Couch Coaches & Supernaturalists

You know the type I'm talking about. People that sit on the couch watching a sports game and yelling at the tv screen because clearly they're the ones in charge of determining the best play for the team. Nevermind that the team can't hear the advice or, oh yeah, has a coach that is being paid to coach the team. I'm not one of those types.

The other type- well. That I am. I have zero interest in watching sports. I'm more interested in trying out a sport than actually sitting around and watching it on tv or in a stadium. And with good cause. For any game that I caught on tv (aside from the Olympics), the team I was rooting for lost. I apologize in advance to Federer when he lost that amazing game of Wimbledon to Nadal. Normally I flip through tennis matches or catch up on the scores through the next day's news clips or the paper, but I was drawn to the game while knitting a friend's shawl (the clapotis) that would not end. And of course what happened? Federer lost in the greatest game ever in the history of Tennis. I'm sorry. I should not have been watching. I seem to be a bad jinx when it comes to sports games.

This is my roundabout way of saying, I caused the Mets to nearly lose their game to the Cubs on Sept. 25th. It was unintentional. I decided to go to the game because a bunch of knitters were going for a Stitch n' Pitch game and it was one of the last few games the Mets would play at Shea. I've never been to Shea so I thought now would be a perfect time to go. Except that they started to lose. 6-3. So during the 8th inning, we decided to leave. The rain was getting worse, it was getting colder and the outlook looked bleak for the Mets to regain a lead. No sooner than I had left the stadium that the Mets started to score in a few runs. By the time I got home, they had beat the cubs 7-6. I'm told it was a great game to see. The great 9th inning. But I know, that if I were sitting there, watching the game, that 9th inning would be anything less than great.

I'm the person that jinxes sports games whether on tv or live. You can mock me and tell me it's all in my head and that I actually have no control of any of this- like the weather. But there are others like me and we know the truth. Some of us, by our mere presence, can alter game scores.