Fun or torture?

[danzig6767]

I was thinking about this as i was agonizing over the later stages of Game 2.

 

A bit of back story. So i've long been a big sports fan, whether it's the Brewers, Packers, Badgers football, basketball, and hockey. During that time, i to often would take tough losses really hard.

 

Then the mother of all brutal losses happened to my sports fandom. In the 2014 NFC Title Game, the Packers pulled an epic collapse late in the game, blowing a trip to the Super Bowl. Between the absolute torture of watching it live and days after the game, my brain refusing to stop thinking about it, I was crushed in an unhealthy way.

 

I decided to give myself a bit of a self-intervention. Told myself i would never allow a sporting event to devastate me to that degree again and it's mostly worked. I'd still get tense during close games of teams i like, but not to the point my acid reflux got so bad, even my armpits would be burning.

 

Fast forward to this current Brewers team. I've enjoyed this season immensely. Watched and/or attended about 150 of their games. Thanks you DVR's.

 

Well, for whatever reason, these last three games of Brewers/Cubs for the division, and the first two playoff games have brought back the old super nerve racked fan in me. It's been a little more torture than fun, especially during all of the numerous failed attempts to get a runner in from third with only 0 or 1 out. Given how close the scores, nearly every pitch feeling agonizingly important, and a blown lead late for a loss would leave me sick to my stomach, as almost happened in Game 1.

 

For others here. Have these last three games during the time while watching them, not once over, been more fun or torture?

[NYChez]

Bill Simmons summed it up best. We enjoy “having watched” our favorite team play big games but not the exercise of watching them. It’s especially the case if your team hasn’t won a championship before. Whatever you felt as a Packer fan in 2014 (and I felt a similar way), it would have felt 10 times worse being a Viking fan. The Brewers are kind of like the Vikings, so we’re feeling that “10 times more stress” right now - like the Red Sox fans felt pre-2004 and Cubs fans felt pre-2016.

 

Enjoy the ride, but it’s ok to step away at times if your feeling is over the top. You can always watch the highlights.

[adambr2]

I envy those who can be elated in the great moments while still keeping perspective in the low moments and not letting it get you down. I can't do that.

 

If for example the Brewers get to the World Series and lose I will look back at some point and still be able to appreciate what a great season it was but it will still tear me up for awhile that we didn't win.

[sveumrules]

This the most fun. No matter the end result.

 

I'm calmer than Walter Sobchak.

[StearnsFTW]

This the most fun. No matter the end result.

 

I'm calmer than Walter Sobchak.

 

Yep. Me too.

 

I had several friends on social media mention that they couldn't take any more of this stress. I responded by saying give me 18 more one run games [after yesterday].

 

There is nothing more fun than having your team in the baseball playoffs. Hanging on every pitch for 300 pitches. Yeah, odds are the Brewers won't win it all, but holy hell is it fun finding out.

[Dave_Not_Here]

These games have been a thrill for me. Sure, I stress a bit about it, because I want my favorite team to win and play well in victory.

 

But for me, sports is entirely about entertainment, and there is absolutely nothing I can do to affect the outcome of the game. I have enough things going on in my life, personally and professionally that already need my focus, attention, and stress that I just can't go overboard on the outcome of these games. Sure, I will be happy when they win, and sad if they lose, but that's about it.

 

No matter what the outcome ends up being, I'm just going to enjoy the moments as they unfold. We get to see the best of the best teams and players on the world's biggest stages right now. And this time, our Brewers are amongst them. How great is that?

[tigerbrew]

The first playoff game was 5am and I was asleep during the game.

The second playoff game was 4am and I was asleep during the game.

The next playoff game is at 4:30am and I will be asleep.

I guess this playoffs is hardly nerve racking for me other than waking up to check the results.

[MillerParkSouth]

I'm half and half. The 2007/2008/2011 seasons took a lot out of me (as did the 2010 packers season). The highs were incredibly high, but man I would get worked up over the losses! I don't know if it's getting older, having kids, etc but I've calmed down a lot the last few years. That said, the old anxiety has creeped back in a major way over the last week haha. I figure it's good to be stressed again, that means we have a good team!

[jason21nl]

I sure wish I was different. I’ve tried. But I get so hyped up and nervous for these games my legs won’t stop bouncing. Last night during the bottom of the 9th I had to leave the house. I couldn’t watch. I’m happy for today’s off day to be able to relax.

 

With that being said, this has been an incredible ride. Of course watching Yelich has been a pleasure. This team has a legit shot at going to the WS and I’ll be watching....heart attack be damned

[pacopete4]

In my younger years I didn’t appreciate anything. Losing was the absolute worst thing even in great seasons. That’s changed for me over the years and I’m glad it has. I will be disappointed if this team doesn’t win the whole thing, there’s no getting around that, but I have enjoyed this team way to much. I won’t let it diminish how I view this group and how they have played the game. Team baseball at its finest. Everyone pulling in one direction and not a selfish one in the bunch. A rareness in pro sports these days.

[Eye Black]

I think part of what plays into anxiety level is expectations versus the reality of how it plays out. I think that was one of the things that made that Packers game in 2014 particularly painful.

 

For Game 163 on Monday I was nervous almost the entire game. It just seemed like the stakes were so high after all the wins the team had strung together just to force a Game 163 situation. Part of it was also being at Wrigley with the Division championship on the line at a point in time when it genuinely felt like the Brewers were the better team at the moment, and the thought of what a big difference a win versus a loss meant. In the 5th inning Rizzo had already hit a moonshot to tie the game at 1-1. Then a couple of batters later following a premature third strike call, I thought the ball off Heyward’s bat was initially a no doubt home run (it didn’t help that I was surrounded by Cubs fans cheering like crazy), the ball appeared to be absolutely smoked. When the ball fell into Yelich’s glove a couple of feet from the ivy, the feeling of disappointment turned to relief. After that point forward it felt like the Brewers were destined to win the game. After celebrating that win with the Brewers fans who made the trek and stuck around Wrigley afterwards, I have remained surprisingly calm at the playoff games even in the 9th inning of Game 1. I will certainly be disappointed if the team eventually loses a series (especially this one since they are up 2-0), but I think at this point the accomplishments of this team have already made it such an enjoyable season with great memories that I don’t think I’ll be overly devastated with however it ends from here.

[Pugger]

It's been fun and torturous. I actually prayed when we played game 163 in Wrigley. I sure didn't want to have to play a winner take all WC game. These past 2 games against the Rox have been a really tense affair. I got frustrated when we couldn't get runners in from 3rd with less than 2 outs. (This has been an issue all season and I hope we fix that big time if we move on to the NLCS and beyond. We can't do that against the Dodgers, Yankees or Red Sox. ) I feared sooner or later Colorado's offense was going to wake up. We really had to take the first 2 games so even if we lost both in Denver we would still come back to MP. My blood pressure returned to almost normal when Kratz got that hit and drove in the last 2 runs in the 8th. I figured even if the Rox's offense came alive it would be hard for them to get 4 or more in the 9th. I'm glad we all have a day off!!

[CheezWizHed]

Danzig, I had the same issue back in the 90s when Favre started with the Packers and brought us to the playoffs with a championship caliber team and lost three straight years to the Cowboys. I was crushed for days. And similar to you, I had to back off a lot and realize that it wasn't healthy. At the end of the day, its a game. We are fans. Our team is human.

 

Its been great and amazing to watch this run we are on and enjoy every anxiety packed minute. And I want to win a World Series very badly to get out of the "never-been" category. But even if we lose, remember that it we have had a great season even to this point. If it helps on perspective, go remember how bad 2002 was...

[MrTPlush]

For Game 163 on Monday I was nervous almost the entire game. It just seemed like the stakes were so high after all the wins the team had strung together just to force a Game 163 situation.

 

I was so nervous about that game because we were on the brink of such a massive win for this year and lets be honest...our franchises history. We could have so easily ended up like the Cubs. Lose the Game 163 and then bow out in the WC game. It would have been devastating after the winning streak to put us in the position to skip the WC game completely.

 

I don't know how this team will fare after they take care of business in the NLDS...but its such a fun team to watch after they seemed to figure it out in September.

[tigerbrew]

Kinda wish the game is today instead of tomorrow, the long wait for the next game is a torture.

[bucks2281]

Most of the last 10 games have been torture, but I keep reminding myself to savor the moment. Easier said than done.

[Cool Hand Lucroy]

The line about "having watched" feels right. These things becone more fun for me in retrospect, but my wife told me yesterday that it actually looks like I am enjoying these games. I have sure been trying.

 

We just don't get this very often, so I feel like we have to celebrate it as it's happening! At the very least, I was more stressed during 163 because of all the things others mentioned. Ueck's "and they are the champions" is something I will remember for a long time...

[True Blue Brew Crew]

Try to imagine the positive outcome of every scenario. The way some of the posts roll out in the in-game thread, it appears some are thinking of the next criticism or doom they can predict. Also try and figure out why CC is making the choices and decisions he's making. Hint, they're usually based in very sound reason. Almost every time someone has scratched their head and lamented a CC move (Santana 1st PH off the bench), someone else has explained the reasoning. If you start to understand what they're doing it definitely helps you to have more faith that it will work out.

 

When all else fails, force yourself to say, post, or think something positive. At minimum it will make you want to look smart. I know I take some fun pride in knowing that each of the times in the last 3 games (Cubs, Rockies 1,2) that I posted "THINK POSiTIVE THOUGHTS" in the IGT, the team almost immediately had their game winning moment.

 

I am not suggesting that positive thoughts have any affect on the outcome. It's actually quite clear via the IGT, social media, and watching the faces in the stands on TV that most Brewers fans are pessimistic as they come. What I am saying quite definitively is that assuming a positive outcome rather than a negative one makes the wins as enjoyable as they should be. Of course the losses and missed opportunities will still sting. But instead of stinging throughout the 4 hours the game is being played, they'll only sting at the end. The Brewers have won 10 games in a row and it's been a blast. Not enjoying a winning streak like that at make or break time is completely on you. Remember, these current Brewers are mostly new faces. They don't have that long track record of letting you down. So far, the only track record they have is exceeding your expectations.

[OldHeidelberg]

I do seem to enjoy the post game time after a big game win a lot more than watching the game itself. Like the OP said the 2014 NFCC was a turning point for my sports watching as well. I just didn't want to keep getting so wound up in the results that I couldn't control. But suffering through those lows are also what makes the highs so sweet.

[True Blue Brew Crew]

I'll also say this about criticizing a move before the outcome is known. When you do that, it really limits the amount you can enjoy it if the outcome is positive for the team. That positive outcome comes at the expense of you being wrong. Of course you're glad it worked out but no one likes looking foolish or being wrong. Predicting doom and gloom and then thankfully being wrong really does lessen the the level of joy and excitement of the positive result. Everyone has watched a sporting event with the guy hooting and hollering how bad the team is playing or jumping on the first sign of trouble to say "they're gonna lose!". He's the reserved quiet guy when the team pulls it out or escapes a big jam. He's not the guy leaping out of his chair high-fiving everyone in sight.

[True Blue Brew Crew]

One more item to add. Please everyone keep doing what you're doing, pessimists and optimists alike. It's working so don't change a thing.

[FVBrewerFan]

I'll also say this about criticizing a move before the outcome is known. When you do that, it really limits the amount you can enjoy it if the outcome is positive for the team. That positive outcome comes at the expense of you being wrong. Of course you're glad it worked out but no one likes looking foolish or being wrong. Predicting doom and gloom and then thankfully being wrong really does lessen the the level of joy and excitement of the positive result. Everyone has watched a sporting event with the guy hooting and hollering how bad the team is playing or jumping on the first sign of trouble to say "they're gonna lose!". He's the reserved quiet guy when the team pulls it out or escapes a big jam. He's not the guy leaping out of his chair high-fiving everyone in sight.

 

Great post. No doubt Ive been nervous until the last out of every game for the last couple weeks. But I dont get the constant "theyre going to blow this one" whenever a pitching change is made or a runner gets on base. Never a lineup posted without second guessing, and predictably that player ends up having a big game.

 

Its ok to be gut wrenchingly nervous and enjoy the game at the same time. I just cant be one to constantly look for the negative, and go so far as to invent a negative that doesnt exist. How can that be enjoyable?

[True Blue Brew Crew]

Its ok to be gut wrenchingly nervous and enjoy the game at the same time. I just cant be one to constantly look for the negative, and go so far as to invent a negative that doesnt exist. How can that be enjoyable?

 

Exactly. If a 10 game winning streak that snatches the division from your biggest rival and builds a 2-0 playoff series lead is torture, you're doing it wrong.

[Bob Skube Snacks]

Great topic. I’ve been on both sides of it.

 

In 2007-08? I was a basket case. It had been 26 years since the last playoff spot by 2008. That last game of the regular season against the Cubs was the most nervous I’ve ever been watching a Brewers game because it felt like the whole legitimacy of the franchise was on the line.

 

This wasn’t like near-misses in the late 70s, 80s or 1992 when it was much harder to get in the playoffs. The Brewers needed something tangible to mark progress with their then-young team. And, to shut down the (many) naysayers in and outside the fanbase who said it could never be done.

 

So when Ryan Braun hit the HR on the final day? I lost it. Twenty-six years of frustration over? Yes, but it was also a release of all of the angst built up. I still think that’s one of the most important moments in franchise history.

 

Since then, I’ve been sort of calmer, but also, more likely to be sad when it’s done. In 2011? It was a glorious year, but losing to the Cardinals stung and brought back ghosts of 1982. I was 11 in 1982 and at that age, you think you’ve got a bunch more World Series to come. At 40 in 2011? You realize you don’t.

 

The 2014 fade was disappointing. But 2017 was a pleasant surprise all around.

 

This season? All of the “stress” was positive. The Brewers had stupid odds against them of winning the division in September, but got the postseason more or less locked up mid-month. Had they fallen short of the division? No big deal, it wasn’t expected anyway.

 

So to pull off the greatest late-season surge in franchise history? And one of the best closing stretches in MLB history? I feel very little stress. Oh, maybe a little in the game at Wrigley, and in appropriate times during the first two Colorado games (when you should feel stress anyway), but riding with a team of destiny is FUN!

 

Hope there’s a lot more fun to come, but if the Brewers fall short? It will be sad in that moment, but I will have nothing but positive feelings about 2018. This has been the greatest year since ‘82 already in my mind.

[Bob Skube Snacks]

I will add this ... at no point in my 40 years of being a Brewers fan have I felt like they have their s$&* together like they do now.

 

Front office has a plan that’s working better than anyone envisioned, managing is on the cutting edge of how baseball is evolving, this team is at the beginning of run, not the end as in 1982 (didn’t realize it at the time) and 2011 (when we did), this team has few weaknesses to paper over, and it feels like the baseball god’s have touched us as they never have before.

 

Honestly? We’re not a franchise that has been blessed very often. I feel like we’re in that very rarefied air right now.

 

To add to that? I’m extremely proud to be from Milwaukee. I haven’t lived there since the mid 80s, but I wear my Milwaukee and Wisconsin heart on my sleeve. For better or worse, I express my pride through my sports teams. This is a particularly proud moment.

 

I’m reveling in this moment. I hope everyone does. Smell these roses. They don’t pop up very often.