Why should I care?

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The Cleveland Indians lost last night to the Boston Red Sox in Game 7 of the American League Championship series. Up 3 games to 1 in the series, the Indians went on to lose 3 straight and go back to Cleveland for the winter. Why should I care? I’m not on the team. I don’t own the team. I don’t even live in Cleveland anymore.

And yet.

What happens when you believe in someone (a person, a team, a company) and then they end up disappointing you, not living up to your expectations? It was physically painful to watch them in Game 6 and in Game 7. It made me feel ill. I had to turn off the TV. I couldn’t watch the train wreck of the end of their season. Because for some reason, I cared about the outcome of it. I wanted them to win. But why? I have bigger topics in my life to occupy my time; the world has bigger topics than baseball to occupy our attention and our actions.

And yet.

I’m disappointed in Cleveland’s #1 and #2 starting pitchers for failing to show up for the series (yes C.C. and Fausto, I’m talking about you). I’m disappointed because their bats failed to drive in runs in 4 of the seven games. But why should I be? Why do people care so passionately about their teams that they are crushed when they lose? When the Indians beat the Yankees, that was reason to celebrate. We despise the Yankees and their inflated egos and salaries. It showed that the little guy could beat the big guy by playing as a team and not a group of individuals. And while I celebrated that outcome, I hate to say it, but the Indians didn’t deserve to win the ALCS. And I say this as an Indians fan. They were out-played, out-pitched, and out-hit across the series. I would have loved to see the Indians go to the World Series. But it didn’t happen. Life goes on. There’s always next year. How many days until Spring training?

2008. I still believe. Go Tribe!

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