As fans of any team, we should all completely understand that life goes FAR beyond sports.  It takes a fairly specific mindset to be passionate about sports while maintaining perspective on where to draw the line.

Here is my rendition of “the rules”, in 4 simple steps:

1.  It’s just a game.  No, really.  It is.

2.  Fans of other teams are just like us and we should always be able to get along with them, even within the biggest rivalries in sports.

3.  Our sense of pride should be limited to feeling good for others accomplishments, camaraderie, and for home team pride.

4.  (And most important) We’re not actually playing the game!  We are spectators and have zero affect on the outcome of the game individually, but can together create excitement, noise and positive energy that can drive the team to excel.

With that out of the way…

Most who know me in any capacity at all know I’m a Boston fan:  Red Sox, Patriots and Celtics.  I grew up near Boston and went to games as a kid.  I’m a Boston fan through and through and it will never change.   I do, however, respect the Orlando Magic and like to see them succeed.  Orlando has been my home long enough now for them to grow on me.

If I hear another Magic fan say “coming back from 3-0 has never been done in basketball”, it might be the 15th time I’ve heard it today.

Magic Fans:  Look up the 2004 Boston Red Sox.  Stop being such fatalists.  It’s a GAME and your team can win.  Sports are supposed to be partially about believing in the seemingly impossible, as this is proven wise because records are broken nearly every single day in sports.

Let’s rewind the clock to October, 2004:  The Boston Red Sox had just been crushed by the New York Yankees 3 games in a row and were down 3-0 in the American League Championship Series (the baseball equivalent to the Eastern Conference Championship in basketball, 4 wins to reach the finals)

Red Sox Nation, the fans, players and coaches had far and away a different attitude than I see in Orlando.  Boston’s attitude was “keep the faith”.  There was a huge billboard with Manny Ramirez, re-skinned at the last minute, pointing to traffic and headlined: “Keep the faith!”.  Even the tortured fans of the Boston Red Sox, who had gone 86 years without a World Series win, we’re all laughing, joking, enjoying the moment, and showing the team their support and appreciation.  They believed.

It’s not like this is or should be perceived as a far-fetched attitude to have.  Think about it: How many times does a team (any playoff contending team) win 4 in a row during the season?  It happens.  Not to mention, every game starts 0-0, and every game you play means you are still alive.  Quitting while you are still playing is not only insane, but pathetic!

That same October I spoke of in 2004, Boston came back and took the ALCS from New York in 7 games.  Where was game 7?  Yankee Stadium.  The lions den.  It had never been done before and it was the most thrilling moment in my life as a sports fan, made sweeter by the fact that I believed all the way!  If they had lost, I’d have slept tight knowing that I did not fail to execute my pitches, nor did I swing the bat.  I didn’t even play, so why not believe?  What is the risk in believing?  As a sports fan, you risk mild disappointment in exchange for a tremendous sense of pride (the good kind) in victory. 

Never before had a team been down 3-0 and make a comeback to win (sound familiar, Orlando?), but that all that history went out the window when the Boston Red Sox: Players, coaches and fans included, believed it was possible.  That’s why they call it history, after all.  The impossible 3-0 was history…

Boston went on to win the World Series that year, then again in 2007.  My Grandfather, then in his 80’s (now late), finally got to see them win.  Twice.  Through it all, even when they were on their backs against the team that humiliated them in the playoffs for ages, they never had that defeated look I saw in the eyes of magic players and fans today.

Believe in your team.  Believe until the end.  Don’t do ridiculous things like congratulate the other team before the series is over, or skip a game you have tickets for “because you couldn’t bear the thought of seeing your team lose”.  Hey, idiot.  It’s not about you.  You signed up to be a fan.  You really think losing affects you as much as the players?  They are the ones grueling through the season, practicing, executing, and trying to win.  If you can’t cheer for your team until the very end, in my opinion, you are not a true fan.

If 2004 is too long ago for you, lets look back 1 week ago:  The Boston Bruins were up 3-0 against the Flyers.  It was “in the bag” and it was assumed that Boston has trumped Philly and was Stanley Cup bound.  Where are the Bruins now?  At home watching the Flyers play, even though losing 4 in a row to Philly was “impossible” and “unthinkable”.  Boston found a way to lose it after going up 3-0, because Philly had that belief, grit and resolve.  They pushed back and kept pushing like their year depended on it, because it did.

Did I lose a bit of sleep over it?  Not a wink.

You know who hasn’t quit yet?  Stan Van Gundy.  Did you hear him talk on ESPN tonight?  Orlando Magic (players and fans) could all learn something from the 2004 Red Sox and from Stan Van Gundy:  It’s only possible if you believe.  You have to resist the tendency to self-preserve and quit.  The team needs their fans, and bad morale spreads like wildfire.

I’ll close by stating “Defeat is a direct result of defeat.” (Hey, I just thought of that!)  Never quit on your team.  Players shouldn’t quit, coaches shouldn’t quit and fans shouldn’t quit…until the season is over.  And it’s not over until the last second of the last quarter, or the last inning, or the last period.

Once that “over” comes, the next season begins.  Always a fan.  Always believing.

Being a fan means having enough sense to know it’s not about you.  You, after all, aren’t the one with the talent and the contract.

J