Time has come

I'm a New England Patriots fan. Not of the team that lost, badly, yesterday---I think they were clones or something---but the one that's been around for most of the past decade. I was very frustrated, angry and sad when the game was over, because it was so lopsided. It was one of the few times when I've poured myself a drink to try to calm down. It worked. After an hour or so, I was able to look at it philosophically. Now my mantra is, "There's always hope for next year".

As Arizona won their game, I was reminded of going to a game in Arizona a few years ago. We were visiting my brother-in-law and his wife in Tucson, and he, being a huge Patriots fan, got us all tickets to the game. At the time, Arizona was in the basement of the NFL. I think their record that year included two, maybe three wins. New England, by contrast, was playing brilliantly, and the outcome of the game was pretty much a given---the best anyone could hope for that the Cardinals wouldn't completely bore us. As we walked through the parking lot to the stadium, there were tailgaters with their hibachis and coolers along each side, and a couple of them good-naturedly teased us that we'd come a long way to watch our guys lose. I said, "Not today. But don't worry; your time will come. It may a few years, but you'll get there."

Not terribly sage; parity in the NFL means that a bad team is likely to get better someday. (That's what I like about football. The salary cap means that no one can buy championships by spending more than everyone else to get the best players. The hiring of players and juggling of salaries, along with game planning, play calling and brute force makes the game a nice balance of cerebral and physical.) But whenever I see Arizona doing really well, I wonder if any of those guys I spoke to remember the guy from New England who tried to encourage them years ago...especially yesterday, when my team stank and their shone. I hope so. Sports---and so many other things these days---sometimes brings out the worst in people, and I hope that being friendly to The Other Side like that left a lasting impression.

So, my best to the Cardinals. And someday, our time will come.