The Sports Year From Hell, Ch. 1: Football
You know that old saying, “when it rains, it pours”? To say that has been true in the calendar year of my sports fandom would be a massive understatement. Starting with December 2015, my parade hasn't been rained on, but rather flooded on, buried, washed up, and then poured on again for good measure.
Sure, it hasn't been without its highlights. After all, how many college fans can say their team played in the conference championship in both Football and Basketball? Yet shockingly, that's exactly what UNC did this year. How many clubs pursued the hire of a brilliant, exciting manager named Jürgen Klopp? Yet he came to smaller, laughed-off Liverpool. How many football fans get to say their favorite team salvaged their season thanks to a Hail Mary on the last play? Yet that's exactly what happened for my Packers, when St. Aaron crushed the Lions' souls in Ford Field. But in the end, all that really matters is who comes out on top, and that is what has made this year virtually unbearable. Not since the Portland Timbers took the MLS Cup last fall has the team I was cheering for won the title game (or series).
Thus, I will be attempting to fully chronicle for you readers the extent of my sports-inflicted emotional wounds over the last year. Because this is such an arduous task, I have decided to split this up into a series, by sport. Here is the first chapter of a tale that will make you laugh and weep, the tale of Daniel's football fandom. Ranked in order of pain index, from smallest to greatest:
3. (Feb. 7, 2016): Super Bowl 50
The Teams: NFC # 1 Carolina Panthers vs. AFC #1 Denver Broncos
The Background: Though I'm not as wild about the NFL as I am College Football, it is my favorite of the professional sports. The 2015-16 season was in particular a fun one for me, largely because of the normal success of my favorite team (the Packers) and the abnormal success of my 2nd-favorite team (the Panthers). Even though said favorite team had already suffered a heartbreaking exit from the playoffs, I greatly looked forward to this Super Bowl. Yes, mostly because of the halftime show. But also because it featured the NFL's two best teams, a classic Offense vs. Defense showdown, and a great storyline: the Panthers trying to win their first Super Bowl vs. Peyton Manning trying to win one last one before riding off into the sunset with a box of Papa John's in his hand. I certainly didn't mind Peyton or the Broncs, but I was all about Panther Nation (Carolina Pride!) this time.
The Result: As they always say, defense wins championships. Von Miller and the Broncos D devastated the Fighting Cam Newtons. However, the Panthers D has also played well enough to keep them in the game, and, with less than 5 minutes remaining, their offense got the ball back trailing by just 6 points. They had such a good offense that, even in a game in which they had been thoroughly contained, they were capable of coming out of nowhere to snatch victory. I think you can predict where this is headed.
GIF Credit: CBS Sports
Yes, the NFL MVP promptly fumbled for the 3rd time in the game, leading to a title-clinching Broncos touchdown. They ended up winning 24-10, Peyton rode off into the sunset, and Carolina was still without a Super Bowl Trophy.
Pain Index Rating: 3/10 Fumbles
I'll be honest, this was the least painful of all of the championships I will discuss in this series. I was bummed through-and-through for the Panthers, who had such a remarkable season. I was bummed the game was largely unentertaining, albeit close. But I do also like the Broncos, who were deserving of the win, and was perfectly content to see Peyton win in his final NFL game ever.
2. (Jan. 11, 2016): College Football National Championship
The Teams: #1 Clemson vs. # 2 Alabama
The Background: Unlike the previous year, the 2016 National Championship featured the clear-cut Top 2 teams in the country. #2 Alabama vs. #1 Clemson. While it pained me to see Clemson there instead of my Tar Heels, I held nothing against what I considered the obvious best team in the nation. They had likable players, a humble coach, a scintillating quarterback, and an old-school defense. Bama, on the other hand, is the modern-day dynasty of College Football. Nick Satan-- sorry, Saban --has turned them into the perennial "team to beat," and while I, several years back, enjoyed watching their resurgence, their constant domination as well as the media worship of the SEC has quickly soured me to the point where they are one of my least favorite teams. So, though my high-school self would have hated me for saying this, Go Tigers!!
The Result: It was a terrific game, the epitome of a back-and-forth fight. But Clemson had looked the slightly better side throughout, and finally appeared to be putting the finishing touches on in the 4th quarter. But, completely against the tide of momentum, Alabama drove the field and got a tying touchdown. Then, they did this:
Video Credit: YouTube user sportzfan88
Yep. What are the odds, right? To be fair, it was a mind-blowing call by Saban and co., and was executed to perfection. Alabama took control of the momentum and didn't look back, winning 45-40, and earning their 4th title in 7 years.
Pain Index Rating: 6.5/10 Onside Kicks
As hard as it was to watch the Tide win again, and in such a close game, the pain was lessened by two things. One, I don't exactly LOVE Clemson. If it were UNC, or even Oregon or TCU or something, this would have hurt more deeply. Second, as a college football fan, it was everything you could have asked for out of a Championship game. But still...Alabama? Barf.
1. (Dec. 5, 2015): ACC Football Championship Game
The Background: My Tar Heels, whose annual title of "College Football's Sleeping Giant" had never really come to fruition, finally broke through in 2015, following a disappointing season-opening loss with 11 consecutive victories. This was our first-ever ACC Championship appearance; even more significantly, with a Top 10 ranking and a potential victory against the #1 team in the nation, there was a chance that we could in fact make the College Football Playoff. Sure, it was a bit of a long shot, but considering we had a regular season so magical it was beyond our wildest pipe dreams, the opportunity was a thrilling one. It would be a huge uphill battle against the only undefeated team, #1 Clemson, but we had hope!
The Result: After an exciting, sloppy, back-and-forth game, Clemson seemed to have finally put it out of reach when, out of nowhere, UNC was within striking distance. A late TD put us within 8 points, and with about a minute left, we recovered the onside kick!!! Our dynamic offense had a golden opportunity to drive the field and send this game into OT!!! It was unbelievable! Only problem: the refs threw a flag. Claiming we were "Offsides," the ball was by default given to Clemson. Only problem with that? This:
Image Credit: SB Nation
THESE DAMN ONSIDE KICKS RUINING EVERYTHING FOR ME. NOBODY WAS OFFSIDES. Not even close. The commentators even laughed in disbelief. The ACC never apologized for this atrocity, fyi. Final score: Clemson 45, UNC 37.
Pain Index Rating: 8.5/10 Erroneous Flags
For one, did I expect to beat Clemson before the game, in my heart of hearts? No. But I dared to dream of glory. Would we have gone down after this kick, scored a TD and 2-pt. conversion, and then won in OT? Chances are, no. But with all the weapons on offense we had, it wasn't out of the question, and this horrendous officiating mistake cost us the opportunity to even attempt a miraculous comeback. All of this, and the fact that it involved my favorite team leaves a painfully bad taste in my mouth.
So now, we are a week out from the start of the College Football season, which kicked off this year of agony. I'm anxious to see if brighter times are ahead, or if the vicious cycle continues. North Carolina begins with a YUGE game against Georgia (in the Georgia Dome) and, because I'm a masochist I guess, I got prepared by watching the highlights of UNC's last trip to the Georgia Dome in which we lost to LSU on the goal line. Yay!
Check back tomorrow for the next chapter of my epic sports struggle!