1955 was an historic year. It's the first year for which I have definite memories and those memories are of the Brooklyn Dodgers, the team that I passionately loved, winning the World Series by beating the stupid New York Yankees.
All 1955 Dodger fans were thrilled because this was the first world championship the team had EVER won. It was the first time, of course, that they'd ever beaten the bullying New York Yankees despite a bunch of opportunities in the 1940s and early 1950s. Dodger fans, sadly, had suffered badly over the years.
But not me! I had no experience with their dreadful, futile, long suffering history. This was the first year I could remember and my team had won it all. One year, one memory, one championship! My life as a fan was off to a very promising start!
1956 wasn't bad, either, as the Dodgers made it to the 7th game of the World Series before losing to those damn Yankees. Two years, 2 World Series, 1 championship, the good life!!!
And then it all changed....
The Dodgers moved away and the Mets replaced them in New York. And, sadly, in my heart.
I was also a football Giants fan. They were a terrific team, constantly winning the Eastern Division and getting to the championship game. They kept losing that final game but still, it was exciting and wonderful for me as a fan.
And then the Jets came into existence and, for some reason, I drifted from the Giants to the Jets. Was this a smart thing to do?
In basketball and hockey, I loved the Knicks and the Rangers. Disappointingly, no team came along to replace either of them.
Almost 50 years have gone by since the Dodgers raised my expectations by getting me off to such a good start. Rooting for 4 teams for most of those seasons, we've had almost 200 chances to win a title and we've won....6. The Mets twice, the Knicks twice, one Stanley Cup with the Rangers, one Jet Super Bowl. That's a winning rate of 3%. Damn, 3% is only good in, in, well, it's not good anywhere!
My point is that it's not my fault. I've played on a lot of championship softball teams and taken awards in paddleball, bowling and road racing. I'm not a jinx or anything. If I'm participating things often go well. It's only as a fan that I seem to suck.
My other point is that, given this record, anything I say about my teams should be ignored. I'm incapable of having an objective opinion. I expect the worst...based on this AWFUL track record...and overcompensate by constantly seeing hope at the end of this almost never ending tunnel.
A few days ago I asserted that the Knicks had finally turned the corner. And a bit later that same night, the Heat absolutely crushed them. Totally to be expected. I'm convinced the Mets are in the midst of developing a dynamite young pitching staff. And then Harvey needed surgery. No doubt something else will happen this (or, perhaps, before this) season.
So ignore everything I say unless I'm speaking specifically about myself. And, of course, when I do speak about myself you should probably know that I might exaggerate.
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