The current 18-year funk is the worst. Not just because of its unmatched length, but because of the increased importance of sports in our lives. We are tuned 24 hours a day to cable TV sports. Our home teams are front-page news. The conversations are happier at the water cooler.
People have a spring in their step.
We should be spiritless zombies wallowing in the bile of defeat. Yet, as shown by the packed F.U. Center this week, even rampant negativity cannot crush hope. But people have to feel that your organization is competent at putting a good team on the ice or court. Needle believes Philadelphia has had enough near-misses that the city actually has a winning reputation. When people think about losers, they think about the Cubs and the Red Sox, teams with incredibly long championship droughts.