Football has always been a big part of my life since high school. Watching the sport helps me to shift my focus from stressful facets of my life like work and school to the game. As a patriots fan, following the team has brought me the joy and competitive emotions that were lacking in my life since I was never really an outstanding athlete in any sport. This piece summarizes the big game that was played last Sunday.
Adrenaline enters my body once my eyelids flash open on this brisk Sunday morning in the middle of winter. The cause of this from the impending showdown bound to occur later on in the night. Warm water enters my mouth and is hurled out to welcome the soft bristles. Contact is made with an aching tooth in the back right corner of my mouth. An optimistic thought sudden surfaced:
Getting hit is pain
How you hit back is how you
Ultimately win
Breakfast is a traditional Chinese rice cake, but the usual sweet flavor is just not present during this worrisome morning. As a person who was never exceptional at a certain sport, being part of the audience provided me with the roller coaster of emotions one would feel as an elite athlete. A fan should be ecstatic if their team is competing in the ultimate game of its season, but that was not the case. Butterflies fly around in my stomach, and my legs have a mind of their own, trembling uncontrollably. Time becomes distorted as minutes seem like hours and hours seem like days. Nothing keeps me occupied, from video games to homework, they all fail.
The extensive day is finally about to reach its main event. I shut my eyes once more and point up to the white ceiling, hoping that God will receive my prayers for my team before yelling at the top of my lungs, “Let’s Go!” The first hour is a miserable disaster and I am sitting frozen still, stunned by what I am witnessing.
Is there any hope?
The scoreboard says otherwise
Little did I know
Dinner is eaten in silence as the dazzling performance is given during halftime. The food being served is tasteless as I stared at our dinner table still struck with shock. Haters on social media are already basking in their celebration and posting mocking messages for the team I love so much. Thirty minutes after halftime, the situation becomes direr, more hopeless, but that television will still be running until the clock reaches zero. The desired outcome is slipping further and further away, and millions of outlandish scenarios are flashing in my head that will produce the result my team and I desire.
So much of my time has been invested into this team, this season, making me feel a heavy mix of negative emotions as the time was winding down, but the last flicker of hope urges me to believe in Tom. Points are suddenly appearing under our team logo: six, three, and eight in what seems to be a flash of time. Miracles seem to appearing out of thin air: backbreaking tackles, gravity defying catches, and most importantly the team regaining belief and playing above their usual capabilities. I regain my lost energy and start clapping, screaming, and using every ounce of energy to cheer for my squad.
The numbers on the scoreboard now match equally and we are six feet away from becoming world champions. The final play summarizes the game:
When all hope seems lost
Force it back with pure effort
Champions once more
Balance is restored as we are on top once again.