OUSKINS
3/21/2014, 11:45 AM
As someone who has lived and died with his sports teams (to an admittedly excessive level) since childhood, I carry a long list of painful losses stored in my memory bank. It's not all losses and it's not all close losses. It's not all post season losses. I'm never quite sure when or why one is going to torture me. In January of 1993 Mark Rypien and Brian Mitchell of the Redskins muffed a hand off while driving deep into 49ers territory down 17-13 in the 4th quarter of the divisional playoffs. It was 21 years ago and I can still see that ball on the turf and feel the pit in my stomach. If you ever want a good cry/laugh I can wax poetic about other Redskins losses stored in my brain for hours.
In 1999 the Reds won 96 games but tied in the wildcard with the Mets. Cincy lost that one game playoff and the pain of that magical season's end still stings for me.
And I will always feel that I left a part of my fan-self at Chespaeake Arena during game 4 of the 2011 West Finals when Dallas overcame a 15 point deficit midway through the 4th. I can't even look at the section I was sitting in now without feeling a little ill.
And for some reason, that loss last night feels like it will be stored for me forever with the rest. Last year I was happy to be there and got over the first round exit by the next morning. This NDSU loss was torture. I hated every minute of that game. It was awful to watch. Torturous. We played so hard at times, but also so stupidly. I was so incredibly frustrated with Lon, Buddy, and Spangler in particular. I haven't been that angry during an OU game maybe ever. And still it was right there for us.... There were about 7-8 different plays and if we just make one of them we win. Cousins' foul on Braun will haunt me forever. Why?!?!
It's weird because usually losses hurt the most when I feel some major opportunity was missed. I know this OU team wasn't Final Four caliber and I knew that they'd overachieved to earn the seed they did. I really appreciated how they played this year and enjoyed the season immensely. Maybe that is why it is bugging me so much--- they went down playing unlike they played all year. I thought we needed to win to validate the season--and I do think we could have gotten to the Sweet 16. Now it ends with such a thud that it's hard to feel good about the season even though I know I should.
Can't even watch the tourney the rest of the weekend. Switch to full NBA mode and start getting excited about MLB opening day. And at some point this feeling will go away... But right now it lingers and for me that means it will probably get stuck there forever.
In 1999 the Reds won 96 games but tied in the wildcard with the Mets. Cincy lost that one game playoff and the pain of that magical season's end still stings for me.
And I will always feel that I left a part of my fan-self at Chespaeake Arena during game 4 of the 2011 West Finals when Dallas overcame a 15 point deficit midway through the 4th. I can't even look at the section I was sitting in now without feeling a little ill.
And for some reason, that loss last night feels like it will be stored for me forever with the rest. Last year I was happy to be there and got over the first round exit by the next morning. This NDSU loss was torture. I hated every minute of that game. It was awful to watch. Torturous. We played so hard at times, but also so stupidly. I was so incredibly frustrated with Lon, Buddy, and Spangler in particular. I haven't been that angry during an OU game maybe ever. And still it was right there for us.... There were about 7-8 different plays and if we just make one of them we win. Cousins' foul on Braun will haunt me forever. Why?!?!
It's weird because usually losses hurt the most when I feel some major opportunity was missed. I know this OU team wasn't Final Four caliber and I knew that they'd overachieved to earn the seed they did. I really appreciated how they played this year and enjoyed the season immensely. Maybe that is why it is bugging me so much--- they went down playing unlike they played all year. I thought we needed to win to validate the season--and I do think we could have gotten to the Sweet 16. Now it ends with such a thud that it's hard to feel good about the season even though I know I should.
Can't even watch the tourney the rest of the weekend. Switch to full NBA mode and start getting excited about MLB opening day. And at some point this feeling will go away... But right now it lingers and for me that means it will probably get stuck there forever.