"Ben Nunn" <bennunn@depro.co.uk> wrote in message
news:b7ggaa$knb4$1@ID-55895.news.dfncis.de...
> You want to know why I started supporting a football team? At the unlikely
> age of about 17?
>
> Because it was a step towards the brain operation. An attempt to 'be
> normal'. As a child I had little or no interest in the game whatsoever.
>
> I thought maybe I can get some simple pleasure like other people seem to do.
>
> And it's not love. I hate football with a passion, and wish I'd never got
> involved.

Genius.  This is just fantastic.  I'm not sure we all _constantly_ regret getting involved
with football as you do, Ben, but I think it does articulate the way we all feel about
football a lot of the time.  I'm sure we've all asked ourselves would our lives be better
if we had found a different way to spend our time after a particularly painful defeat or
run of defeats and I've no doubt we've all thought that it just isn't worth the hassle and
seemingly endless pain that non-football fans couldn't possibly understand.

But then, a couple of games later, your team will score a last-minute winner to beat
your most hated rivals or they'll suddenly hit form again and you'll remember why
being a football fan is so brilliant.  Unless you're Ben, of course, in which case,
there _are_ no moments of redemption.  Actually, no, even you, Ben, must have
had moments when you've thought "this makes it all worthwhile".  Well, I hope so
anyway.  Everyone deserves those moments.

Supporting a team provides the most amazing range of emotions imaginable.  It's
why I feel both pity and envy for people who don't have such an attachment to a
club.  Pity that they never get to experience such extreme emotions.  And, of course,
envy.  Envy that they never get to experience such extreme emotions.  
Liverpool won at the weekend so right now, I'm delighted I fell in love with them
all those years ago.  But ask me again at 5 o'clock on Saturday and I may very
well be feeling quite differently on the matter.


--
Mike

http://www.overanalyse.com