It's Only A Game

Tonight, I intended to catch up on the song challenge and maybe write another post about something or another but I am too depressed. The Washington Capitals season was ended tonight in a pathetic way. They were swept in the series against the Tampa Bay Lightning. They might as well not have shown up with the way they played.

I should start off by saying how ridiculous it is that I allow myself to get so wrapped up in a sports game. I realize that it is pointless to get emotionally invested in something that is, one, trivial in the scheme of things and, two, something that I have no control over. That being said, I do get emotionally invested. I watch the games. I learn about the players. I learn all I can about the game. I root for the team. I get excited when they win and I get down when they lose. And when they lose miserably in a game that ends their season, I get really down.

You might think that I would learn from my experiences as a fan of the Redskins. In recent years, I've come to expect that the Redskins will not do well. They haven't been very good in a long time and it would be a surprise if they ever had a season that ended in a playoff run. But when it comes to the Capitals, they are expected to do better. They are also expected to make the playoffs and make it far in the post season. In recent years, at the start of every season, there is real hope that they could make it the Stanley Cup Finals and maybe even win it all. So when they fall flat in the second round of the playoffs, without a single win, it is stunning and painful. This series against Tampa Bay was a huge disappointment. The team was barely recognizable. In each game, I kept hoping that they would wake up, show some intensity, and turn it around, but they seemed defeated from game one. I only saw a few glimpses of the team I know and love.

I don't know what's going to happen this off season. I have an idea or two, but I won't speculate. Right now, I feel like giving up on sports all together but I know that when the season starts, I will be right back, rooting for the team with high expectations. Hopefully, I will be able to write a very different post in a year.