Over It
It used to be kinda fun to be a football fan.
There was a certain level of irony about it that appealed to me, as in something like, “Well, you see, I’m so post-modern in my fandom, that that any fandom I might some be accused of cycles back upon itself to undermine the familiar tropes and emerge as something that is virtually indistinguishable from the very tropes that anti-fandom arises against in the first place.
Like drinking Pabst Blue Ribbon beer, almost, or wearing John Deere caps.
But the problem is, the irony only lasts so long and before you know it, you find yourself not just being a “football fan” in quotes, but having actually become one, and then, there you are, on a lovely but cold Sunday afternoon, getting all worked up over some voices on the radio and some pixels on a screen that together, tell the story of your beloved hometown football team succumbing to a third-rate squad from a place you’d never want to live unless you came back to life next time around as a broken down soft-drink machine or industrial refrigerator.
Which is why, frankly, I’ve had it. Following the Steelers’ devastating loss yesterday in the final seconds of the fourth quarter to the Oakland-No, LA-no, Oakland Raiders, I’ve decided that it’s just not worth it. Whatever small pleasure I take out of seeing and/or hearing the Black n’ Gold win is far outweighed by the annoyance and self-loathing (for having wasted three hours) I feel when they lose.
I could have taken a bike ride, or read a book, or even cleaned more of the house than those parts of it I tidied up in an unsuccessful propitiation of the football gods to secure an end to Pittsburgh’s three (now four) game losing streak.
I’m done wasting my Sundays on hoping the Steelers somehow hold on to fourth-quarter lead. Done!
Good thing they play this week on Thursday.
There was a certain level of irony about it that appealed to me, as in something like, “Well, you see, I’m so post-modern in my fandom, that that any fandom I might some be accused of cycles back upon itself to undermine the familiar tropes and emerge as something that is virtually indistinguishable from the very tropes that anti-fandom arises against in the first place.
Like drinking Pabst Blue Ribbon beer, almost, or wearing John Deere caps.
But the problem is, the irony only lasts so long and before you know it, you find yourself not just being a “football fan” in quotes, but having actually become one, and then, there you are, on a lovely but cold Sunday afternoon, getting all worked up over some voices on the radio and some pixels on a screen that together, tell the story of your beloved hometown football team succumbing to a third-rate squad from a place you’d never want to live unless you came back to life next time around as a broken down soft-drink machine or industrial refrigerator.
Which is why, frankly, I’ve had it. Following the Steelers’ devastating loss yesterday in the final seconds of the fourth quarter to the Oakland-No, LA-no, Oakland Raiders, I’ve decided that it’s just not worth it. Whatever small pleasure I take out of seeing and/or hearing the Black n’ Gold win is far outweighed by the annoyance and self-loathing (for having wasted three hours) I feel when they lose.
I could have taken a bike ride, or read a book, or even cleaned more of the house than those parts of it I tidied up in an unsuccessful propitiation of the football gods to secure an end to Pittsburgh’s three (now four) game losing streak.
I’m done wasting my Sundays on hoping the Steelers somehow hold on to fourth-quarter lead. Done!
Good thing they play this week on Thursday.
posted by Professor Dave at 8:58 AM
1 Comments:
You should have done as I did....after giving up a kickoff or punt return every game the first 7 weeks or so, just resign yourself to the idea that, "Steelers look pretty good, nice record, but they profoundly suck in some important ways." I came to peace with that early on, and was able to adjust my emotional investment for the remainder or the season accordingly. Even early when they were rolling, they showed flashes of great suck potential. - Noah
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