The '99ers

I watched the Nine for Nine, or whatever ESPN's tribute to Title IX is called. It was a celebration of the 1999 Women's USA world cup team. Mia Hamm being the star, but you see Julie Fowdy, Brandi Chastain, Michelle Akers, & Brianna Scurry and recognize them still. It was a HUGE moment and I watched that last game from near the end of regulation throughout the shootout and was captivated. They were a phenomenon and I still love the Nike commercial where Fowdy comes out of the dentist office and says she got two fillings and Mia Hamm springs up and deadpans "Then I will have two fillings." and everyone joins suit simply saying at the end "We will face the world together". It brought me back to a few special teams that I was on in 2001 & 2003 when we won state in tennis. Both experiences were very unique from each other. One I was a sophomore playing #3 doubles and it was my first time on a varsity team period. By 2003 I was a senior playing #1 doubles and the vocal/emotional leader of the team. Experiencing winning always brings a team closer and winning a championship really binds you together. The struggles and hard work pays off, which is so rare in sports. Everyone feels the vindication and it really brings everyone together. If you don't win, I don't think it's possible to have the same feeling of togetherness. If that team loses the shootout to N. Korea things would have been completely different I feel. Losing is destructive by nature and no matter what there's hard feelings in losing. Failing to win automatically breaks things apart. Feelings of blame, etc naturally follow losses and it sabotages the togetherness. It's unspoken, but normally crippling to unity. It sounds obvious, but without the championship there's no way to have the same feelings of joy/accomplishment & unity I feel. It was just a nostalgic journey for me that made me think of those rare instances where you win at the end of the season. There's no "what-ifs" or questions. I remember watching the pain after my brother's teams in basketball took back-to-back loses in the state championship game. The team was very close, but I can imagine things being totally different if they won either of those years. I'm babbling, but I think I enjoyed the documentary seeing their home videos thinking of the bus/van rides & similar moments on a much smaller scale. It was nostalgic and almost heartwarming in a way. Sorry to waste everyone's time on this one. More movies to follow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Maybe I'll dive into some Breaking Bad talk or some talk of the old favorites coming back this fall.