Déjà Vu Bliss

My daughter and son in law, both really nice people (even if I am a little bit biased), gave me the ESPN series 30 for 30 for Father’s Day.  I have been making my way steadily through the series of great documentaries about sports over the last thirty years. I wrote earlier in the blog about how disenchanted I was with sports in general after a lifetime as an avid fan.  These movies have helped as they capture some of the real drama and important life lessons sports can provide.  Last night was special because I finally reached the one about the 2004 Boston Red Sox which chronicled their impossible comeback against the hated Yankees. Anyone who grew up in New England as a Red Sox fan will always remember that October as one of the most special times of their lives.  People outside of New England cannot understand the impact this had.  The Red Sox, especially after the impossible dream season of 1967, were beloved and that love was rendered despite the repeated heartbreaks.  There was always a feeling that they would find a way to lose, usually in the most devastating fashion, but there was always hope, despite mountains of evidence to the contrary.  Those October nights in 2004 were the last time I was actually over the top crazy about a sporting event, literally screaming in delight over those lovable, self styled idiots.  There is another documentary made by HBO I believe called Reverse the Curse which goes into more depth about what winning it all meant for the people of New England.  It shows people visiting cemeteries to share the moments with departed Red Sox fans and usually composed speakers being unable to adequately describe their feelings because they are overcome with emotion.  Well last night, thanks to the two special people who gave me films, I got a chance to relive those moments again and I choked up all over again.