When Championships Happen, Savor Them
Adam J Locascio
Friday July 2, 2004
Some California team beat the Arizona Bills... I mean Rattlers, in the ArenaBowl this past weekend, but more importantly, and with greater consequence, my intramural softball team at our office won the 2004 Office Championship.
Normally, this would not bear mentioning but in my 29 years, 24 of which that have been involved in some kind of organized sport, this was my first ever “championship.” That puts me just slightly ahead of Tampa Bay Lightning captain Dave Andreychuk in waiting time for my first title.
Now, while the office intramural softball league, which has a following of about seven girlfriends, two dogs and a miscellaneous group of basketball players who pause to watch us play when they break from their game on the adjacent courts, might not seem like a big deal, it certainly felt like a big deal, at least to me.
I haven’t had a lot to celebrate in my intramural career. I’m willing to bet that if you take the win/loss record of all the teams that I’ve played on, my teams aren’t anywhere close to .500, so there hasn’t been a lot of joy in Mudville.
This weekend, I didn’t care about the level I was playing on; I only cared that I played on a team that was the best at what it did.
So while people might not take notice of the ArenaBowl in the same way that they rearrange a dialysis appointment so they can watch the Super Bowl, for the players, it’s a major accomplishment. It’s the only game of the Arena Football League season that ESPN regularly reports on.
Championships, on any level, don’t happen too often. Ask Dan Marino. That moment of accomplishment that washes over someone at the climax of their effort is unmatched. It doesn’t matter whether you won the World Series or the office pool. It’s a big deal.
For me, to be able to walk off that field on a near 100-degree day in the Florida heat after two straight softball games and know that no one else did it better is priceless, even if it is only the office league. True, the team from the Investment Guidance department no-showed for their first round game, but we’re not going to split hairs.
And it felt great to know that I did my part. In two games, I went 8-for-8 and didn’t hit anything less than a double in two games. Was I on fire or what? Hey, I’ll remember this game for a long time.
For the fans, for the players, and for a community, a championship is special. I live in Tampa, so we’ve had it pretty good over here the past three years between the Bucs, the Storm and the Lightning.
Jay Leno can rip the ArenaBowl in his monologues all he wants. He wouldn’t notice the AFL unless it was being played on his chin. But he has mentioned it two years in a row. Either he’s a closet fan or he runs out of material at the end of June.
Regardless of its stature, it’s not right to knock any sort of championship. It’s something to be proud of, if not for just one afternoon at the park. And if you think I’m excited now, wait ‘til flag football starts in the fall.
Adam J. Locascio is a financial advisor in the Tampa Bay area and a Board Member of the Tampa Bay Storm Surge Fan Club. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Phoenix and is a six-year season ticket holder for the Tampa Bay Storm.
