To the Losing Fans
by Brittany Bell
To the fans of the team that lost the World Series:
I am sorry. I know it’s been a long time since you’ve seen your team play for a World Series title…in fact, people have lived and died without seeing it. I guess it’s just the plight of being a sports fan; some franchises have “it,” some just don’t. And while you sat there and thought this was “your year,” there were fans of 29 other teams who thought so too. Sadly, the reality is that there will only be one winner and the chances of that being your team (no matter how far they made it in the postseason) are minimal.
To these same fans:
I get it. It sucks. When your team makes it all the way to the championship you cannot possibly fathom them losing. It just can’t happen.
Well. It does.
It’s not just you; it’s happened to me before too. When the Bruins, against all odds, returned to the Stanley Cup Finals after taking it home to Boston in 2011, I thought there was no chance in hell they would lose. After all, Boston had just been hit by the Marathon bombing, and the boys were playing like they were carrying the city on their backs. Too bad the city was too heavy for them, because the Blackhawks out-skated them in the series, stealing the Stanley Cup away right under our noses on home ice. Ouch. That one still hurts.
But, your natural response to that would be “the Bruins won the Stanley Cup two years prior, the last time we won was over 50 years ago. There’s a difference.” And to that I would say, “You’re right.” But, it still doesn’t take away the fact that seeing your team lose when they’ve almost gone all the way is an overall painful (and angering) experience.
To the losing fans, again:
Ok. You have a week-long period when you can mourn. After that, get over it. Because just like you, there are fan bases of 28 other teams who didn’t bring home diddly-squat. You’ll make it. Opening day will still be in April, there will be another season, the sun will come up tomorrow and YOU WILL LIVE. Have you even stopped to consider us Red Sox fans? For us, there basically is no tomorrow because the man that has shaped our franchise back into a winning one is gone. Our Papi has retired and is never coming back. If there’s a reason to mourn and wear black for two months, that’s it. Losing in the World Series? Not so much. It gives you something to go off of and rebound for next season. Plus, you still won your conference so you have that to hold on to. What do we have? Nothing. Papi is gone and I’m still wearing black. R.I.P Papi’s career. I loved you.
And lastly, to the losing fans:
We’ll see you on the diamond. Because no matter how badly I feel for you today, come April, it’s back to being sworn enemies. I don’t care that you’re not the Yankees. As long as you’re playing the Red Sox, I hate you. So in that case, maybe I’m actually glad you lost in the World Series because I want the Red Sox to beat the pulp out of you today.
And with that, I send off. Best wishes fans of the losing team; I’ll see you next season.
Sincerely,
Not-So-Concerned MLB (Red Sox) Fan