Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Number 8, Baby.

"I don't want to lose; I want to win."*

 *(That's me quoting myself last night, before the NCAA women's championship game.)

ESPN
How 'bout those Huskies?!

I am over the moon about the Huskies' win last night.

Over the moon.

And not just because they're called the Huskies and not some insulting diminutive nickname like the Lady Stinkin' Vols. Or the Lady Bleepin' Bears.

Puh-lease.
Derick E. Hingle/USA TODAY Sports

And not just because UConn still is the only Division I team to win both the mens' and womens' championship in a single year, back in 2004, while Mistah and I were in San Diego, staying with Jacquie and Bill, and driving the whole household crazy because we had back-to-back-to-back-to-back semi-final and final games, Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. With young kids in the house.

Yeah, we went out to watch the games.

Dave Martin/AP Photo

Mostly I'm over the moon because this has been a not-always-smooth season for UConn -- for both the men and the women: the men couldn't even play in the post-season, and even my most fierce UConn fans didn't think this was the year for the women.

And it has been a not-always smooth season for me, either.

Maybe it's because I'm getting older. I *do* have a Big Birthday coming up this year. (I told my friend Kim yesterday that Mistah and I both have big birthdays coming up, at the beginning and at the end of the summer. She asked, "30?" I replied, "Yes. 30.")

And as I get older, I'm less able to deal with the whole sports intensity thing. When I was a kid, sports were sports, but as I get older, I take them much more seriously, and much more personally, and losing hits me much harder and, well, I. Just. Cannot. Deal.

Derick E. Hingle/USA TODAY Sports

When I was a kid I used to think my mom's reaction to sports was wacky. She'd sidle around the doorway to peek at the score while the rest of us were watching the tv in the den. But now I get it. Now I cannot bear it either. Now *I* sidle, too. Well, I sidle around the doorway to listen to the radio, but still.

Last night there was no sidling. Last night was a rout. Last night was a full-on Victory.

This I can bear. Victory I can embrace. Number 8 I can celebrate.

Chris Graythen/Getty Images
Go UConn.

Go Sports.

Go Winning.
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5 comments:

  1. Hate Losing in Central PAApril 10, 2013 at 5:06 AM

    Victory is sweet..and because it tastes sweeter as we get older, the bitter flavor of defeat is unbearable.
    Now, onto baseball!

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  2. momApril 10, 2013 at 6:23 AM

    Talk about an up to date blog! I love it. Yay UConn.... love, mom

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  3. PatApril 10, 2013 at 9:10 AM

    Congrats!

    And the Padres won big yesterday against the hated, high payroll Dodgers. All is well in sportsdom.
    Love, Pat

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  4. BethApril 10, 2013 at 9:20 AM

    Funny, just yesterday my mom and I discussed how libersting it is to not care about sports teams. No angst. No sidling. No raised blood pressure.(Note: my mom does, of course, care, but really has no ture love for the Padres yet, so yesterday's game was unlike most other opening day games she's attended.)

    I highly recommend not giving a shit! It's fun ;) But I get it, you *do* care, so yeah, embrace those victories when they present themselves, and self-medicate when they don't?

    xoxo,
    Beth

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  5. Me, You, or EllieApril 10, 2013 at 11:00 AM

    Congrats on your Husky Dawwwwgs, peeps! I thought of Beth and Pat out there with the Pads yesterday, too. Yay for winning!

    Jacquie

    ReplyDelete