Thread: Leave past accomplishments in the past: focus on now

For years now I have had to sit back and listen to every sports fan I know shove tradition down my throat. Especially when it comes to the Green Bay Packers.

I really cannot handle sports-related discussions regarding teams who won the championship three years ago or have come back from a 3-1 series deficit last year. Well, that was last year; welcome to the present. Now sit down and shut up.

One of the worst examples of this is the Boston Red Sox. In this years playoffs the Sox were down three games to one in their American League Championship Series to the Tampa Bay Rays. I listen to a lot of sports talk radio, and all I hear is, "Oh, they came back from a 3-0 deficit in 2004 to the Yankees," or even last year when they came back from a 3-1 hole to win against the Indians.

Here is the issue: It is not the same team. The only people remaining on that team from the 2004 Sox are David Ortiz, Tim Wakefield and Jason Varitek. So it always makes me laugh a little when someone brings that up. Not to mention that the Rays were incredible this season.

And as far as last year goes, look at the roster now. Where are Julio Lugo, Mike Lowell or Manny Ramirez? They are non-existent, not even on the roster.

One tale I hear many times in this great state (Utah) is the national title of the BYU Cougars, which happened over two decades ago. How about this one: The time the Utah Jazz almost took it all, oh, ouch, sorry Jazz fans. Your time has come and gone. The Cougars will never sniff a title again because TCU took care of that. We as Minnesota sports fans know about losing really well. Timber wolves are on a record to have one of the worst years in franchise history and the Wild are looking to fall apart at the seems. The Vikings have a shot at the playoffs, but if we don't win the Super Bowl it will be a giant disappointment. The Twins (Minnesota's only active pro sports team to actually win a championship.) will come back stronger and hopefully make a push for the World Series... well we do have our gophers basketball and hockey teams .

My least favorite is the college game. My roommate is a diehard Michigan Wolverines fan, and this is a real problem because they have not been relevant in a while. Yes, they may have won a national championship in 1997, but since then it has all been downhill.

The big problem is that because players come and go at the college level there is no such thing as tradition. Every four years there is a new crop of players. So this means that one year you have a winning season, and the next year they are not showing your games anymore and you are sitting close to the bottom of the Big 10.

Please do not even bother to mention the Fighting Irish being a powerhouse in any discussion that I'm involved with. There is no reason to continue bringing them up outside of talking about just how pathetic their tradition is. You may have had Rudy a while ago and everyone turns into Irish citizens and eats a bowl of Lucky Charms whenever you are on TV, but really, call us when you matter, and we will pretend to care again.

Tradition is great and all; I mean, just ask any Yankees fan and they will be sure to tell you about the 26 World Series titles. But ask them how many of them are in this decade. Yes, the years of Mantle and Ruth are long gone and replaced with Pavano and Molina. Now if they turn into the next living legends and all-time greats I will eat my words with a side of Yogi Berra.

The successes of yesteryear mean nothing this year despite what you diehard fans might think. You must know this going into the current year because in the immortal words of Boston Celtics former coach Rick Pitino, when asked about the struggles of the Celtics during his coaching career: "Larry Bird is not walking through that door, fans. Kevin McHale is not walking through that door, and Robert Parish is not walking through that door. And if you expect them to walk through that door, they're going to be gray and old."

To the Packer brethren, the sad news is: Brett Favre isn't coming back and if he did so what, his shoulder is done. Vince Lombardi isn't going to raise from the dead to coach your team and Ray Nitschke isn't going to come back and help your defense, all you have is tradition, so sit down and shut up.

So if your argument is that your team has a history of winning, that is all well and good. However, you might want to check the standings this year because (gasp) you might be in last place.

Obviously, traditions unimportant to you. You obviously are young and need to revise your article before you are put to the review wolves...

"Nephilim" wrote:

Obviously, traditions unimportant to you. You obviously are young and need to revise your article before you are put to the review wolves...

Come get me... I stand by it Tradition means shit, when it comes to this year or season. Sure tradition is important, that is why you love the team, but don't give me the "We are better because we won this or that 10 years ago" That was then this is now.

Hey I know what you are saying...But I am an Fighting Irish fan...and "I live in the now of suckiness" LOL ;D

Just answer the question.
Why is tradition, tradition?

From the perspective of a single, old Vikings fan from day one, tradition means, I hate the Cowboys because the Vikings commonly played them for the right to go to the superbowl.

Tradition means the Vikings were once perrenial contenders. Good enough to go all the way if they got the right breaks.That's only a faint memory now.

Tradition tells me the Vikings have only been that good two years since the Bud Grant era.
Once Darin Nelson dropped the ball. And once the best offense in history went conservative in the second half and let a team that couldn't hold their jocks come back and beat them.
That's Denny speak for those who don't know what I'm talking about!

I'm old enough to love tradition. But there is one tradition I long to see broken.
And that is the tradition of the Vikings not being quite good enough to get the job done.

That tradition is about to end. It may not be this year, although it could be.
But it is coming next year and beyond.

Seriously look out for the Vikings in the future.

They are going to start a whole new tradition, called dominance. We own the NFCN after this season.

No matter what happens this year, this team is going to rock for the next several years.

So to hell with Vikings tradition. It's a losing tradition.

Time to change it for all time.

And that time is now.

Fuck the past! That's why the Cubs are winning the World Series in '09

"jargomcfargo" wrote:

Just answer the question.
Why is tradition, tradition?

From the perspective of a single, old Vikings fan from day one, tradition means, I hate the Cowboys because the Vikings commonly played them for the right to go to the superbowl.

Tradition means the Vikings were once perrenial contenders. Good enough to go all the way if they got the right breaks.That's only a faint memory now.

Tradition tells me the Vikings have only been that good two years since the Bud Grant era.
Once Darin Nelson dropped the ball. And once the best offense in history went conservative in the second half and let a team that couldn't hold their jocks come back and beat them.
That's Denny speak for those who don't know what I'm talking about!

I'm old enough to love tradition. But there is one tradition I long to see broken.
And that is the tradition of the Vikings not being quite good enough to get the job done.

That tradition is about to end. It may not be this year, although it could be.
But it is coming next year and beyond.

Seriously look out for the Vikings in the future.

They are going to start a whole new tradition, called dominance. We own the NFCN after this season.

No matter what happens this year, this team is going to rock for the next several years.

So to hell with Vikings tradition. It's a losing tradition.

Time to change it for all time.

And that time is now.

Damn, that was GOOD.

"jargomcfargo" wrote:

Just answer the question.
Why is tradition, tradition?

From the perspective of a single, old Vikings fan from day one, tradition means, I hate the Cowboys because the Vikings commonly played them for the right to go to the superbowl.

Tradition means the Vikings were once perrenial contenders. Good enough to go all the way if they got the right breaks.That's only a faint memory now.

Tradition tells me the Vikings have only been that good two years since the Bud Grant era.
Once Darin Nelson dropped the ball. And once the best offense in history went conservative in the second half and let a team that couldn't hold their jocks come back and beat them.
That's Denny speak for those who don't know what I'm talking about!

I'm old enough to love tradition. But there is one tradition I long to see broken.
And that is the tradition of the Vikings not being quite good enough to get the job done.

That tradition is about to end. It may not be this year, although it could be.
But it is coming next year and beyond.

Seriously look out for the Vikings in the future.

They are going to start a whole new tradition, called dominance. We own the NFCN after this season.

No matter what happens this year, this team is going to rock for the next several years.

So to hell with Vikings tradition. It's a losing tradition.

Time to change it for all time.

And that time is now.

Right On Brother, I will march to that beat..... Nice Post Jargomcfargo.

"jargomcfargo" wrote:

Just answer the question.
Why is tradition, tradition?

From the perspective of a single, old Vikings fan from day one, tradition means, I hate the Cowboys because the Vikings commonly played them for the right to go to the superbowl.

Tradition means the Vikings were once perrenial contenders. Good enough to go all the way if they got the right breaks.That's only a faint memory now.

Tradition tells me the Vikings have only been that good two years since the Bud Grant era.
Once Darin Nelson dropped the ball. And once the best offense in history went conservative in the second half and let a team that couldn't hold their jocks come back and beat them.
That's Denny speak for those who don't know what I'm talking about!

I'm old enough to love tradition. But there is one tradition I long to see broken.
And that is the tradition of the Vikings not being quite good enough to get the job done.

That tradition is about to end. It may not be this year, although it could be.
But it is coming next year and beyond.

Seriously look out for the Vikings in the future.

They are going to start a whole new tradition, called dominance. We own the NFCN after this season.

No matter what happens this year, this team is going to rock for the next several years.

So to hell with Vikings tradition. It's a losing tradition.

Time to change it for all time.

And that time is now.

For a doctor, you are a wise wise man.
;D

Thanks all. Good to do a little cheerleading now and then.