I get the temptation to disengage, it's an easy way out and, in the short run, may be a healthy way to deal with this kind of loss. I know I was quick to yell at my kids today, for instance, and they shouldn't bear the brunt of our corner's inability to defend jump balls.
But the flipside is this: If you quit now, you don't get to join in when things go our way. I know nobody wants to hear about the Red Sox' history yet again, but I can tell you that I lived and died with the Sox year after year, and went through moments that left me numb for weeks. I wondered whether I should push my son to be a Sox fan, b/c I didn't want him to have to go through it.
And then, all of a sudden, everything changed over 4 games in 2004. Again, I know everybody despises the Sox stories so I won't get into it. All I know is that it was the absolute pinnacle of my life as a sports fan, nothing will ever come close. And the reason it was so great was b/c of everything that had happened before.
So when we get there Jersey Mike, I'm sure you'll be watching and you'll be excited. But you won't experience it like the rest of us, like a fan - because you've checked out. Enjoy the next few days, I'm sure you'll feel better than we do in the short term. Just don't come back when we pull off the next "big one," whenever it comes. The joy of that win is reserved for real fans.
You'll regret not being one of us, I'm telling you.
