I also was 10 and every year in the 70's I believed and every year ended in disappointment. You'd think I've learned over the years how to handle it. I don't cry anymore like I did as a kid, but I'm still too emotional about it. I literally have to turn off games like the last one and swear off even thinking about football for a day or two just to act like a normal human being.
We only had ONE happy ending in all my years and even then, it was just relief on The Tackle. That was truly a fun offseason of celebration as all the magazines hailed us as special.
Now, I fear the offseason will feel like the Bradford/Suh debates where we take our emotions out on each other while we rip apart or defend Jared Goff. I come to these boards for distraction but only come away with frustration. You are my brothers who know EXACTLY what it means to be a Rams fan. We die hard and often. The "what if's" like the Jaws lamentations, the Swann miracle catches, the Chicago trip in the snow, the Dickerson/Bettis trades, the Everett rush ghosts, the Patsies DB holding scheme, the Hakim fumbles, and the Kupp injury in 18 rob us of any joy we felt those years.
We old dudes need to bring perspective to the board. Suffer our losses without blasting the dudes who put their bodies on the line. They may have bad days, but if they didn't have good ones, we well remember the 3,4,5 win years.
Today, we have hopes but no realistic expectations. It probably won't end well but let's try to show the younger generations how to handle it like men. I'm still not sure I'm good at it, but believe it starts with a touch of humility.
