For the love of Mavs

I have been an avid Dallas Mavericks fan ever since my junior year of high school, so for just about 8 years. It's been nothing if not a roller coaster most every season, but love for them has never wavered. This was something I wrote in 2007 after a hard game during the playoffs and my feelings stay the same. It's something I look back when I'm feeling down or frustrated about the season.

"So here I sit again, in the same purgatory state of mind as last year, thinking about something that I can only describe as mental and emotional torture. Do you think you might know what it is? Perhaps her boyfriend upset her or she had a fight with a friend...? Maybe her dog got hit by a truck or she fell off a building and broke her spine...? No, none of those things.

I'm thinking about The Dallas Mavericks.

It always surprises me just how invested I am in this team and how much I love these players, the coaches, and yes, even Mark Cuban. It literally hurts. I feel like someone has broken up with me, or something. I know the season isn't done yet. There is still hope. We can do it! But the reason it kills me so much is because, I know in order to get there, we are going to have to go through SO MUCH stress and anguish on our way, and I just might die watching one of the games. Why do I put myself in that position? I have no idea. But I love every tear/sweat/blood-stained minute of it, and I am not throwing in the towel yet. It's makes me sick to see fans already making comments like the season is over.

Today, as I was walking to my first class, I started thinking about a fun concept. If you ask anyone what faith is, they will tell you it is believing without seeing. Yet when you ask a sports-fan why they have faith in their team, they will say that it is because the team has proven themselves in some way, by winning this or that or whatever. It's just strange to me. I think the better fan is the fan who can say, 'Hey, my team kicks ass; they are the best team in the league. I know this in my heart. I believe that they can win the title...' without saying '...because YO MAN we so LEIK won one 7 years ago! Wha-wha!' However, that isn't how it works in the playoffs. And unless you prove yourself, no one will ever believe in you. But then, I guess that is just the sheer nature of the game. And that is what makes it that much greater when you do prove yourself.

I will never give up on the Mavericks no matter how many times they send me into a frenzy, no matter how many times I cry after they lose a game I know in my heart they could have won, no matter how many ulcers form in my stomach from watching each series go down to the last 3.6 seconds of game 7, no matter how many times they almost make it to the finals. Because I believe in my heart that they will go all the way. Someday. If not today. This is unconditional love. How did I get here? I have no idea. But I would never trade the stress-induced panic I enter into while cheering this team on for anything else.

Go Mavs! I love you. I believe, and we can do it. Together!"