Bandwagon Jumpers and Brave Eagles

They may have lost but I'm still so proud of my boys, the Eagles.

Why? Because they didn't get thrashed for once. They played in good spirits, cut down on the undisciplined onfield acts and very nearly pulled off an upset win.

I missed the majority of the game because I was down in Albany and out to dinner for my dad's 60th. When we left they were 20-something points up and when I got the full time score on my phone saying they'd lost, I was very disappointed. But still proud. They have a lot of improving to do but I think they're on the right track.

Woosha said, "I think tonight was a pretty good improvement on our previous performances. They played with more confidence tonight, a bit more self belief, they need to now build on that."
Source

The good thing about losing is that it makes you appreciate winning. I was preparing to jump up and down like we'd won a grand final if the Eagles had beaten North Melbourne. I look at fans from teams like the Western Bulldogs, St Kilda and Melbourne that haven't won premierships for YEARS yet they still have their loyal fans that stick by them week after week, season after season. I'd like to think that if the Eagles got the wooden spoon for 10 consecutive seasons, I'd still be there supporting them.

The last time the Eagles had such a miserable season was 2001. I should be miserable right now but I'm not. 2001 was a pretty horrible year all round for me. It was the year I moved to Perth and I was living in feral student housing with feral people. All of my closest friends and my immediate family were left behind in Albany and it took me a while to get into the swing of my uni course. On top of that, I had to adjust to city life. The only good thing that happened was that I turned to Christ and made some new friends, many who I'm still friends with. Maybe that's why I'm not so miserable now despite the Eagles having such a wretched season - everything else in life is going so well and I have Jesus as my Lord and Saviour.

In a world of disposable relationships and things, many people don't know how to practise loyalty, particularly young people. Footy may be trivial compared to much more important things (such as marriages) but it's a good place to start practising loyalty and faithfulness to one team.

Speaking of loyalty, I recently saw on my brother Tim's Facebook profile that he's quitting supporting the Dorkers after 10 years. Prior to then he was an Eagles' supporter before he made the traitorous move just to annoy me. I left him a message on his wall, asking if it was true...

Me: You're quitting supporting the Dorks?!?
Tim: Well, I've lost the passion. Go Hawthorn!

Yep, he's jumped ship but he still taped the Dorkers match yesterday. Perhaps he just wants two teams? I notice he's picked a more successful team in the Hawks. Bandwagon jumpers! Sheesh!