Is your sporting team a dyed-in-the-wool heartbreaker?

[MoeFOH]

I'm talking about the type of sporting team whose inherent culture seems to be all about conjuring miraculous ways to lose the unlosable game or to go through a resolute and seemingly indefatigable losing streak--or era--when it would be all but statistically impossible to do so. The kind of team that has statisticians making quotes like, 'yeah, with all the post-game data we have, it's clear it was actually harder to lose that game than to win it.'

That sort of thing.

The sort of team you feel like you just can't talk out of losing, at times. It's something even a priest can't get rid of. Like they get off on breaking your heart or something. 

What is it about these teams, and why do we follow them? Is it because the highs produced when they do actually win something is much greater than other consistently good teams? Or does it speak volumes about the innate mutt in our DNA, the recurrent allure of the underdog? 

I don't know.

I've followed the South Sydney Rabbitohs all my life, so I've had more than my fair share of this bent sort of behaviour. Below is probably the best overall example I can remember. This is actually of a Souths win, an impossible comeback victory, but Souths had almost the exact reverse of this done to them in Round 1 of that particular year, and by the same team! Crazy stuff. 

If you share similar torments and triumphs, let me know your best &/or worst of them. 

Cheers,

Moe.

PS. Will forever remember Warren Smith's ecstatic call at the end: "You can take me now, I have seen it all!"

 

[Ken Gargett]

bizarrely, i thought last night of posting an almost identical thread. but that depressed me so much, thinking about the dysfunctional messes i'm stuck with, that i could not bring myself to do it.

[OZCUBAN]

Yes up until now ,we’ll and a bit last week ?

 is Manchester City after years and years in the wilderness it’s nearly time to dream ?

[MoeFOH]

2 minutes ago, Ken Gargett said:

bizarrely, i thought last night of posting an almost identical thread. but that depressed me so much, thinking about the dysfunctional messes i'm stuck with, that i could not bring myself to do it.

Ha ha... Yep. I was motivated to post this due to some encouraging pre-season form from Souths. I think I'm just trying to counsel myself ahead of time for the impending disaster they'll likely make of the season proper. 

[marquardt65]

I am both a Minnesota Vikings fan and Toronto Maple Leafs fan....tell me I don't know heartbreak lol

[cpmurrin]

Things can change.  I bought Patriots season tickets when they were coming off a 4-12 season...and Warriors tickets when they had lost 50 games the year before.  Its worked out OK

[fitzy]

2 hours ago, OZCUBAN said:

Yes up until now ,we’ll and a bit last week ?

 is Manchester City after years and years in the wilderness it’s nearly time to dream ?

ha ha ha. You've got to be bloody kidding me. They won the league 2011-12 and 2013-14.  I wouldn't call that years and years in the wilderness. 

How they even qualify for FIFA's fair play rules are beyond me. lol

[madandana]

Vikings........Need I say more?

[Smokin911]

Born, raised,  and full time resident of Atlanta.

On my death bed I might well say:  "How did the Falcons lose the 2017 Super Bowl".

Now,  I've said it:  I feel better. 

 

[gweilgi]

I am an English sports fan.

Cricket and the Ashes.

Rugby and the World Cup.

Soccer, and every world championship since 1966.

Need I say more?

 

 

[ayepatz]

As a Rangers fan, this last decade has been seriously tough going.

Financial “irregularities”, demotion, one mess after another.

Nearly back to the top, but Celtic have streaked away in our absence.

Without fresh thinking and a serious cash investment, we are unlikely to be closing that gap anytime soon.

Also, the Scotland football team have been in Double Facepalm mode for so long now, there has been an entire generation of Scots who have never seen their country qualify for a major tournament.

Thankfully the Rugby lads are restoring some measure of national sporting pride.