Under Pressure - A Fan's Perspective

We held our breath...the buzzer sounded, we all exhaled....and cheered wildly.  We live to fight another day.  (I can never hear the phrase anymore without thinking of "The Waterboy".)  Yes...the Orioles survived the first round and will play again on Wednesday, but survive is all to fitting a description for that game.

Something was amiss.  All the right elements were there...The court was shined up and looking pretty, hundreds of fans wearing orange and black filled the seats, The SHS Mafia made a grand entrance (to the approving applause of the crowd) sauntering in together looking fierce. 

The Cheerleaders were cheery. The team was flashy in their orange warm ups...Heck, the other team had the same fight song, so even though our pep band did not go (don't EVEN get me started on that disappointing call) we still got to stand up and cheer when the song was played. Yet, from the opening tip, there was the sense that things were off kilter.  The game was tight, and the fans were loud & nervous.  We didn't get out of our seats...not for the bathroom, not even for funnel cake.....then the Orioles broke it open to a 15 point lead, and everyone breathed a little easier.  It was gonna be okay.  The girls were getting their groove back. Then suddenly with the whoosh of a net (not once, but thrice) it was a two point game, and for the first time in a long time, the Oriole stands were almost silent. I'm guessing that's because like me, and the people around me, no one was breathing. Somehow the girls reached down inside, and pulled out exactly what they needed in that final minute and a half to win the game, and move on....but something was just not right, and I have accidentally snapped a picture (or 10)showing what that something might be.

Pressure.  All Work, and No Play.  The Oriole Ladies are not having fun.   We were there last year, to watch them win it all, and though the players are all the same, this team was not that team. There was no laughing with each other, no grinning and slapping each other on the rear,  no smirking, not even a moment lightening high five.  For two seasons of watching this team play one thing that always stood out in them was that they were having fun..or at least they appeared to be.  Sometimes in a close game, or an error filled one, fans in the stands would even comment that the team was not taking the game seriously enough.  (Shows what all those bleacher coaches know!)  Well...it looks like they are taking it seriously now.  Maybe too seriously.My dad & I talked about it on the drive home.  Last year, though everyone thought they could win,  no one really expected they WOULD win the State Title, so when they won, it was just pure joy for everyone.  This year, they've been ranked number one from pre season, every team wants to be the team that beats them, and expectations have been sky high.They made it back to Des Moines, but wow...how very much pressure these girls must be feeling right now.  At barely 18, the weight of a community is kind of on their shoulders.  Throw in the knowledge that for the starters and many subs these are there last moments on the high school basketball court, and yeah...I can see how there suddenly isn't a whole lot of laughter going on down there.Still...they DO live to fight another day.  Wednesday, to be exact, and I sincerely hope that they can find a way to just go out there and play from their hearts, like the team they've been for so long...because the fans love them, regardless of the outcome, and they've certainly captured a moment no one can ever take away...So Orioles, give yourselves a break.  After all, it really is just a game, and you will all go on to have rich and full lives, with some amazing memories to share. It's all gonna be just fine, win or lose, and nothing is going to tarnish the shine of the team you've been for so long.   Huddle up, smile,  joke around, smile, be playful, smile, relax, SMILE.... and when you take the court Wednesday night, lets see the team we love..you know...

Those Girls who Just Wanna have Fun...and who play some pretty AWESOME basketball while they're doing it!   Onward Orioles!