How do you cope with a sports-related disappointment?

[Shane]

My Capitals showed up tonight with the fierceness of croquet players, and got drubbed 6-2. I'm coping by eating a large plate of fiery hot wings with bleu cheese dressing and washing it down with Smithwick's. In other instances, I have screamed obscenities into a pillow, gone for a jog, or other times I just lie down and shake my head. Before you judge, the life of a Washington sports fan has not been easy for a while here lately.

How do you cope when your team bites the bullet?

 

[Gruder]

I share your frustration with the Caps tonight, Shane. How to cope? I look at this year's improvement over last year, the team's youth, and high hopes for the next few seasons to come. Small consequence tonight, though, I know.

Actually, what was far worse form me this year was Kentucky basketball not making the NCAA tournament. A few weeks into the offseason, though, and a new coach and some talented recruits have certainly brightened my spirits. This, too, shall pass. I suppose that's what I find so compelling about the sports I enjoy -- the emotional roller coaster!

That, and how much fun is it going to be to watch Ovi vs. Sid next year?! This is becoming a rivalry for the ages, I think.

 

[TstebinsB]

The Yankees losing to the Red Sox in 2004 in Game 7. The Yankees losing to Mariners in 1995 in Game 5. The Giants losing to the Eagles last year. The Wolverines losing to Ohio State every year! Great, Shane. Way to bring back painful memories.

I don't really cope. I avoid any mention of the loss. I didn't watch TV or listen to the radio for almost two weeks after the Giants loss. Eventually, another sporting event takes precedence but I never let it go. If you mean at the very moment when your team loses, I'm usually numb and disgusted that I was sucked into believing. I go to my local market and get me some ice cream. Fortunately, Häagen-Dazs is always on sale there.

 

[Leche]

Check out my avatar. I'm more than used to it!

 

[mmack66]

My home teams are the Kansas City Royals and the Kansas City Chiefs. I moved past disappointment and into disgust a few years ago. There is always next year.

 

[ouch]

As a lifelong NY Ranger fan, all I can say is.........

you're breaking my heart.

 

[Donner]

drinking always helps, and smithwicks is a good start. I've had friends whose wives would hide anything breakable/throwable and replace it all with nerf footballs and such so that he wouldn't actually break the tv... again.

as for a tough loss, it's hard to get over those. I can never tell if it's worse to get beat at the last or to get thumped. At least with a thumping, you have longer to accept it.

 

[rafikz]

I'm used to it.

The NBA has been rigged for so many years


I'll celebrate the second David Stern leaves

 

[professorchaos]

I keep it simple and employ my preferred anodyne. Glass + Ice + Bourbon = Coping.

 

[Mainecanefan]

All someone has to do is mention "Hail Flutie" to me and I just want to curl up into the fetal position and hide. Of course, given the last couple of Miami seasons, I've spent a lot of quality time in the fetal position rocking back and forth.

 

[arghblech]

How do you cope when your team bites the bullet?

I'm not a Caps fan but I was pulling for them. They should have the coach and GM publicly berate Alex Semin. He was horrible. If I were running that team, I'd tell him, "If you ever again play a single shift as badly as you played tonight you'll spend the rest of your career riding the bus in the minors."

 

[Walter Sobchak]

Ahh Shane. I'm from Boston and very much into the Boston sports scene. I know your pain very well. Yes, we've been lucky to have some winners lately, but by and large it's been a life of sports sadness, huge letdowns, and epic tragedies. I still have sleeping issues from the Chicago/Patriots superbowl, Len Bias/Reggie Lewis, and the '86 World Series.

I think you're right on the spot. Enjoy some decadent food and drink. Pity your fandom and the team for now, but soon you'll be realizing again that Ovie is a transcendant player, a rare one indeed, and Mike Green has HOF talent. Varlamov and Laich look like they could be the real deal. Backstrom and Semin....I don't know their contract status, but pmmf, they're good. With some salary cap wizardry, the Caps are going to be very solid for a long time.

 

[The Knize]

I'm crying about the Caps, too. And, no, it has not been easy for the DC sports fan around here lately.

6-2 is pretty hard to take in game seven after six excellent games leading up to that one, including three overtimes, and if I recall two losses by the Caps due to "own" goals. (At least that is what they would call them in soccer.) With just the tiniest shift in luck, the Caps would have won the series before tonight.

On the other hand, I think the truth of the matter is that Pittsburgh is one heck of a hockey team. Washington is, too, when it is really clicking, but it is just not quite as far along as Pittsburgh is. Unfortunately, the better team won this series. Even leaving out this last game, it was hard to say that the Caps had outplayed the Penguins.

Sure is hard not to like the Caps overall. Hard to take the loss, and maybe the Caps lost some respect. But they got a very long way up until tonight.

 

[muleman244]

The Wolverines losing to Ohio State every year! Great, Shane. Way to bring back painful memories.

But, of course, watching the Browns tank on no less than 3 AFC championships before drinking was an option for me still leave a sick to the stomach feeling.

Thank God for Coach Tressel anyway.

 

[htownmmm]

For some reason, the caps never seem to b able to get past the 'burgh. but then what do I know-I'm a NY Knickerbockers fan.


marty

 

[mretzloff]

How do you cope when your team bites the bullet?

It's very difficult. When one of my teams lose, I am just very upset for a few days. The only time I'll forget about it quickly is if they never had a chance. I guess that's easier to accept then.

I get most upset about soccer. I love watching the UEFA and World Cup. When my team (Germany) loses, it's the worst.

 

[The Knize]

For some reason, the caps never seem to b able to get past the 'burgh. but then what do I know-I'm a NY Knickerbockers fan.


marty

True that re the 'burgh.

 

[pbroddi]

Ahh Shane. I'm from Boston and very much into the Boston sports scene. I know your pain very well. Yes, we've been lucky to have some winners lately, but by and large it's been a life of sports sadness, huge letdowns, and epic tragedies. I still have sleeping issues from the Chicago/Patriots superbowl, Len Bias/Reggie Lewis, and the '86 World Series.

Lenny Bias, such a shame. Still breaks my heart.......and I'm a Laker! And Reggie Lewis too! Awww man!

 

[Henrique]

I'm a season ticket holder for Sporting Lisbon (official name Sporting Clube de Portugal) for 6 years. We're perennial contenders but seem to loose everything in the last minute.

We were league champions for the last time in 2002. Since then we almost always end up second, 2 years ago by a single point (in 102 possible).

The high time low was in 2005. In a single week we lost the league (that was just there for the taking) and lost a UEFA cup final AT OUR OWN HOME (for those who aren't very familiar to football/soccer, the European cups venues are decided at the start of the season, so only very rarely a team has the chance to play a final in its own ground).

(That week I was in NY on a work trip... I watched the game in ESPN zone. Strange experience! Huge screens, all broadcasting the same Baseball game, and I was only able to watch the game in a tiny TV inside a counter. )

So, I'm very acquainted with defeat.

I usually shut up the TV and decide to see some good movies, take a stroll. Luckly my wife is also a fan and goes to the games, so we understand each other…

 

[VfBStuttgart]

Well, drinking is usually in order, but I also completely ignore ESPN and all other media that might have anything to do with sports for a while. Depending on the severity of the loss, I ignore them for different amounts of time. When the Bears threw away the Super Bowl a few years back, I don't think I watched ESPN for a good month. When the Cubs swept the White Sox at home last season it was a week before it was off of tv, and then I had the pleasure of reveling in the Sox sweeping the Cubs at home. If you have other sports teams to follow that might take your mind off of it. I have been able to keep my mind off the White Sox mediocre start and the Bulls exiting the playoffs with the surprising success of the Blackhawks.