Nervous and excited in Los Angeles

The life of a sports fan is rather strange, really, especially those fans who invest significant amounts of time and money supporting their team. We spend hours following Internet rumors of the next big signing, tracking down little-known players logging time in smaller, Eastern European countries. We spend hours debating team selections, coaching concepts, tactics, scouting reports, expansion draft lists, oftentimes without full knowledge of team chemistry or practice results. We get nervous - some might say ridiculously so - leading up to games where we're slightly more than an accessory to the game. Sure, home support can be a tremendous asset to a team, but in the end the game's result hinges on the performance of the players (and officials...). While the game is the players' job, and their performances has a direct effect on their livelihood, it could be argued that the fan, the supporter, gets more nervous for a game than the players he is supporting.

Following the Crew across the country to MLS Cup, I experienced this nervousness and excitement to a level I had never experienced before. I am relatively fortunate, as a sports fan, in that my teams have won three World Series titles (though 1975 and 1976 are a little difficult to remember...), appeared in two Super Bowls, and have won a national championship in college football. Ignoring MLS Cup, I have watched my teams contend for the "ultimate" title six times, though with only two wins to show. However, in each of these six tries, I was never as nervous before them as I was before MLS Cup. While I support the Reds, Bengals, and Buckeyes, I support the Crew to a much greater level and have a much greater emotional (and financial) investment. This investment, being so close to the team and feeling more connected to the team, was the oxygen to my nervousness fire. I noticed this nervousness while in Los Angeles, but upon looking back I realized little things showed exactly how nervous and excited I was.

The day before MLS Cup I attended the Hollywood United FC charity game at the Home Depot Center and, completely through my friendship with Sirk - little known gateway to the stars - I attended the postgame party in the stadium club. I needed to call my Crew Stadium neighbor Nate, who with his wife Steph, was in Los Angeles, too, to coordinate the next day's activities. While talking to Nate I watched as the Home Depot Center staff readied the field for the final. The grass was being attended, the matrix sign boards were being tested, and the lights were on. Looking across toward the northeast corner, from where I'd hopefully watch a Crew victory, increased the excitement. Standing in a fairly quiet stadium, surveying the surroundings, was strangely enough almost too much. I couldn't believe that in less than a day my team, yes MY TEAM, would fight for themselves and for its supporters, fight for its title. Thankfully, Nate shared similar feelings so at least I knew I wasn't the only oddball.

The clincher, though, the moment I realized that the nervousness and excitement was greater than expected was when Sirk and I went to In-N-Out after the postgame party on Saturday night. Whether it be a serious discussion of the game's events or me dicking on somebody or something, Sirk and I always easily slip into conversation. In-N-Out, though, was a completely different story. The conversation was a series of starts and stops with most stops leading to some variation of, "I can't believe that the Crew are playing in MLS Cup tomorrow." We tried to discuss the game, how we thought it would play out, what we thought the Crew needed to do to win the title. But really, in the end, the only thing we could say was, "I can't believe that the Crew are playing in MLS Cup tomorrow." It was like two kids talking on Christmas Eve, trying to discuss the newest Star Wars toy, but really just filling dead air as they think about the next day.

Is it ridiculous to get so nervous, so excited about something over which you have no control? Probably so, but I wouldn't change it for anything. And, the Crew's victory in MLS Cup made it all worthwhile. Honestly, I'm not sure if the Crew's win would have felt the same, felt as satisfying. Strange, huh?