The first NFL game I remember was seeing Marino getting sodomized by the Jags in the divisional round in '99. Since then, being a Dolphins fan has been nothing but pain. The thing is, for some reason I’m totally okay with the Dolphins underperforming. Even this season, which is late playoff run or bust, I’m completely understanding of all our failures. As long as the Fins even smell like they’re on the right track, I’m ecstatic.
Within the same general time frame, one of the first college games I remember is the University of Miami destroying Nebraska in the National Championship. The Canes were dominant. Everybody was going to the NFL. These days I have no patience for the Canes. My standards are so much higher. It doesn’t make sense to view these two teams through such a different lens.
Is it just me, or do you guys also benchmark against your early memories? Trying to figure out why I didn’t love the Dolphins any less during their one win season, but a 5 loss Canes gives me heartburn.
Yes, it did and this hasn’t been the same Steelers I grew up watching for a long time now. Art II’s becoming a disgrace to the Rooney name.
Yep. I can’t enjoy my NFL team unless they up and move to Nashville and take all the history and branding rights with them.
Nah, I’ve been watching the Dolphins get rekt for years and it’s still as painful as ever
Pretty much. I’m a 90’s kid.
I don’t expect Superbowls or deep playoff runs every year. I had been a Steelers fan for well over a decade before I saw them win a Superbowl. I’m happy rooting for my team rather than getting too into hating them for all the ways they aren’t perfect.
But damned if I don’t feel entitled to a good defense. When we don’t have a good defense, I get pissy.
My childhood consisted of my team just Fucking leaving and it’s been pain and misery since so I guess yea. Bar set.
Grew up with the Urlacher Bears. It’s all been 100% downhill since Lovie Smith was fired. And at least the Super Bowl team had a legendary defense and I could make fun of the Sex Cannon at QB. And that’s an actual funny joke. The Bears have been a really unfunny joke for over a decade now. Whenever the QB throws it deep and it’s picked off I can’t say “You just gotta unleash the dragon” and laugh it off knowing the defense is coming into the field. Now everything just sucks and it’s not funny at all. The whole identity of the team has been gone for years and years. And then the '18 team which was actually really good has its season end on the goddamn double doink. The Bears were good enough that year that they’d certainly have made the Super Bowl if they win that game. But nope…ended on a joke.
Op I was at that game. It was my first year following the jags. I was 13. That game was bliss the next one I occasionally see in my nightmares.
My flair combined with the fact I was born in the 70s says “yes.”
Besides WWE/Impact wrestling… I did not watch sports growing up, unfortunately. I started watching college football in the fall of 2006 when I was 19 years old. I started really liking it, love college football now. Then in 2018 someone asked if I would like to play in their fantasy football league. I never watched any NFL games besides a few Superbowls at that point but I said sure. I really got into and and playing fantasy football was fun. As an added part of it, I started watching the games to see how my players did. I mainly watch the Sunday night and Monday night games. The NFL has taken away the Thursday night ones to hide them behind having to sub. to Amazon…
Yup. I started watching football around the time the Bills drought was only a toddler.
I always expect heartbreak and disappointment.
We are on r/nfl with a bunch of children. What do you think?
Your childhood setting the bar of expectations is completely accurate. Watching my team win back to back Super Bowls while in elementary school definitely set an unreasonable bar.
As a result, I feel like I’m a fan of (insert whichever historically awful franchise is in your division) and am in a panic every year because **checks notes** 5 franchises have won a SB more recently than the Broncos. “The pain I have to endure, this is bullshit!” STFU me every week
Became a fan around the time Boomer got there so I was born in the darkness.
I grew up in the 1980’s so even though the Packers don’t break all the way through as often as I’d like, I’m still excited every time they clinch a playoff spot. Same goes for the Brewers.
The latter. Football doesn’t matter as much since 28-3, and I knew the moment the game was over it never would.
2018 win was great, but it was just icing on the cake. Doubt a game will feel the same. Makes a year like this much easier.