The pain of being a fan

If you've known me for a while, you'll know that Denny Hamlin is my current favorite NASCAR driver.  And you'd know that he's won every year that he's been a full time driver. 

That streak is in jeopardy with one week remaining in the season.

And it's hard as a fan to accept.

Everyone who supports a team, or in this case, driver, wants their team to win.  They know that their team can't win every game, but you hope that they can put enough together to win a championship.

Then there are years that even the best can't seem to find their groove.

In 1978, NASCAR's most successful driver, Richard Petty, failed to win a race for the first time since 1959.  In that span, Petty won 185 races.  Petty would end up with 200 to end his career, the last coming in 1984. 

Similarly to Hamlin, drivers Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Larson, also very talented drivers, have not won in 2018.  With only one race to go, at least two are guaranteed to not win a race, and it is quite possible that none of the three will go to victory lane this season.  If you had told me in January that none of those three drivers would win a race, I would've laughed at you.  Quite hard.

As a Washington Capitals fan, I suffered through many lows before they captured their first Stanley Cup Championship this year.  I've been a Baltimore Orioles fan my entire life.  I watched my Baltimore Ravens go from Super Bowl Champions to rebuilding, back to Champions 11 years later.

So why is this season so difficult to accept?

Hamlin will be 38 years old this week.  The average age of a NASCAR driver has been dropping.  Drivers used to run until their late 40's or early 50's.  Now with drivers like Jeff Gordon, and Dale Jr retiring in their early 40s, and others such as Matt Kenseth, Jamie McMurray, Kasey Kahne, and Greg Biffle losing rides over the last few seasons, drivers are starting to lose rides sooner than later.

I guess it feels different because with NASCAR you get attached to a driver, not a team.  If Tom Brady retires, people don't stop being Patriots fans (well, maybe a few), or if Bryce Harper leaves Washington (which seems like a possible scenario) people will remain Washington Nationals fans.

It's just difficult when your team (or driver) is having a rough year, and there's nothing you can do about it except hope that the next season is better.

Finally, after 32 years, I can use the words "STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS!!"

It's been 10 days since the Washington Capitals won the Stanley Cup.  It was a long wait.  There were many seasons of heart break, anger, and bitter disappointment.  Many times the Caps were underacheiving and found new ways to lose games they should've won.  It was all worth it when Alex Ovechkin held the Stanley Cup in his hands.  The first player to ever do so in a Capitals uniform.

I had always dreamed about that day.  I made a plan 20 years ago when the Capitals made their first appearance in the Finals.  I would get completely shit-faced, skip work the next day, and be the first one on Constitution Ave in Washington for the parade.

Surprisingly I didn't get shit-faced.  Instead I ran out to the nearest Modell's sporting goods and purchased Stanley Cup champion merchandise.  It was a long time coming.  Shirts and hats were purchased, a few other items, and all are treasured.

Last Tuesday the Capitals had their parade down Constitution Ave in Washington.  I kept my daughter home from school.  My wife and I took the day off from work.  We got down to the city around 7:30 AM and found a spot under a tree for the parade.  A lot of people were already on the National Mall.  The parade didn't begin until around 11.  It took a while for players to get to us, but the finally started appearing.

Click on the pictures to see the full version:

















After waiting for what seemed like forever, it came:




32 years of being a fan wrapped into that one moment.  One I will never forget.

A lot of my friends ask what we do now that we've won it.  My answer:  Go win it again.

Let's Go Caps!!!