The Deuce Club, 10.16

By Jackie, TW Social Director

Hi, TWibe! Once again, I encourage you to check out our TennisWorld > Real WorldFacebook group, which has almost reached the century member mark. It's been brought to my attention that a number of you are unfamiliar with Facebook and are having trouble navigating the site; please feel free to contact me at my Tennis.com e-mail with any questions, and hopefully I'll be able to address them. If there's a need, I'll include a brief Facebook tutorial in a future Deuce Club post.

In Ed's Monday Net Post this week, he commented that "sport is everywhere I look." I couldn't agree more; it seems all of my free time nowadays is spent watching tennis, baseball, or football.

But being a Chicago sports fan ain't easy. Last Sunday, I watched as the Bears scored a touchdown for a one-point lead over the Atlanta Falcons with 11 seconds to spare, only to watch it slip away as the Falcons scored a game-winning field goal with no time left on the clock. Yet another painful loss this season for the Bears, who should be undefeated and are sitting on a 3-3 record instead.

But when it comes to breaking their fans' hearts, the Cubs are unmatched. A couple of weeks ago, they were swept by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Division Series, despite having the best record in the league. I should’ve known it would happen, considering the Cubbies’ last World Series title came a century ago (literally, 100 years).

It’s tough enough to stomach the disappointment without being reminded of it at every turn. Rifling through the latest issue of ESPN Magazine, I came upon this: “Mets fans are still in shock, [and] Lions faithful have been empty since 1957. No light at the end of the tunnel awaits the Bengals, Grizzlies, Pirates or Cornhuskers. Say it ain’t so, Kimbo and Helio. But at least you can tell their followers something: Thank your stars you’re not a Cubs fan."

It would’ve upset me - if it weren’t so true.

As I lamented these performances, I considered the possibility that karma were somehow involved. Not so long ago, our Bulls won six championships in eight years in the 1990’s. Those years were probably hard to swallow for anyone who wasn’t a Chicagoan, while folks like me were reveling in their dominance. I guess it should’ve been enough to hold me over, but let’s face it, winning never gets old.

Maybe that’s part of why I’m such a big Roger Federer fan – because it’s easy! Okay, okay, so this season hasn’t been a cakewalk for Roger, but for the most part, it’s less stressful to support him than a player who struggles to string together consecutive wins. I find myself backing favorites in all sports, not just tennis. I loved the San Francisco 49ers when Steve Young and Jerry Rice carried them to a SuperBowl victory in 1995. I became a New York Yankees follower around that same time, cheering them on to their four World Series rings.

Does this make me a fair-weathered fan? Possibly. Or maybe I just didn't know any better. When I was younger, I barely understood the rules of a given sport, let alone who was worth rooting for, so it was natural to pick the "hyped" teams.

Yet, where tennis is concerned, I’ve seen many members of the TWibe express interest in only the underdogs - or those afflicted with the chronic “headcase” condition (hi, Nancy!). It’s made me wonder why we like certain players or teams – and it’s possible their win-loss record doesn’t play into it at all.

So, time to share: Who are your favorites, in tennis or any other sport, and what’s the basis of your rooting interests? Do you like "bankable" stars, à **la The Mighty Fed, Michael Jordan, or Peyton Manning? Or are you locked in embrace with "the beautiful (or even not so pretty) losers?" Are you an underdog addict, or an appreciator of the big dogs, because of the way they handle the pressure (or for their simple knack for success)?

I’m also curious about your fan experiences. I can still remember where I was and how I felt the moment John Paxson hit the three-pointer that sealed the Bulls’ championship victory in 1993. Or the day my beloved Patrick Rafter narrowly missed a Wimbledon title in that epic final against Goran Ivanisevic. What experiences are emblazoned in your memory?