Fun or torture?

[obobo55new]

For me it is mostly joy. I have come to accept that things some fans think are easy (hitting a sac fly) can be incredibly hard in reality. Sure it frustrates but I know these guys are doing their best and when they come through, I am simply happy for them.

 

Baseball is so much different than that silly other sport. You know that a game can turn in seconds if a pitcher can't throw good pitches. You also should know that one game generally isn't a killer. I don't sweat a 12-0 loss or a blown late inning game as much because unless it is a trend (closer repeatedly failing), any single result can be overcome by normal consistent high level play.

[JimH5]

I think its torture.

 

I get worked up a lot over these games, and even the wins just register as a feeling of relief, not elation.

 

Brewers postseason success is such a foreign place to be, I'm still trying to get comfortable with it.

[dlk9s]

For masochists, it's both.

[Underachiever]

Last night was such a blast. At the game with my son, nice people around me who understood the game, lots of high-fiving. I have been able to be calm. Pack's loss to Seattle was my turning point. Just said that I couldn't let a game affect me that way. It's easy now to be positive. I have a friend who is unpleasant to watch a game with because of his "glass half-empty" point of view. It's just as easy to envision something good happening as it is to predict the worst. Requires effort.

 

For some reason, last night I said to my son, "I better get my phone out, because Kratz is about to get a hit." He hit the two-run single on that pitch, and I have a cool 15-second video of it.

 

Flying to Denver for work this week. I moved my flight to tomorrow morning, so I can go to Game 3. Can't wait.

[owbc]

I'll be honest, the slow pace of the games is preventing me from being fully invested. Watching Chacin yesterday was torture--and not just because he was pitching poorly. A 4-0 game with 283 pitches and only 2 mid-inning pitching changes took 3:45!!! There's no way I would actually sit on the couch and watch it for that long--I put it on my computer and do work at the same time until something of note happens or the later innings when the game gets more interesting.

 

I can't imagine these games are going to win over any non-baseball fans who happen to be tuning in.

[pacopete4]

 

I can't imagine these games are going to win over any non-baseball fans who happen to be tuning in.

 

Have rules to bring in fans, in any sport, done good for the game? Football is about as wrecked as it can be. I hope baseball stays pretty much the same. Don’t really care if someone doesn’t enjoy the games, I do. Selfish, sure. But last nights game was a ton of fun.

[josh]

For what they’re worth, two things I’m trying to do:

 

1. Remind myself of the bigger picture. Sports is entertainment. Might as well be fictional, IMO. I rooted for Frodo to get the ring back to Mordor just like I’ll root for Hader to strike out Rizzo. It’ll affect my life about as much. Either way, the big things in my life are friends and family, health and wealth.

 

2. Keep my focus on my team and on the actual games. Not on the other team’s fans, especially. Trash talking is an endless downward spiral of negativity for everybody involved. If my team does well, “hooray!” should by my sentiment. Not “ha ha your guys choked”. If my team doesn’t do well: “dang, maybe next year”, and time to go do something else I enjoy. Don’t read the comments.

 

Both easier said than done.

[obobo55new]

One more comment.

 

Part of this is necessary in baseball since it is the marathon and not the sprint, but the focus in all sports getting completely locked in only at playoff time rubs me the wrong way.

 

No one cares about any college FB teams unless they could make the top 4. If you lose 2 games now, you might as well have not played at all. College hoops is worse, as many "fans" will crucify a coach of a team that won the conference but lost a single game in the 1st weekend if the dance.

 

I like to celebrate the entire journey. I look at postseason play as an extra chance to see a team that I enjoyed all year just getting an opportunity to do something extraordinary.

 

I suppose it is because no team I have ever been a fan of has ever accomplished being titled as a nat'l champ. I don't really expect it to happen, it would simply be a cherry on top of the whipped cream on top of the chocolate sundae that I already loved for 6 months.

[AZBrewCrew]

This the most fun. No matter the end result.

 

I'm calmer than Walter Sobchak.

 

Mark it zero

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[82brewcrew82]

I am not getting overly amped about these wins right now because I feel they should win this series and are capable of much more. Game 163 had me amped up more than either of the two playoff games to this point. I am somewhat shocked by all the folks that used to take losses so hard it would affect their mood severely or for extended periods. When one sporting season ends I turn my attention to the next sporting season. Im pretty passionate about the Brewers, Packers and UNC Basketaball and one season just flows into the other. My oldest is forging himself a future in basketball and we always have something going on with that if I need any sort of reality check. I am definitely more emotionally attached to baseball and the Brewers than anything else. Of course the Brewers are also the one team that I follow at that level that hasn't won a championship. If they do win it, I'll cry like a baby and I have no qualms about that. If they don't, it will cut deeper this year than most but that won't last long.

[brooks_quichenick]

I've been a nervous wreck pretty much. Went to game 1 and the missed offensive opportunities and then the blown lead in the 9th brought back the 2014 NFCCG sense of dread right back to me. Game 2 I watched a stream at home and was pretty much the same way, anytime they left a RISP with less than 2 outs on the bases I was starting to lose it. But, for the last few innings I just decided to tune into Uecker and that was actually kind of calming. Enjoyed it from then onward. I know it won't be fully possible for me to calm my nerves and not live and die on every pitch, especially if they continue to advance in the postseason, but I do try to think about how rare this is for us as Brewers fans and how much I should try to appreciate the moment.

[Cool Hand Lucroy]

For what they’re worth, two things I’m trying to do:

 

1. Remind myself of the bigger picture. Sports is entertainment. Might as well be fictional, IMO. I rooted for Frodo to get the ring back to Mordor just like I’ll root for Hader to strike out Rizzo. It’ll affect my life about as much. Either way, the big things in my life are friends and family, health and wealth.

 

2. Keep my focus on my team and on the actual games. Not on the other team’s fans, especially. Trash talking is an endless downward spiral of negativity for everybody involved. If my team does well, “hooray!” should by my sentiment. Not “ha ha your guys choked”. If my team doesn’t do well: “dang, maybe next year”, and time to go do something else I enjoy. Don’t read the comments.

 

Both easier said than done.

 

Number 2 is so well said. Great post.

[AKCheesehead]

A few stick out as devastating losses that caused a sleepless night and a week of angry stewing. Badgers vs Ohio state 1993, blocked fg resulting in tie. Badgers vs Michigan 2001, the Brett Bell punt fumble when they had momentum and were headed for overtime. As for Packers, yeah I was livid after the 2014 game. But for me the worst was in 04 vs the eagles. Everyone calls it 4th and 26 but it was awful management by Sherman that cost them. Eagles never should have had that chance. And like in 14 I believe in every fiber of my being that we were championship bound. I’m actually getting really pissed off right now typing this and remembering those 4 games. Hopefully the Brewers give me a happy memory to last a lifetime this year.

[danzig6767]

I'll be honest, the slow pace of the games is preventing me from being fully invested. Watching Chacin yesterday was torture--and not just because he was pitching poorly. A 4-0 game with 283 pitches and only 2 mid-inning pitching changes took 3:45!!! There's no way I would actually sit on the couch and watch it for that long--I put it on my computer and do work at the same time until something of note happens or the later innings when the game gets more interesting.

I feel the same. That is why i DVR every single Brewers game and watch another show in my recordings for about an hour.

 

Then i get to fast forward between every inning change, every pitching change, and pretty much anything else wasting time unrelated to actually playing. By around the 8th-9th inning, i'll usually catch up with the live feed.

 

I can't imagine anymore sitting through all of those commercials. On the rare occasion that i watch something live, all of the dead time is so annoying.

[pacopete4]

DVR’s have changed us forever. We have become so impatient.

[coolhandluke121]

Fun! If it's not, you might need be a break. It worked for me. It wasn't an intentional break but I like sports so much more now. It's not my livelihood, my legacy, or my next contract; it's theirs. I just started to feel silly for living vicariously through my favorite teams. It's entertainment only, like a movie. Enjoy it in the moment, but get on with your life as soon as it's over - unless discussing it and analyzing it is part of the appeal, which is sort of like a book club. That's totally fine because it's socially stimulating, but it's not healthy to constantly wish for things you have absolutely no control over to be different. Appreciate the artistry of the athletes and the architects of the game, and tip your hat to the other team once in a while.

 

It helps to have lots of good friends who don't care about sports at all. I'd just feel stupid acting emotional around them. I've learned to crave a compelling challenge or story, win or lose, more than I crave winning. I just want a good game. I do get into the emotions of the moment because that's part of the fun, and you should always be competing because that's what makes it compelling, but you have to be a good sport to be happy.

[danzig6767]

DVR’s have changed us forever. We have become so impatient.

Not wanting to watch an endless stream of boring commercials makes people impatient?

 

Even with my DVR, i've still seen enough Gruber one call that's all commercials to unfortunately last multiple lifetimes. It's like he's stalking me. Always there, regardless of what i'm watching.

 

DVR's also allow people to watch shows when they want to or have time to, not when forced to.

 

A higher tech VCR. An essential item in my home.

[markedman5]

It's both fun and torture watching important games knowing the season might soon be over.

 

In the end I I'm happy we are one of 8 teams still standing......knowing full well we will likely be one of 7 that will lose its last game.

 

It's been a great season......attending the last 2 games was amazing fun.

 

Hopefully we can win one more and give the Dodgers a tough series in the NLCS.

[Tbadder]

I simply can’t take watching playoff sports. I haven’t seen any or listened to any since 1978. My team always loses and so I stopped punishing myself. I changed my whole approach. All my thoughts and emotions go into the regular season, most of all just enjoying the story and the ebb and flow. This season was my all time favorite season for my beloved Brewers and no amount of post season games are gonna take away its pleasure. That was 163 wonderful games. They proved they’re the best team in the National League and these tournament games are just a slap in the face for all the hard work they put in. Different strokes for different folks I guess.

[nodakfan17]

Fun.

 

It’s not my expectation for the Brewers to win the World Series. Therefore, the fact that it’s still possible this late in the season makes it fun. The same outlook makes it gut wrenching for me to watch the Packers. You know they are capable of winning the Super Bowl, yet they are about to go 0 for 8 on attempts since XLV.

[hawing]

On Thursday and Friday I had a lot of fun. Our postseason seats are great, my stress level was pretty low since they were "only" the first and second games...and while Josh's comments above about not making it about the other team are totally on point, having a non-divisional opponent in the NLDS is OH SO MUCH nicer than it would have been to endure a CHC fan invasion. Maybe the CHC-MIL fan ratio wouldn't have been as whacked out for the playoffs as during the regular season, but I am very grateful that we are not finding out this month.

 

The games that weighed most heavily on me down the stretch were the STL and CHC games, including game 163. Those games always bug me more because of the opponent/opponent's fans. So it was more the competition than anything else.

 

If I'm not at the ballpark, I usually listen instead of watch because it's easier for me to multitask and staying busy keeps me less nervous. During Monday's game 163 I cleared out/straightened up a junk drawer. Pretty soon I'll be putting away laundry.

 

(I also managed to snag a foul ball Thursday night, in about the least rigorous way possible. It was Braun's foul in the 8th and sailed up the stairs between sections 215-216 just as I was returning from the restroom. It rolled around by the press box side door and came to a stop under the press box usher's stool at the top of those stairs. So I only had to kneel and pick it up.)

[True Blue Brew Crew]

Is everybody having fun yet!?!?!

[bm1090]

Fun. I don't let losses affect me much anymore. During the game when my teams are losing I'm very frustrated but when the game ends, time to move on to real life. If we win, I enjoy the hell out of it. I'm constantly on this site and reading recaps and articles to relive it

[Patrick425]

I will say it's fun and relaxing sitting back and watching other playoff games knowing my team has already secured it's spot in the next round!

[bucks2281]

4 days off to recuperate for the LCS — sounds like fun to me!