Your Cincinnati Reds Are Back

Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Opening Day is upon us once again.

It feels like just yesterday we were all ranting on twitter or writing articles about how much of a disappointment the 2013 Cincinnati Reds were. After the loss to the Pirates everyone felt cheated, it is like being in a roller coaster relationship, you know what I’m talking about.

Every spring begins with that wonderful honeymoon phase. That puppy love phase where you’re still enamored with who you’re dating, you can’t get enough of them. You watch the club every night for the first month, you learn all the players names, you determine who you like and who you don’t.

Following that first month you start to get a feel for the team, you fall into a routine. 7:10 rolls around you grab your drink of choice and sit down to watch, night after night. You aren’t too critical yet, you know the season 162 games and all you need is a shot at the postseason.

But then we get into the summer. Ah the spring fling turns into the summer love. You’ve been dating for awhile now, you know a fair amount about them. Now that you’re comfortable you start to criticize them a little, sarcastically at first but then you growingly become annoyed.

Meet my parents turns into a big fight, who should back up Votto at first becomes a rift. Why doesn’t Chapman pitch more than one inning has you screaming from your seat. As the summer winds down and we head toward the stretch your relationship becomes strained.

You spend the game complaining to your friends about every thing that annoys you. Then they tell you what annoys them and suddenly you think “crap, that annoys me too.” Now you have double the annoyances. You get tired of seeing them now, as 7:10 rolls around you find excuses to not watch. You just want to be alone to rifle through your thoughts.

The stretch comes and your complaining gets to an all time high. “Why can’t you just be like the Cardinals and win?!” becomes your go to as you watch the team you love lose. But then, just as you’re ready to give up there’s hope.

You get rejuvenated, the team beats the Cardinals for the division, you’re into the postseason! Everyone in the media is saying how great the team is playing. You walk around like a proud boyfriend/girlfriend showing off your significant other. No longer do you have to agonize with people in line at the supermarket, your team is on top.

As the post season gets underway it is like Opening Day all over again. You’re so excited, you can’t imagine yourself ever breaking up, this is a perfect relationship. Then game three rolls around.

And the slide starts, once a promising season sees your team choke a 2-0 lead. Your happiness is over, you won’t talk to them. Then the day comes, game 5 comes and goes and you leave the ballpark for the last time that season. You toss your hat in the car and don’t talk the whole way home.

The breakup occurs the next day, you’ve thought everything over and you decided to take some time apart. You come to terms with what happened around December, then by February you’re ready to face them again. March rolls around and you’re just as excited as the year before.

This is not a healthy relationship people, but its the only kind of relationship any of us know. The honeymoon starts today at 4pm, I’m excited, you’re excited, lets make this year different, lets not break up in October.