Perpetual disappointment
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In today's polarized culture, now may not be the best time to broach this controversial topic. Views on the matter vary, and some people hold their opinion with great conviction. Nonetheless, I feel that I am well-qualified to address this painful but real issue. I am referring to why my favorite sports team never does well. Yes, I am a longsuffering Buffalo Sabres fan.
My pilgrimage began in 1972. My Canadian friends (at least if they are of my vintage) will remember the '72 Canada-Soviet Union series Team Canada won in the final minutes of the 8-game series. Played in the depths of the Cold War, the series had it all: North American stars, Communist opponents, intrigue, passion, and a come-from-behind victory. I was enthralled! I was just a child, but I knew then that I wanted to follow hockey for the rest of my life.
At that time, the Buffalo Sabres was one of the two newest teams in the league. Both they and the Vancouver Canucks were launched in 1970. The best player in the draft that year was Gilbert Perreault. Both teams desperately wanted him. It came down to a coin toss, and Buffalo won. He was the most exciting player I had ever seen. He could skate like the wind, swiftly carrying the puck from one end of the ice to the other. He centered the "French Connection" line that became one of the most exciting lines in sports. Those were good days to be a Sabres fan.
In 1975, Buffalo went to the Stanley Cup final against the Philadelphia Flyers. Buffalo was clearly the better team, but the Flyers had a superior goalie, and the Sabres fell short. Eventually, the Sabres found an excellent goalie in Dominic Hasek and went to the finals again in 1999. This time, they ran into a bad referee. They lost in overtime, and that was the last time they went to the finals.
More recently, the Sabres have set a record for the most seasons played without making the playoffs. Year after year, the general manager signs free agents and touts young, upcoming talent.
Sometimes they start off with a bang, stringing together ten victories in a row. Then the inevitable losing streak commences, and they ultimately drop out of playoff contention. I have ten-year-old grandsons who have never seen the Sabres play a playoff game.
Over time, the fair-weather fans among my family stopped watching games with me. My wife used to have a four-goal rule. If Buffalo fell behind by four goals, she went to bed. Now, she just asks me to tell her when (or if) they become good again. My son Daniel has faithfully stood by the team. But in recent days, he multitasks while watching games so he can feel like something worthwhile was accomplished during that time.
What makes Buffalo's repeated losses particularly confusing to me is that they have a lot of good players. I know the team chaplain, and I have contributed many Christian books to the players and staff. The Sabres has perhaps the largest contingent of Christian players of any team in the league. One would think that God would shine his face upon them! But no. I have been cheering for the Sabres for more than 50 years, and victory remains elusive.
It's not like my entire life has been enmeshed in futility. I have enjoyed success in my personal and work life. But in this one area, failure has become a bad habit. Many well-meaning friends have asked me why I continue to cheer for a team that has never known victory in more than 50 years. It's a fair question. There are plenty of newer, more exciting teams that actually win games, even championships.
It would be easy enough to cut ties with my life-long sports team and start down a new, more triumphant path.But I just can't do it.
Here's why: True commitments must be based on more than success.
Sure, I want my team to win. But when I decided to embrace the Sabres, I did not make my support contingent on how often they won the Stanley Cup. I cast my lot, for better or worse. I'm not saying I'm a saint, but I have learned some valuable lessons while remaining faithful to something that has never given me what I want. I've learned that commitments are supposed to last. I've learned to be a man of my word.
Earlier this year, Buffalo endured a miserable 13-game losing streak (at least they are still setting records at something). People asked if I was finally going to file for divorce from the Sabres. I said no. At least, I thought, things couldn't get any worse!
I am not suggesting that loyalty to a sports team is on the same level as keeping your wedding vows. But in remaining faithful to something that continually disappoints me, I have learned that it is possible to keep my commitments even when times are tough. Marriage is wonderful, but it can involve disappointments. Our spouse isn't always everything we hoped. Our life won't necessarily end up as we imagined. In our culture, those disappointments offer more than enough grounds for divorce. I suppose cheering for Buffalo has taught me, in a much less crucial area of my life, to keep my commitments, regardless of how things are going.
Keep your word.
I like being known as someone who keeps his word. If I say I'll do something, come hell or high water, I'll try to follow through. It is easy to keep promises when it costs nothing, but maintaining commitments in the face of adversity is another matter. Experiencing disappointment has given me the opportunity to practice keeping my commitments, even in challenging times.
God doesn't promise continual success.
Certain strands of Christianity teach that a Christian's life should be a series of unbroken success, and any setbacks must be the result of unconfessed sin. But sometimes God knows that it is better for us to experience suffering rather than blessing. Nowhere does he promise his followers perpetual success. In fact, I rather like what constant defeat and disappointment in my hockey world has done for my character.
When my grandsons were six months old, their dad bought them Buffalo Sabres onesies. As I proudly held the twins in my arms, my son muttered, "So young. So many years of disappointment ahead . . ." We laughed at the time, but it was true. At their tender ages, they occasionally ask why I keep cheering for a team that never wins. Those conversations provide a useful opportunity to explain what "commitment" looks like and how being a "loyal" person is a noble undertaking. I also wax eloquent that wide is the path for those who cheer for winning teams, but narrow is the path for those who cheer for perennially underperforming teams like Buffalo. I'm not sure I'm getting through to them, but I haven't given up.
Later this month, I am taking those grandsons and my loyal son to Buffalo to watch a game in person. There is no hope that the Sabres will make the playoffs this year. The game itself isn't meaningful. But we'll be able to stand outside the dressing room and fist pump the players as they head to the ice. We'll meet many of the players after the game. I am doing what I can to foster my grandchildren's faith. I will model for them what steadfast loyalty looks like, even when there is no immediate reward. I will keep the faith.
I have no idea if my grandkids will still cheer for the Sabres when they are my age. But I pray that they will have learned to keep the commitments they have made to Christ and their marriage partners. I pray that they will be known as people who keep their word, even during difficult times. I pray that they will not be swayed when it comes to commitments that really matter. Having at least dipped their toes in adversity as children, I hope they won't be shaken when it shows up in more important areas of their life. And I hope that when they think of their papa, they'll remember that I was a person of unshakable loyalty. So, I'm glad I learned to keep faith even when the results have been disappointing. All the same, it would be nice to make the playoffs next year . . .
 | Richard Blackaby is the president of Blackaby Ministries International and lives in Georgia. He travels internationally speaking on spiritual leadership in the home, church, and marketplace as well as on spiritual awakening, experiencing God, and the Christian life. Richard regularly ministers to Christian CEOs and business leaders. He has written or co-authored 33 books . This article was first published on RichardBlackaby.com. Used with permission from Blackaby Ministries International. Learn More » |
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