It's a rare day when my favorite teams in two different sports play on the same day. Cubs, Saints, LSU, USA. Not necessarily in that order. But since the Cubs just ended a weekend series in DC, and the US Women beat Ireland 5-0 this afternoon, it got me to thinking about why I cheer for the teams I do.
The Cubs are in my DNA. They're in my bones and my skin and my hair and all those things. I didn't choose them any more than I chose my fingernails or kneecaps. If I didn't love the Cubs, I wouldn't be me. The fact that they never win is irrelevant.
I did choose LSU and the Saints. It may have been an easy choice based on the fact that they're from Louisiana, but it was still a choice.
"USA" is a rather specific category. My favorite national team is the US Women's soccer team. I started following them umpteen years ago when I read about this 14 year old girl playing at the international level. It was American soccer, and we were actually good. So a championship team in the sport that I played was really appealing. They became my brain and my heart. They play with passion and desire and love for each other. Out of all the teams I call mine, they're the most fun to cheer for.
They say that in "The Tempest", Caliban represents the unconscious mind. The inner anger and uncontrolled passion of men. This is what LSU and the Saints are. The wildest emotions and rages are present, especially at the college level. Getting to scream at the TV when things go well or badly is a great stress reliever. It's also a good way to be pissed off for an entire week if your team loses.
No comments:
Post a Comment