Eric Greenberg
Growing up in the suburbs right outside New York City, I have always been a passionate New York sports fan. I constantly get that exhilarating feeling from every New York Giants, Yankees and Knicks game.
As a young kid, I was lucky enough to witness two New York Giants Super Bowls and one New York Yankees World Series.
Now I am stuck wondering why I constantly watch my teams lose.
It is no secret the Knicks franchise is one of the worst in sports. John Dolan, the owner of the Knicks, is the one of the worst team owners in the NBA. This past summer, Dolan once again struck out on a big free-agent class that included the likes of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Kawhi Leonard. Dolan made Manhattan a destination where no free agents wanted to go. Instead, they would rather go to the new team in New York, the Brooklyn Nets, which acquired both Irving and Durant this past summer.
With the 2019-2020 NBA season officially underway, I know I am going to watch the majority of the Knicks’ games. But, the real question is, why?
As for The New York Giants, this past Sunday I sat in a very wet Metlife Stadium. The rain was pouring down and whilst fans were hoping for a victory. And, they lost.
It marked the sixth game I attended at the Metlife Stadium over the previous three seasons to watch my Giants lose. I thought something was going to be different this time. It was my first time watching Daniel Jones, after replacing Eli Manning this season.
However, nothing changed.
I watched the New York Yankees fall to the Houston Astros once again in the American League Championship Series this past weekend. It marked the first decade this century in which the New York Yankees did not appear in the World Series. The Yankees are supposed to be the New York team that consistently wins. Maybe no more.
I am tired of watching sports games and knowing what the outcome will be before the game starts. But, for some reason, I still have an interest in watching every single game.
Growing up I was told that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. I started questioning whether or not I was insane.
Why do I keep rooting for the same teams and expecting different results?
Sports offer experiences that can last a lifetime. Sports bring people together.
I think of the time when I was able to go to a New York Giants game with my grandfather who first bought season tickets in 1935. With my dad in attendance at the game, I am now able to appreciate how special it was to have three different generations bonding over the same team.
This past weekend I talked to one of my childhood friends for the first time in five years, after his family moved to Europe. He called me because he needed someone to talk to about the Yankees’ loss. It presented a great opportunity to catch up with a friend that I wouldn’t have talked to otherwise.
I have realized that sports are not just about wins and losses, but about the memories and the unity.
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