The Losing Season

Everyone likes a winner.  However, I've never really followed a losing team before.  I've BEEN (and currently am) on a losing team, but never followed one.  It takes a combination of passion for the sport and passion for the team that allows you to include yourself as a fan.  I've never considered myself a Seahawks or Mariners fan mostly because  I simply don't follow the sports.  In soccer, I've been an Arsenal fan since the mid 90's so the biggest pain I've had is under achieving and coming in 4th (Oh the pain!).  The closest I would say I've been to being a fan of a losing team is following the US national team as we bomb out of the World Cup and most other international tournaments again and again and again.

The Timbers are officially a losing team. While we played a fantastic game against Columbus on Saturday, it ended in a 0-0 tie.  This makes it 6 games since we've won a game and we've lost 5 out of those 6.  I'm sure if my younger self could time travel, he'd punch me in the face for making this statement, but it can be kind of fun to be the losing team.  Yes, I understand that this sounds un-American, but let me explain.

I only scored four goals this game.  Maybe it's my fault...

A winning team is perfect.  The problem with perfection is that it is static.  Boring.  However, it can't stay that way, so you fight this constant battle against entropy that you will always lose.  Case in point is Pep Guardiola, coach of Barcelona.  He's been coach for 4 years and has constructed what is widely considered to be one of the best teams that soccer has ever produced.  Yet he is stepping down.  Why?  The pressure.  When Barcelona plays another team, anything less than a beautiful AND dominant victory IS a failure.  An actual loss is a catastrophe!  So now there can be no low expectation games.  If Arsenal beats West Brom by one goal, we're happy.  If Barcelona beats Malaga by one goal, we ask what went wrong.  Therein lies madness, or at least ulcers.

Although not getting to see the chainsaw is demoralizing.

A losing team can be changed at whim.  Fans can speculate on roster changes they would make, transfers they would go for, formations they think should be tried.  Of course too much chaos and change is bad since a team will never settle, but for the most part, the team is a sandbox.  You can be daring and unconventional with your theories and strategies and not worry too much since what is the worst that can happen?