My 8 Year Old Is Crushed

[BRH]

My almost-seven-year-old daughter was born a week after No Goal. Upon learning this morning that the Sabres lost, looked sad and then she said, "Well...there's always next year." Then she came over and gave me a hug.

 

I love that little girl.

 

My son is three and too young to get it... but it won't be long.

 

Nothing like having kids to remind you what's REALLY important. A lot of the Sabres have young kids of their own and I'm sure they're thinking the same thing this morning.

[hopeleslyobvious]

I am incredibly proud of how this Sabres team battled back from adversity all season long and for the most part laughed in the face of it.

 

I was so impressed with how they overcame odds that I wasn't even that bummed out about them losing, even though this team came closer (with the possible exception of the '80 team) to being the best team in the league AND deserving it more than any other Sabres team. (The '99 team got closer, but Dallas was a better team (we're still waiting to see how that ends, but Dallas was the better team), the '98 team deserved a better fate but was not better than Detroit, the '01 team had they gotten by the Pens might have won it all, but they were further away, and the '75 team was the 5th team not to win any games in Filly, so it's hard to say they deserved it more.) It's hard to be ticked about a loss when you realize that your entire defense consisted of guys that 90% of the fans considered average AHL'ers (the 3 AHLers plus Rory and Campbell definitely, and a lot of people weren't impressed with Toni before the season either, so I'll throw him in, just because).

 

But I let my kids stay up tonight to watch the end of the game and sent them to bed when the game "ended". I was actually feeling pretty good about the way the Sabres played and my kids getting into it, especially my oldest, until my wife pointed out to me that when my 8 yr old went to bed he was crying about the game.

 

This now is 2 days in a row that I am almost in tears posting, last night because of finding out about BiB (those of you who also go to the Bills board know what I am talking about) and tonight because I realize that my warped love of this team has been carried forth to another generation and it nearly killed me to see my boy in tears and my wife in tears because my boy was in tears.

 

I have a funny feeling that I am going to be posting well into the night commisserating with people as I cancelled my client meetings tomorrow and am totally torn between feeling pride at how the boys played and feeling like my guts were ripped out because that is how my boy feels.

 

 

Sorry for the late post here. Last night after the game, I hung around here for a little while, then decided I needed to get away from hockey for a few hours. That is a tough one. I think the best thing to say is that while the losses hurt, and they always will, they just make it feel that much better when they finally win the cup. That's the best I've got!

[mphs mike]

Dave: Thanks for sharing - you have given your son something special - the ability to really care which brings with it some pain and heartache. This lesson learned in the sports arena is a very important one for life.

 

I'm not privileged enough to have my own kids but one of my best friends has a 10 year old daughter and 8 year old son. Neither my buddy nor his wife are big sports fans but growing up here in Memphis you have to at least pay attention to Memphis Tiger basketball. A year ago my buddy's wife couldn't understand her son crying when Darius Washington missed 2 of 3 free throws after time expired to lose an NCAA bid. This year the two kids got basketball season tickets with us and it is tremendous to watch them paint their faces, scream, and generally really care.

 

You and your 8 year old have many happy (and more sad) moments together because "he cares". Congrats!

[Corp000085]

I do not have kids yet. One joy that i know i'll have when i do have a child is passing my love for the bills and sabres to them. Win or lose, i'll have a new generation of people who think just the way i do. My first "buffalo memory" has to be the 88 afc championship game. i was 10 years old and i was so upset. I remember watching the bills with my dad and they were soooo bad, but then they were good and lost. Dave, and everyone else, consider it a blessing that your child feels the pain that you feel here. It's the sign that you raised him right in this large aspect of life.

 

I do not have kids yet. One joy that i know i'll have when i do have a child is passing my love for the bills and sabres to them. Win or lose, i'll have a new generation of people who think just the way i do. My first "buffalo memory" has to be the 88 afc championship game. i was 10 years old and i was so upset. I remember watching the bills with my dad and they were soooo bad, but then they were good and lost. Dave, and everyone else, consider it a blessing that your child feels the pain that you feel here. It's the sign that you raised him right in this large aspect of life.