The agony and ecstasy of being a fan

For so many sports fans in our region, this Valentine’s Day is an occasion for broken hearts rather than the sweetness usually associated with the holiday.

They are enduring the fresh pain of yet another championship loss for a Philadelphia team. In recent months the Phillies in baseball and the Union in professional soccer came tantalizingly close to winning titles only to fall short.

This time it was the Eagles in what was perhaps the toughest loss of them all.

It was hard to take for so many reasons.

For starters, though the teams were closely matched, the Eagles were slight favorites in the game. They were coming off a spectacularly successful season and two resounding playoff victories. Fans and experts alike acknowledged the excellence of the team’s roster from top to bottom.

Furthermore, the team entered halftime with a 10-point lead and kept Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the rest of that team’s vaunted offense off the field for long stretches.

The Chiefs roared to life in the second half and took the lead, but quarterback Jalen Hurts led the Eagles on a game-tying drive in the fourth quarter.

It looked as if it was all set up for a fantastic finish to a terrific game. What wound up happening will leave Eagles fans feeling wounded forever.

Mahomes drove the Chiefs down the field once again. It looked as though the Eagles had made a stop and would force a field goal attempt with plenty of time left for them to execute a game-tying or winning drive.

But Eagles safety James Bradberry was called for defensive holding. The controversial officiating decision all but assured a Chiefs victory.

Anger among Philadelphia fans is quite understandable. No one wants to see a great championship game end this way, especially when it was shaping up for a dramatic finish. And fans will forever debate whether or not the call should have been made.

We applaud the Eagles for handling the situation with tremendous class. Bradberry admitted that he had committed a penalty, and head coach Nick Sirianni refused to blame the officials for the loss. We apologize for resorting to a sports cliche, but one play does not decide a game. The Chiefs ultimately outplayed the Eagles on both sides of the ball and are most deserving champions.

It’s understandable that few around here are in the mood to celebrate Kansas City’s success, but there are reasons to feel good about the Chiefs. So many people here appreciate coach Andy Reid’s great run leading the Eagles not all that long ago. Berks County fans can take pride in Wilson High graduate Chad Henne’s second Super

Bowl ring and the fact that he played a key role in helping the Chiefs win one of their playoff games. And Mahomes’ performance on an injured ankle is the sort of thing that makes football legends.

Trying to keep it all in perspective is not easy. But we urge fans to try. In the long run, folks need to remember the great joy the Eagles, Phillies and Union brought us in their pursuit of championship glory.

Being a sports fan, especially in the Philadelphia region, means a lot of agony punctuated by occasional ecstasy. We’ve had more than our share of ecstasy the last few months.

For a few sweet weeks in the fall and winter, people put aside their disagreements and shared in some great community solidarity. Team colors were seen everywhere. We were constantly reminded of something that so many of us have in common. That’s a rare gift in this all too divisive world.

So while we stew in the emotions associated with a tough loss, let’s not forget the joy and unity and strive to experience it again, perhaps in an endeavor outside the world of sports.

Or maybe it will be sports again in the not too distant future. The 76ers have a contending team. And soon it will be baseball season amid the promise of spring. It’s a reminder that for sports fans and everyone else, hope springs eternal.