- Joined
- Nov 22, 2016
- Messages
- 2,002
- Name
- Phil
I've watched every Rams game for going on 50 years. Actually, there were some I only could listen to on the radio in LA, back before they televised the games if you can believe they ever did that. In any event, it was always obvious to me that aside from watching the Rams play, the only games I really enjoyed watching were Playoff games (before there were SNF/TNF, Monday Night Football was up there too). Every other game I could take or leave.
The only change from this (until recently), was that I learned to enjoy watching division rivals (9ers, Seahawks) lose their games to further our playoff hopes. I'd actually skip doing something else to watch a game like this. But this could turn out badly if the team you're wanting to lose actually wins the game.
But I recently discovered a new breed of game I'm calling CONFLICTED games. These are games where I want both teams to lose so badly, I can taste it. I thought I'd hate games like this, because there are always bad things going on. I was wrong. The recent 9ers vs Seahawks game was one of the best times I've had watching a non-Rams game. Every drive, something would happen to make me happy. For every good thing happening to one team, bad things were happening to the hated other team. Add the fact that I was conflicted over playoff implications of either, and I had no clue who I truly wanted to win this. I of course wanted both to impossibly lose.
Anyway, this weird dynamic was truly awesome. I even enjoyed the Ravens (after crushing us) vs 9ers, where I was hoping we'd see injuries in the endzone on one of either team's over-practiced end zone dances. Every play there was misery on the field for me to enjoy.
Tonight is one of those games. I dislike the Vikes from the 70's playoff losses when we were clearly the better team, so watching them lose will feel good to my soul and technically improve our playoff hopes. But my hatred of the Cold Miser and his misfits is newer and fresher. It would be great to watch them lose, even if it helps our playoff chances a little less. Either loss is going to help some, and this makes me happy. Either team losing makes me happy. Every play, a group of players will be suffering somehow, for me to enjoy.
Just throwing this out there so maybe some of you can learn to enjoy watching these types of games. Remember, some team you hate is getting beat!
The only change from this (until recently), was that I learned to enjoy watching division rivals (9ers, Seahawks) lose their games to further our playoff hopes. I'd actually skip doing something else to watch a game like this. But this could turn out badly if the team you're wanting to lose actually wins the game.
But I recently discovered a new breed of game I'm calling CONFLICTED games. These are games where I want both teams to lose so badly, I can taste it. I thought I'd hate games like this, because there are always bad things going on. I was wrong. The recent 9ers vs Seahawks game was one of the best times I've had watching a non-Rams game. Every drive, something would happen to make me happy. For every good thing happening to one team, bad things were happening to the hated other team. Add the fact that I was conflicted over playoff implications of either, and I had no clue who I truly wanted to win this. I of course wanted both to impossibly lose.
Anyway, this weird dynamic was truly awesome. I even enjoyed the Ravens (after crushing us) vs 9ers, where I was hoping we'd see injuries in the endzone on one of either team's over-practiced end zone dances. Every play there was misery on the field for me to enjoy.
Tonight is one of those games. I dislike the Vikes from the 70's playoff losses when we were clearly the better team, so watching them lose will feel good to my soul and technically improve our playoff hopes. But my hatred of the Cold Miser and his misfits is newer and fresher. It would be great to watch them lose, even if it helps our playoff chances a little less. Either loss is going to help some, and this makes me happy. Either team losing makes me happy. Every play, a group of players will be suffering somehow, for me to enjoy.
Just throwing this out there so maybe some of you can learn to enjoy watching these types of games. Remember, some team you hate is getting beat!
