FOX Sports' Peter Schrager has been writing about NFL teams and their fans wanting to 'Suck for Luck' since the 2011 NFL regular season began. Peter emailed me a few days ago for some perspective on his most recent article. I did my best to provide him with a small nugget of what some fans are contemplating when the prospect of their favorite team losing to ensure the No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, a pick that will very likely be used on Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck, is presented to them.
From Schager's article:
The "Suck for Luck" craze has soared to new heights and is rapidly spreading. In NFL cities across the country, fans of struggling franchises are coming together and creatively rallying around a common cause. Their squad winning on Sundays? Not quite.
The light at the end of the tunnel for fans of the league’s most downtrodden franchises is the gift of Luck. Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck, that is.
By small contribution to Schrager's article is after the jump...
Brad Wells, the lead editor of the popular Colts blog Stampede Blue, reasons, "I don't necessarily think it's weird to want your team to lose as a fan if you know your team is done. NFL football is a bottom-line business, and fans have adopted this mentality when rooting for their team. If the team is good, they cheer. If they are out of contention, the general sentiment is 'throw the bums out' and get a better draft position. It mostly speaks to the fans’ collective desire to see their team not just win, but win championships. This is especially true for Colts fans who are not accustomed to losing seasons like this."
I won't presume to know how any of you other fans feel, but for me, loses this year don't 'sting' as much as when they do when we're competing for a championship. This season was over when the Polians stupidly decided to sign Kerry Collins and the team opened the season flat against the Texans and Browns. After that Browns game, I decided not to get as invested in each play, and, instead, adopt a more detached, big picture perspective of this team.
This means that if the Colts win, yay! Winning is nice, and it makes me feel good. If they lose, I'm no longer looking for a nylon cord from which to hang himself. I'm more big picture now, thinking, 'Well, that's another step towards drafting Andrew Luck, the perfect replacement for Peyton Manning.'
I've talked with many of you and with other Colts fans, and several blue faithful have adopted this temperament for the season. 2011 is lost. It's time to focus on 2012. Even when watching players now, I'm thinking of how they'll fit in with this roster next year. For example, guys like Pat Angerer, Kavell Conner, and the resurgent Philip Wheeler really give me a positive vibe about the linebacking corps going forward.
For me, this new, big picture perspective kind of defines 'Suck for Luck.' I'm not openly rooting for the Colts to lose. But, if they do, I'm not terribly upset.
Thanks to Peter for reaching out to me for a Colts fan's perspective.