Let me start by saying that sports is my religion. I can recite stats as easily as one can recite scripture; I can quote from athlete autobiographies as easily as one can quote from the Bible. I spend my Sundays in front of the television watching some game, any game, for longer than one spends in church. We can argue about the merits of sports as religion, but it is not always about scholarly approaches. Sometimes it is just about feeling, and I feel like my religion is sports.
With that out of the way, if sports is religion, I guess that would make me Job.
We all know the story of Job, right? Pious man tested by God to see if he will still worship him despite God allowing Satan to inflict tremendous punishment on Job.
Why am I the sporting equivalent of Job? Here is a look at the team I cheer for (and the last time they won their league's championship):
CFL: Hamilton Tiger-Cats (Last Grey Cup: 1999)
NFL: San Francisco 49ers (Last Super Bowl: 1994)
NCAA-F: Notre Dame Fighting Irish (Last National Championship: 1988)
NBA: New York Knicks (Last NBA Championship: 1973)
NHL: Toronto Maple Leafs (Last Stanley Cup: 1967)
MLB: Chicago Cubs (Last World Series: 1908)
So it has been over ten years since one of my teams has won a championship, and in three cases I was not even alive (and in the case of the Cubs, no living member of my family was alive) the last time they were crowned champions.
But it has not been all bad. Prior to this drought, I had it great. During the 1980s and 1990s, the Ti-Cats and 49ers were playing for and winning championships frequently. The Leafs in the early 1990s and late 1990s were playing some of their best hockey, reaching four conference finals (1993, 1994, 1999, 2002). The Irish were a perennial top-10 team. The Knicks reached two NBA Finals (1994, 1999) and were always in the mix, only to be thwarted by the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls. Even the Cubbies had Sammy Sosa. I had it pretty good when I was younger... just like Job.
Then the sporting Gods decided to test my faith. All of a sudden, a playoff appearance became a rare sight. The 49ers have not been to the playoffs since 2002; the Leafs since 2004; the Knicks since 2004. The Cats just ended a half-decade-long drought in 2009. The Irish have not been legitimate contenders since the mid-1990s. The fact that the most success one of my teams have had is the Cubs winning back-to-back National League Central division titles (2007, 2008) should speak volumes.
My faith in my teams was tested, but like Job I refused to lose my faith. I know (hope?) that one day my ship will come in and I will be basking in the glory of a championship season.
I mean, I'm due, right?
This year is the year.
The Cats are going to win the Grey Cup. The Knicks are going to upset everyone and take home the NBA title. The Cubs are going to break the curse. It's going to happen!
See what I mean? Forever the optimist. Never one to lose faith.
But if 2011 closes without a championship season by one of my teams, I will shrug my shoulders and say what all sports fans say, "There's always next year."
Well, first thing I would like to note is that we have similar favourite teams! (But that’s pretty irrelevant to my response).
ReplyDeleteWe all know the story of Job, right? Pious man tested by God to see if he will still worship him despite God allowing Satan to inflict tremendous punishment on Job. Why am I the sporting equivalent of Job?
I definitely think you pulled up an interesting comparison between yourself and Job, however I believe there are even more differences. In view of this, although you may be similar to Job, I would not consider you a Job.
Job was a man who had a lot, he started out with many sons and daughters and thousands of possessions. If you look at these teams, and the idea of sport being your religion, I would venture to ask what has it tremendously ‘blessed’ you with? Can you say that these teams you are a fan of at one point produced masses of championships? You said yourself, that you were not even alive the last time some of these teams won championships. Even though you said you had it ‘pretty good’, Job was considered to have the best.
In Job, the devil is portrayed to have a conversation with God, telling God that Job would not honour or worship God without all the masses of the blessings and possessions given to him. This becomes why Job suddenly faces all these trials, a true testing of faith. There is a reason to why God allows the devil to inflict suffering on Job. Is there a reason to why the ‘sporting gods’ decided to test your faith? Were you going to be able to be used to show something significant?
Lastly, Job was quite different than the average person. I mean, if what happened to Job was real, then I know that there would be no way I would be able to react the same way in patience and without complaining. In the end, you equated yourself with all the other sports fans. Job was definitely not easily equated to any other person who might have gone through similar trials.
All that said, it was definitely an interesting comparison, and I like your enthusiasm and optimism. =)
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