Wha, Wha, What?

Yesterday was a tough sports day for me. From 3:15 to about 6:22, it seemed that I just blacked out. I'm not sure what happened, what I said, or how at the end of it, the Cowboys had lost 6-10. I had a similar feeling that evening from 7:50 to 9:30 when I went to see '' I am Legend". I got me thinking about my different levels of a sports defeat. I know some have done this before, but I dare say, no one has done it as accurately. I must say, this comes from a prompting from the Honorable Scotty J. Thomas, and I am sure that Jordan Gay is going to love that movie. I will start with the most mild and move through the most agonizing.

1. The 50-50:
This isn't a bad beat. Your team isn't good. There actually pretty bad. They were heavy underdogs, however, they didn't lose by much. They actually surprise you with their effort and skill level. It leaves you thinking, "Hey, we can build on that".

2. The Facial:
This is hurts. You have been excited about this game. Probably been talking trash to friends that like your opponent. You do think you will win, however, the teams are likely to be evenly matched. Turns out your team plays with 3 less players, the coach gets ejected, and its over by halftime. The All Out Blow Out. While it's super embarrassing, it does give you a bit more time to heal.

3. The Blackout:
I experienced this yesterday. It seems like you go into an alternate universe for the duration of the game. It's like you can see things before they happen and none of them are good. Even when the game is over, you don't believe what happened. It doesn't sink in till later and then it hurts. This feeling may repeat itself several times before next weekend. Drink lots of water.

4. The Deleveler:
This is the worst kind. It occurs only when your team has played nearly the entire game while being competitive. This lose occurs near the end of the game, possibly the last play in which, a single play is made by the opposition, a play is not made by your team, or a single player changes the outcome of the game, all ending in a defeat for your team. From this, rarely a recovery is made, only a deep scare that is pushed to the very corners of one's sports soul. The effects of The Deleveler can cause a person to become a completely different person. They may act with rash. Anger may reach to levels of rage, or self destruction. They may try and throw a blanket through a wall (i.e. romo's snap). There is no action that can be taken by those in the surrounding area to stop this level of agony.

At any given time, someone can identify with one of these levels, and with that, I wish everyone a 50-50 day.