Red Sox fever

I am by no means a sports fan.

I say that with an appreciation and respect for those of you who are. I can understand an interest for something that borderlines obsession. My friends who enjoy sports can recite statistics, place first in their fantasy league, and play armchair quarterback with the best of them.

While I have my many interests, the minutiae of sports has never been one of them. I have to admit that at one time I resented sports and their ability to negatively impact my life. During football season, my friends were no where to be found on Sundays. Baseball interrupted the new television season.

However, that has slowly changed over the years. College opened the door for football, as it was inescapable. I then starting turning to Patriots games while I was in North Carolina for a glimpse of home. One of my friends was a huge sports fans as well as an avid video gamer so he introduced me to the narcotic effect of Madden on the PS2.

Well now I am back and things have definitely changed. I am routinely tuning in to see the Patriots break the consecutive wins record. But maybe the most exciting is seeing the Red Sox come back from a 3-0 deficit in the ALCS and force a game 7.

While not being a lifetime sports fan, but being a huge rooter for any underdog, I have been a lifetime fan of the Red Sox. I go into every season believing that the Red Sox will win their pennant and World Series every year.

However, I am not sure if I am cut out for this. First of all, with games averaging about 4 hours this post season (Actually seeing a game just shy of 6 last night), all my spare time has been used up. Projects have been put on the back burner as hours have been spent on the couch. Second, my heart can't take it. I am hanging on every pitch, and as the Sox move closer to the winning the division and advancing to the World Series, I become more steadfast in my belief that they will win. Past experience tells me I should steel myself for a loss, but I can't do it.

So, I give in. While I will never be able to talk stats with the diehards, I am starting to appreciate the excitement of the competition. ESPN will not be programmed as a "favorite channel", but I now can hold my own with office sports chatter. Besides if the Red Sox can win against the Yankees, a team that has every advantage going into this series, doesn't that mean that there is hope for all of us who have had to work hard to achieve what we want out of life? To me there is no better analogy of overcoming adversity today than the Red Sox/Yankees matchup that has been consuming my week.

Now that is what I call reality TV.