Football: The Sport That Breaks My Heart

First, I need to remind you of something.

I love football. It’s my favorite sport to watch. And if you corner me about it, yes, I used to wish I was a boy so I could play football. I would have been good. [But I’m glad I’m a girl. God knew what He was doing.]

[It’s weird to tell the internet that you wished you could have played football. I hope we’re still friends.]

And here are the teams that I love:

I love Georgia football. Even before I was a student at the University of Georgia, I was cheering for their football team. When it actually became MY TEAM as a student, the loyalty was sealed for life.

I love Falcons football. I am a huge huge fan of the Atlanta Falcons and have been for my whole life. Now, I’m not one to sit down and watch any NFL game that comes on the TV, like I would college football, but I will always watch or keep up with Falcons scores. It’s a family thing, as evidenced by me and my sisters attending the game with our Dad yesterday. [Which, even with the loss, was an incredibly fun day.]

seesters

For the majority of you who don’t know what the last six weeks has been like for the crowd that has this love of both of these teams, let me sum it up for you:

Heartbreaking.

On December 1, 2012, UGA played against Alabama at the Georgia Dome in the SEC Championship game. The winner of this game was guaranteed to go to the National Championship game. In the last play of the game, Georgia missed a pass into the end zone, allowing Alabama to win.

It hurt so deep.

On January 20, 2013 [ahem, Sunday afternoon], the Atlanta Falcons played against the San Francisco 49ers at the Georgia Dome in the NFC Championship game. The winner of this game was guaranteed to go to the Super Bowl. In the last play of the game, Atlanta missed a pass into the end zone, allowing the 49ers to win.

I. Mean.

Does that hurt your guts at all?

killer seats, huh?

Sure, there were other factors in both games that, had they been handled better by the hometown team, the outcome would have been different.

But in November? In November, we all really had our sights set on two Georgia teams playing in THE GAME.

Unfortunately, both teams lost the game before THE GAME.

Pardon me for taking sports too seriously, but this is when I’d like to insert an old wise saying from the sage Ricky Bobby- if you ain’t first, you’re last.

I looked over at my sister as the game was coming to an end on Sunday and I said, “Remind me that I do not need to cry about this.” Because, as evidenced by my stories and this post in general, I take my football too seriously.

I hate losing. I really really hate losing. I especially hate losing when you are on the cusp of being a WINNER.

And when both teams have waited YEARS – the Dawgs were national champions in 1980 and the Falcons have never won the Super Bowl- and it looks like THIS IS THE YEAR FOR THEM BOTH, and then they lose the game before THE GAME, well, it could make a healthy person just wanna puke.

Because now? The season starts over. We begin again- everybody on a level playing field. And we have to build new winning seasons and hope that everything aligns for another chance at THE GAME. Sure, by the time the fall rolls around, I’ll be feeling so excited for another season. But today? It just plain hurts.

And I’d just like to say- if Georgia had made it to the National Championship game, we’d have beaten Notre Dame that day too. The Falcons? They could have won the Super Bowl.

Oh sigh.

I write to release the pain. Can you tell?

And just for your information, here are other things I take too seriously:

  • being on time
  • flirty text messages from single men
  • avoiding bell peppers

Happy Tuesday.

. . . . .

Do you love your team like this? Or am I a lunatic? Or both?

Let's be friends!

Stay up to date with our weekly newsletter. It’s all things fun with Annie.
No spam we promise