Looking to American (U.S.) Sports as Ways to Relate to Everything Else

    As there are many tough and awful and trying things going on in our world, sports can be an outlet for many of us. We are coming up on Super Bowl weekend, which a lot of people derive a bit of pleasure from. Not just in the United States, but throughout the world.

    We have the Kansas City Chiefs, going for an unprecedented third title in a row. They won before that, so Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes are going for their fourth together overall. Not bad. Some are saying that they now compare favorably to the New England Patriots, who over many years won seven rings with the same coach and quarterback. I do not wish to name them. This post is about the losers, the franchises that have never won. They give some of us hope, or solace, or consolation. Most of them do well in life, but they just never win it all. They cannot reach the ultimate peak. Like the majority of the rest of us, they cannot win the most sought after goals. Riches. Fame. Easy retirement. The perfect travel or visit schedule.

    All the things that we can never have. We do not give up, but we sort of give in. And that is... okay? Right?

    So, who are these lovable losers and never-beens, the never wins? I will list them in the order that I choose. In order of how much they must be forlorn and frustrated. I have been using the word forlorn a bit lately. Maybe this is telling me and others something.

    The Detroit Lions were one of the best teams all this season. Many people who I asked about who they predicted or who they wanted, even if not fans of Detroit, said it would be good to see them finally get one, after all of our lifetimes of futility. Decades. They must be the longest lived losers of them all in the NFL. Sorry, guys. The Commanders had a great rookie, and a great game.

    Then, the poor Buffalo Bills. They have been great, but not lucky enough, and snake-bitten. They had OJ, and how did that turn out? Not a great look. At least he moved away. The four appearances in a row, hard to beat. Or easy to beat if you win just once, like the Colts and Manning. Or, did Unitas get a couple back in the day? The Super Bowl does not go back too far. There were NFL championships before then. I thought surely the Vikings had won bowl or two. But no...

    The Minnesota Vikings? Yes, they have had some great teams over the years. To no avail. Sorry. I feel for you. I have some teams that lose a lot, too. The Indiana Hoosiers football team has never won it all... But they are not the Vikings. Or the Wikings, as my German coworker would pronounce.

    Eight more? Okay.

    Next, I go with the Cleveland Browns. Even though their old franchise moved to Baltimore and have won a few, the city of Cleveland is pretty sadly lost. Bernie Kosar? Good, but not good enough. And that was a long time ago, right Millennials and Gen Zers? They are down and out. QBs cannot be picked well, I apologize.

    Then, the Arizona Cardinals or the LA Chargers? Both have moved cities, and both involved Los Angeles. I would say that is bad luck. Coincidental juju? Not likely. Even the Rams have suffered too much in that city, but they got redemption in St. Louis, currently without a team. Saint Louis, that is. That is a shame.

    The Cards and the Chargers. Nope and nope. Never.

    Oh, the Cincinnati Falcons! I mean the Bengals. The Bengal Tiger helmets have suffered longer, I would think. They have come close a couple of times, too. And I remember some Falcons (Atlanta) colored pencils when I was a kid in the 1970s, too. So sorry, especially that huge lead they had against the Patriots. See above. (Brady and Belichick.) Is that how you spell it?

    Finish off withe more recent teams. Hard luck all around. The Houston Texans, who were the... I forget. Are they forgettable? I guess so. Best of luck, Houston, who had the Oilers who became the Titans of Tennessee. They won one? I guess so, not in my list of eleven all the time losers.

    Jacksonville Jaguars and Carolina Panthers. Losers, both. They both have had runs, but no, no, no.

    We all lose. Some of us lose more than others.

    Get used to it, life. I mean, we have to be used to competing, and coming up short. A lot of the time for many of us. Or we must be used to failing, learning, and coming back for more.

    That is what I see in all these never-been-champs.

    The Bills, the Lions, the Vikings, the Bengals I (knew a true fan who loved them, and then ended up firing him from our job with me as part of the replacement), the Cardinals, the Falcons, the Chargers, the Panthers, the Texans, the Jaguars. Did I leave one out? 1, buffalo, 2, detroit, 3, minnesota, 4 cincinnati, 5, arizona, 6, L.A., 7, carolina, 8, houston, 9 jacksonville, ... Oh: 10, cleveland, and 11, ... tennessee.

    Yup, we love and appreciate all of them.

    Keep trying. Keep it up. Never quit.