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Montreal Canadiens Blogger •
The tears were the same, but the reason was different. The emotions were different as well, but the passion-- ever-present with each victory and defeat.
"It's just a game" are words commonly uttered, but in professional sports, they are a message often relayed by a loser. A winner might put it that way as well in a moment of humility, but a champion never thinks of it as "just a game."
It was just under a year ago that Roger Federer stood at centre-court, on the cusp of winning his 6th consecutive Wimbledon title, only to have his greatest rival snatch it away from him. Private devastation would've been more appropriate for some, but Federer couldn't contain the tears. In fact Tennis' most articulate star could barely offer his thanks to the fans, and congratulations to Raphael Nadal in any of the 6 languages he speaks fluently; he just stood there crying.
It was two days ago that my father, a passionate tennis fan for the majority of his life, spoke to me of Federer's demeanor, and what in his opinion, seemed to be an uncharacteristic softness (or soreness) about winning and losing.
I responded "Roger is a champion, but he's also as honest as anyone in sports. He has no intention of being number 2, and to not be number 1, and to not win when he's in position is so unacceptable to him that he cannot contain himself in the moment. It is because he cares so deeply that he has become the greatest tennis player of all time, and that very same passion is what he transmits when he wins or loses a big tournament."
So it was no surprise to me that as Robin Soderling (the man who triumphantly handed Raphael Nadal his first loss at Roland Garros in four years, just days before yesterday's final) mishit his return into the net on the final point of the match, to see Roger drop to his knees and emote with tears, before eventually smiling. He is an athlete who is ever-aware of the sacrifices he, and many others have made just so he can endure moments like the special ones he's given us throughout a career in which he's become the greatest champion in the history of his sport.
Yesterday's win at the French Open marked the career Grand-Slam for Federer; an accomplishment Pete Sampras never got to live. In fact Sampras never made it past the semi-finals at the French Open. Federer's first win on the red clay at Roland Garros is the 14th major of his career, tying him with Sampras for the record. In three weeks he takes aim at the mantle of tennis, on the grass at Wimbledon; where he dethroned Pete Sampras and began building the legacy that sports fans will know of for centuries to come, as he hits records that will perhaps never be broken. He's 27, and he will likely provide many more incredibly passionate moments to add to that legacy.
*************
Here in Montreal the passion that exists for the Canadiens, and hockey is a very powerful force. It comes with vivid emotion; a spectrum ranging between elation and devastation from day-to-day, from September until hopefully June.
There are some that have criticized that passion; claimed it to be unhealthy, unappreciative, and unfairly, unreasonably generative of unrealistic expectations. I would suggest that curtailing that passion would be to accept a culture of losing-- unnatural to a fanbase that has either lived or studied the rich history of the Montreal Canadiens.
It is that passion, from fans and the organization alike that has made the Montreal Canadiens one of the most successful franchises in the history of pro-sports. It is that passion that will inevitably bring the Canadiens to another triumph that will certainly be met with tears. Win or lose, when it's over, a part of us is incomplete until the competition begins again; and the realization of that makes for an emotional moment.
Those moments (the ones where you might be called a cry-baby, or a sore-loser, or a dramatic winner) will always be the ones you remember, cherish, and learn the most from.
It's not "just a game".
"It's just a game" are words commonly uttered, but in professional sports, they are a message often relayed by a loser. A winner might put it that way as well in a moment of humility, but a champion never thinks of it as "just a game."
It was just under a year ago that Roger Federer stood at centre-court, on the cusp of winning his 6th consecutive Wimbledon title, only to have his greatest rival snatch it away from him. Private devastation would've been more appropriate for some, but Federer couldn't contain the tears. In fact Tennis' most articulate star could barely offer his thanks to the fans, and congratulations to Raphael Nadal in any of the 6 languages he speaks fluently; he just stood there crying.
It was two days ago that my father, a passionate tennis fan for the majority of his life, spoke to me of Federer's demeanor, and what in his opinion, seemed to be an uncharacteristic softness (or soreness) about winning and losing.
I responded "Roger is a champion, but he's also as honest as anyone in sports. He has no intention of being number 2, and to not be number 1, and to not win when he's in position is so unacceptable to him that he cannot contain himself in the moment. It is because he cares so deeply that he has become the greatest tennis player of all time, and that very same passion is what he transmits when he wins or loses a big tournament."
So it was no surprise to me that as Robin Soderling (the man who triumphantly handed Raphael Nadal his first loss at Roland Garros in four years, just days before yesterday's final) mishit his return into the net on the final point of the match, to see Roger drop to his knees and emote with tears, before eventually smiling. He is an athlete who is ever-aware of the sacrifices he, and many others have made just so he can endure moments like the special ones he's given us throughout a career in which he's become the greatest champion in the history of his sport.
Yesterday's win at the French Open marked the career Grand-Slam for Federer; an accomplishment Pete Sampras never got to live. In fact Sampras never made it past the semi-finals at the French Open. Federer's first win on the red clay at Roland Garros is the 14th major of his career, tying him with Sampras for the record. In three weeks he takes aim at the mantle of tennis, on the grass at Wimbledon; where he dethroned Pete Sampras and began building the legacy that sports fans will know of for centuries to come, as he hits records that will perhaps never be broken. He's 27, and he will likely provide many more incredibly passionate moments to add to that legacy.
*************
Here in Montreal the passion that exists for the Canadiens, and hockey is a very powerful force. It comes with vivid emotion; a spectrum ranging between elation and devastation from day-to-day, from September until hopefully June.
There are some that have criticized that passion; claimed it to be unhealthy, unappreciative, and unfairly, unreasonably generative of unrealistic expectations. I would suggest that curtailing that passion would be to accept a culture of losing-- unnatural to a fanbase that has either lived or studied the rich history of the Montreal Canadiens.
It is that passion, from fans and the organization alike that has made the Montreal Canadiens one of the most successful franchises in the history of pro-sports. It is that passion that will inevitably bring the Canadiens to another triumph that will certainly be met with tears. Win or lose, when it's over, a part of us is incomplete until the competition begins again; and the realization of that makes for an emotional moment.
Those moments (the ones where you might be called a cry-baby, or a sore-loser, or a dramatic winner) will always be the ones you remember, cherish, and learn the most from.
It's not "just a game".
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