And Now, The End Is Near

One more game. One more game separating us from six months of nothingness before the Nats embark on another losing championship season. Will you watch? Do you care?

I'm a bit like Charlie Brown with this team. Stan/Mike/Riggles tee the football up for me every spring. Every April, I come running. In May, I start my kick. In June I'm on my ass. In July, I'm off doing other things.

I can't really remember the last time I watched a game obsessively from start to finish. Oh, the game's usually on -- ask my grumbling wife about that! But I'm half paying attention. I hear the announcers in the background, but I'm not listening. (Usually... except when Ray Knight insists that a 4th starter is someone who gives you 175 innings of 3.75 ball, even though there are only 27 such pitchers TOTAL in the NL.)

I love the game. I (guess I) love the team. But just like how you love your Uncle or your Aunt... it's not like I need to spend every waking moment with them. I know I love 'em, but I don't have to keep telling myself I do every waking moment. I can just sorta ignore 'em a bit, casually follow along with what's going on, and then ramp up my caring when there's a reason to -- be it a family reunion or a Yu Darvish signing.

Before I was a Nats fan, I was a Yankees fan. I don't really feel much for them either. If anything, even more than before, I'm a fan of the sport at large. So while I'll probably watch a bit of the Nats today, saying goodbye to Aunt Trudy before she heads to Florida for the winter, I'll be obsessively watching the Padres. And hopefully watching playoff games Monday and Tuesday before the postseason begins.

Will I miss the Nats? I suppose. I just probably won't for this next month... and maybe not til the birds and the bees start flittin' and flyin' next year.