Coming Up Short

Durant's final heave.

As a sports fan you come to the realization that you will almost always come up empty. And I came to that sudden realization again after the Thunder's game 5 loss to the Dallas Mavericks.  Game 4 was absolutely heartbreaking, and I was holding out hope that a game 5 win would bring the Thunder back home to OKC for game 6 and then anything goes in a game 7.  I knew that was a long shot, but I was still hoping for it.

The game 5 loss felt like a blur to me, and like I was completely in the dark. Ok, bad joke, I know. The power went out as I was watching the game, with about 8 minutes left in the fourth, and didn't come back on til after the game was over. I just now watched the highlights, and realized that some fortunate balls bounced the Maverick's way, especially that back breaking three pointer as regulation came to a close. Absolutely ridiculously clutch player Dirk is. I can hardly believe that. The Thunder looked absolutely inept in the final minutes of games, and lacked the ability to close.

However, had you told  me the Thunder would be in the Western Conference Finals and lose to a team that was 10-1 in their last 11 playoff games, at the beginning of this season, I would have told you "I will take it!"  OKC had a great run, I love them, and the quickly catapulted into my second favorite sports team to watch, after the Colts of course.

The loss in the WCF however, got me to thinking.  I have been apart of a lot of great team runs this season.  All of my teams have had decent success. Starting on January 1 and going through May, all my teams have come up just short.

All my teams have done relatively well this season. Not as well as this guy I met the other week who went to Auburn and was born in Green Bay (talk about a great football season). I've followed some pretty successful teams, they simply have not been able to pull it out when it mattered.

Allow me to explain

1. January 1, 2011
Wisconsin Badgers 19 TCU Horned Frogs 21
The year started out with a bang. The Badgers had a great season. I got all excited as they won the Big Ten conference, by a tie breaker, but nonetheless.  They beat OSU, the #1 team in the nation, at Camp Randall, in primetime during the regular season.  It was a fantastic game. Then the Rose Bowl came.  The Badgers played well. But they lost, at the end, to a seemingly more efficient TCU team. They came up just short.

2. January 8, 2011
Indianapolis Colts 16 New York Jets 17
The Badger's loss was a little less hurtful knowing the Colts were playing their best football of the season.  I was hoping that they could pull out a win, and they had the opportunity to win, with a lead in the final minute, but they lost, with a Nick Folk field goal in the last second.  It was the end of an absolutely gut wrenching season, and the misery was finally over. They came up just short.

3. March 24, 2011
Wisconsin Badgers 54 Butler Bulldogs 61
Weeks after I claimed Butler to be my #2 team, my number one and two teams squared off in a "David vs. Goliath" showdown. The Badgers were getting shelled in the second half, up until Jordan Taylor took over and pulled the Badgers to within 4 or 6 points in the final minutes. The comeback would have been ridiculous, all this considering the Badgers had a great season, dethroning number one Ohio State at home during the regular season (wait, that sounds familiar).  However the tournament was a different story. They came up just short.

4. April 4, 2011
Butler Bulldogs 41 UConn Huskies 53
After Butler took down my Badgers, I cheered for them the rest of the way. Even into their incredible second year in a row national championship appearance. They however shot an astounding 18% from the field. Playing good defense still holding Kemba and UConn to 34% shooting, they still did not pull out the win. Defense was not enough. They came up empty, and just short.

5. May, 25, 2011
Oklahoma City Thunder 96 Dallas Mavericks 100
The Thunder broke my heart in game 4. And Game 5 was their opportunity to silence all the doubters, but instead the Mavericks crowd catapulted the Mavs to an incredible 10th win in 11 tries (the only loss coming to the Thunder in game 2). The Thunder had so many things going for them, until the final couple minutes, when baskets apparently are at a premium, and holding the Mavs down seems impossible. The Thunder had an incredible run against Denver and Memphis, and I thought they could go on to win it all. However fate did not have that in the cards. They came up just short.

I know that the Brewers are down right now. But I'm expecting them to come back and take the division by storm, hopefully not coming up just short.  The sad nature of sports is that no matter what, you will end up disappointed, expect for that one magical season when your team actually wins it all. Cough, 2006.

The Colts have the opportunity to win it all in Indy, that would be the first ever home Super Bowl.  I'm just  hoping my luck of teams Coming Up Short ends before next post season.

What about you? How has your sports year gone?

Tweet