nikki: What? What? Sheryl, what’s wrong?
Sheryl: No, I can’t watch it.
Nikki: Sheryl!
Sheryl: No, it’s too bad. Not now. Not now.
I admit I do the same thing as Sheryl. Even though there’s nothing I can do, my nerves ride a roller coaster when I watch my teams play, so I tend to hide and “check in” periodically. Also sometimes when I do watch, I feel like my team lets me down. The Detroit Tigers just won game 4 of the ALCS, and you’d think that since I’m back home I’d be all for watching the series on tv or going to a game. Well, out of the whole game 4, I watched maybe 45 minutes and heard another 25 minutes on tv. I just kept peeking in and barely felt safe enough to watch for the final 2 outs against Boston. I worried that at any moment some Boston player would look at me through the tv and say, “This one’s for you, Steph,” as they knocked it out of the park. Then I would have gone into ginger rage, which is a whole different story!
Sheryl and I would have been homies. She prefers football to dresses, hates playing with – or accessorizing – dolls, and doesn’t understand why Nikki lets painted nails get in the way of shooting hoops. Plus we could have hidden behind our hands while at games.
For the record, I am going to downtown Detroit tomorrow to feel the vibe around Comerica Park. A high school friend of mine and I will wander around town and probably stop in some restaurants or bars to watch. As soon as it gets stressful, I’ll probably be back out on the streets. 🙂 Go Tigers!!!