Sunday, November 8, 2009

A matter of perspective

Who would have ever thought going into the 2009 college football season that Texas A&M and the University of Oklahoma would be playing each other FOR BOWL ELIGIBILITY on the second Saturday of November? What a crazy year. And what fun!

Isn't it more fun having to play games to find out who's going to win and having to keep a list of the winners and losers to figure out at the end who's the champ? Isn't that more fun than for some teams to always be the winners and others always to be the losers? Doesn't a more competitive field seem more sporting?

As I was reminded at church, it's definitely a matter of perspective. For those whose team is traditionally a winner, I guess there's not much good to be found in a down year.

Fortunately for me, especially since I am a graduate of Texas A&M (having attended during years when the football team typically started strong and lost the big games at the end, never winning a championship and always having to say 'Wait 'til next year!'), I do find many bright spots in not winning. In fact, it is harder for me to be a fan of a winning team than a losing team. That may sound defeatist, but that's not the point. Although I don't have much experience being a fan of a winning team, I do know that when it happens, I usually find myself starting to gloat or feel superior. And that just doesn't pay off for me in the long run. (On the other hand, maybe I just need more practice!)

Anyway, here's to competition. The spirit of competition. The spirit of fanship. The spirit of sportsmanship.

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