Losing is Hard

Losing is Hard …

I try not to let a football game affect my life too much. There was a time I did. When I was younger, a win could make my entire weekend. A loss could devastate me for weeks. I thought it was getting better but maybe it isn't.

I've been a Sooners fan for my entire life. My. Entire. Life. So when the 8-2 University of Oklahoma comes up short against Texas Tech (5-6) and Baylor (7-3), I am more than just a little upset.

After the most recent loss, I was cussing and discussing everything from the head coach to the defensive coordinator to the quarterback to the morally integrity of the university president, David Boren. During these sessions, I checked Twitter to see what other people were saying. It sort of baffled me that players don't understand why fans get so upset after a loss.

Here's why, at least for me:

I didn't choose the University of Oklahoma three or four years ago as a place to continue my education and play a little football. I had the University of Oklahoma thrust on me at birth like some kind of spiritual mantle. I didn't have a choice to be a fan. I was a fan, plain and simple. It was my birthright. It was something that was expected. I have sacrificed for my team ever since, making sure I watched the games in spite of what was going on around me. I sacrificed money and time to go watch the games live and make sure the Sooners knew I was supporting them. That's what I do.

You, dear player, on the other hand, only started liking the University of Oklahoma when they began recruiting you and offered you the best shot at getting what you want (Looks from the NFL, immediate playing time, a great education, etc.). I know there are exceptions. Sam Bradford, like me, had been a Sooner fan for life and pretty much wasn't going anywhere else. He bled Crimson and Cream.

But for those players who might get miffed when a life-long fan sounds off after a loss, boo-freaking-hoo. I love my team. And when, after your OU career, you are gone back home, we will still love our team.

Now, don't get me wrong, I will support you to the day I die. I want you to win every week. I believe you can win every week. But when you lose, I take it personal and so should you.

I will say this, though; if anybody ever says what I said about you guys after the Baylor loss, I will stomp their pinky toe. I can talk about you boys, but nobody else better.

Let's go win the Big 12.