Something is happening followers.
There has been a shift in fortunes. Suddenly, in the current sports year, the
typical way of things has been knocked off orbit. It has been well documented that the ANALYSIS
has suffered from a veritable lifetime of sports-related disappointment. Up until the last 6 months or so, the ANALYSIS’
teams had never won what would be considered “the big game”. If you will
forgive this self-indulgent post, please read on to get a sense of the
magnitude of what is happening and how it might impact you. The ANALYSIS is 41
years old, and, as most of you know, the ANALYSIS has a few passions in the sports
world. They include the following:
San Diego Chargers
Oregon Ducks Football
Los Angeles Kings
San Diego Padres
US Men’s National Soccer Team
In a lifetime of the ANALYSIS following these teams, the following had
occurred before 2012:
·
The San Diego Chargers had never won a Super
Bowl. They got there once, in 1995, and lost 49-26.
·
The Oregon Ducks had never won a Rose Bowl or
National Championship, losing the Rose Bowl in 1994 and 2010 and the National
Championship Game in 2011.
·
The Los Angeles Kings had never won a Stanley
Cup, losing in the Finals in 1993.
·
The San Diego Padres had never won the World
Series, losing in 1984 and 1998.
·
The US Men’s Soccer Team had never won a World
Cup.
Have there been wonderful games? Of course . Great seasons….absolutely. Charger playoff
wins…Padre playoff wins…great performances…memorable players. But the grandest
Prize? No. The heady days of 1993-1998, where the Chargers, Padres, and Kings
were all right there, ended with a goose egg. Back in those days, an optimistic,
twenty-something year old ANALYSIS was gazing into a future that simply had to
hold a Championship. But since the
Padres 1998 failure, that full-of-hope 27 year old had waited until he had
become a less than full-of-hope 41 year old.
They always say that many years of sports frustration leads to a
sweeter and more wonderful feeling when a championship does come along. I tend
to think that is true. Despite this, I
still am envious of a guy like our own ANALYSIS follower Paul Moline, who has
teams all over the map who have won the BIG one. Paul has championships with
his New England Patriots, his Boston Celtics, his Boston Red Sox, his Boston Bruins
and maybe some other teams I don’t know about.
And fellow Follower Jeff Fassett, who has been a long time Los Angeles
Dodger and Los Angeles Laker fan. It must have felt good when those teams have
hoisted the trophy.
For me, it has not been so. I do not say this to garner any sympathy.
It is just a fact.
But, back on January 2, 2012,
something happened. The Oregon Ducks, after being agonizingly close the
previous two seasons, won the Rose Bowl in thrilling fashion. Being at the
game, it was almost a feeling of relief. It was such a contented feeling. I
remember John Madden being asked what his reaction was when he won the Super
Bowl. He responded, “It is something nobody can ever take away from you”. I
thought that was a strange quote at the time but I admit that I get it now. It
is a set of memories and satisfaction that you now get to keep. It is yours. To
watch that Rose Bowl game, won by such a high-octane and exciting offense,
while sitting in 80 degree weather in my backyard over the holidays...was
pretty special. Was it the beginning of something big….something different?
Yes it was. On June 11, 2012, while
I was sailing in the cold and un-NBC friendly waters of Canada, the Los Angeles
Kings won the Stanley Cup. I believe the Stanley Cup is the hardest
Championship to win in major American sports. It takes such a complete team
effort…over so many games…over a period of months. The Kings made it into the
playoffs as the 8th seed. The last team in. Tara and I have both
been big fans since the ‘80s and playoff appearances alone for this franchise
are to be celebrated. However, these playoff appearances have almost always been
very brief. In fact, the last two years, as 6th and 7th
seeds, the Kings have crashed out in the first round. Their first round matchup
against the highest point earner in the league this year, Vancouver, looked to
be another wipeout for the boys. But, in the first game they skated onto the
ice in Vancouver and bitch slapped that team so completely and thoroughly, us
fans sat up in our chairs and took notice. When they won Games 2 and 3 in
similar fashion, I started wondering…..
Well, a 4-1 series win against
the #1 seed, a 4-0 series win against the #2 seeded St. Louis Blues, and a 4-1
series win against the #3 seeded Phoenix Coyotes and the Kings were in the
Stanley Cup finals. For only the second time in their 45 year history..they were
there and they would play the New Jersey Devils in the Finals. Would history once
again hold serve? Would the
thrice-Champion Devils step up and end this miracle run? Nope. The Kings came
out just as hard…they did not blink. They jumped out to a 3-0 series lead and,
after a couple of hard-fought losses, put together a mammoth 6-1 blowout to end
the series and win the Cup. Now, followers, not all of you may be hockey fans. You
may even dislike the sport. But I really hope that some or all of you watched
at least a game or two of this Kings 16-4 playoff run. I know I am biased, but
this run by a #8 seed was what Al Michaels called, “One of the greatest
sustained playoff performances in any sport”. He means EVER…and that guy has
watched some games. This team was everything a team should be….tough mentally and
physically, faster and stronger than their opponents, great defensively, and
perhaps most importantly…they just wanted it more. They had a heart and
consistency that is so rare, amongst my teams anyway. And they closed teams
out…they gave them no quarter and no hope. It was everything the Chargers have not been.
The Kings have no superstars....they were a TEAM...every player peaking...every
player contributing and giving their all. The ANALYSIS has been quoted many
times that Championships are often the result of ordinary players doing
extraordinary things. That was this. It was beautiful.
What made this more special was
that the ANALYSIS was able to attend (along with Follower Jonas and another
die-hard King fan buddy of mine named Jose) wins in the second and third rounds
and a win in the Cup Finals. These were not cheap tickets, but I paid for a
great experience. 3-0 in those games. Worth every dime.
So, why am I telling you this? Why
are you reading this and how does it pertain to the Blog’s primary topic – the
Bolts? Well, followers, this is a post of hope. If the Oregon Ducks can win in
2012 after more than 70 years without a Rose Bowl, and the LA Kings can win in
2012 for the first time in their 45 year history, it proves that anything is
possible. It proves that there is no ANALYSIS jinx. It proves that patience can
be rewarded..and maybe..just maybe, us Charger fans can feel this feeling
sometime soon. As we go through this offseason, and hear all of the news of our
newly constituted Bolts, we can look forward with optimism….because it can
happen. It really can.
