Although the wounds are still fresh, perhaps enough days have passed since the Rangers’ World Series Götterdämmerung, that I might review my feelings in a more rational frame of mind. Still, I have been barely able to watch any televised sports and even refrained from watching Jay Leno when learning that David Freese, the World Series MVP would be appearing that night. As a kid, I can remember being devastated when my favorite teams lost, but last I looked, the mirror didn’t lie. I am no longer that 12-year boy who cried his heart out when the Cowboys lost to the Colts in the 1971 Super Bowl. I can still remember my grandmother asking my dad whether I’d cried when Tempe High lost the State Football Championship. I was in my bed crying at the time. So darling Trey, don’t be embarrassed, my face also hurt with the weight of disappointment last Friday.
There was a time that I believed I’d kicked the habit of being an ardent fan. It was in the winter of 1989 when my life as a Dallas Cowboy fan would change forever. I can still hear Scott Murray, the bumbling, drooling sports anchor from channel 5, breaking in with his self-congratulatory scooping tone, to bring us the word that Jerry Jones had bought the Cowboys and would bring his own coach Jimmy Johnson to Dallas. Those were words I thought I’d never hear. Tom Landry, the only coach the Cowboys had ever had, gone without as much as courtesy call. These classless jerks were the ones taking over the pillar of sports franchises. Of course it wouldn’t be long before we would see a similar level of integrity inhabit 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
Tom Landry was a great football coach and a greater man. A dedicated student and innovator of the game, he continued to compete during talent lean years in the mid to late 80’s. Landry certainly held on to some schemes, but continued to modify them to the players he had. Johnson, on the other hand, knew only one way and made whole sale changes to build to his desired system despite the results in the meantime. Landry was in the process of doing both while remaining a viable force in the league. Certainly both were extremely successful as football coaches, but no one will ever mistake Johnson as anything beyond a possessed football coach. Check his personal behavior after moving to Dallas.
I’ve not touched Jerry Jones yet, but maybe I’ll wait until his run is over. You can only guess how I feel. I thought I’d grown up a bit as I stopped watching the NFL almost completely after the ownership change and started doing other things on Sunday. What a concept. I’ve not fully warmed back up to the Cowboys, although I stay abreast of news and usually catch part of the weekly game. The passion is gone, however.
While I’ve aged, I am not sure if my maturity has kept pace with regard to sports fandom, or other things for that matter. I became genuinely captivated as a child and was enrapt without realizing it. I still get somewhat surprised, but I can see it happening to me, little by little, because I’m wise you know. So I keep saying to myself “It’s all gravy, the Mavs have already won the championship this year.” Then I fall and say I want it all! MAVS and RANGERS! Ouch! ‘Wash’ says “That’s how baseball go”, but I think Joe Jackson’s “Fools in Love” is more appropriate this year. We may be fools, but I love the Rangers even if they didn't win the World Series. Besides if the Mavs and Rangers had both won, we’d have to wonder whether that Mayan calendar might actually be right, 2012 being the end of the world and all.
Happy Birthday Keith Emerson (1944- )
C'est La Vie
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