I’ve had this idea for a blog post brewing in my head about how if the Blackhawks were to repeat, my son would have then seen as many Stanley Cup championships in his less than two years on this earth, as I have now seen in my entire lifetime.
Well, the L.A. Kings had something to say about that in game 7 overtime late last night, at the Madhouse on Madison. If my son were a little bit older, last night’s Blackhawks game could have provided a very teachable moment about Chicago sports, and how to handle losing.
When Alec Martinez of the Kings put the puck in the back of the net, it silenced an entire Metropolitan area of 10 million strong, dooming them to the fate of watching a baseball team that hasn’t won anything in more than a century. Fans from the south side can smirk, but their team hasn’t fared that much better.
Either way, the boys of summer play like it’s freakin’ cold in this town.
The blog post that I wanted to write would have touted how lucky my little boy would be to “witness” two championships in less than two years. While he didn’t have to wait long for his first, this is a city that won’t spoil you that way.
Here’s a running tally of the last 3-and-a-half decades of Chicago championships in case you’re keeping score:
Bulls: 6
Blackhawks: 2
Bears: 1
Sox: 1
Cubs: 0
Wait ‘til next year. That’s what Cubs fans have to continue telling themselves. I don’t care if the Cubs land a few short outs from the World Series, don’t start making plans for where you are going to watch it.
Sure, you have to have faith. But having faith and holding your breath are too different things. “Wait ‘til next year” sounds about as promising as the bar in my college town that posted a sign advertising free beer tomorrow.
The Bulls were a force to be reckoned with in the 90s. Michael Jordan is easily one of the two greatest athletes I’ve seen in my lifetime (Walter Payton being the other). It’s teams like that that get us interested to begin with.
But what do you do in the down years? What do you do in the strings of years built up in this town where the competition isn’t worth a damn? You appreciate the sport and learn how to handle loss.
A Chicago sports fan must learn patience, tolerance or perspective. In the words of Dennis Leary, “Life sucks, get a helmet.” If all else fails, they will need the name of a good therapist.
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