Final Curtain
This entry was posted on 3/3/2010 4:00 PM and is filed under Family Fun.
The Minneapolis Marauders played their final game last Sunday at 2:00. I wasn't nearly as nervous going in as I had been on Saturday. I think it's because on Saturday what was at stake was the opportunity to play one more game, whereas on Sunday it didn't matter. Win or lose, I would not get a chance to see them again.
The team managed to blow a sizable half time lead again. I can't help but wonder if all the extraneous nonsense finally got to them. They had been playing so well at the end of the season; peaking just when you want your team to peak. But those last two games on Saturday and Sunday they could only put up one half of a good game. This is especially strange when you know that historically speaking, our teams have always been second half teams.
It takes heart to win a championship and this team's heart had been broken.
The whole crew was in the stands; all the family and friends who didn't have to work. There were about a dozen former players in attendance as well. I'm sad that we couldn't add one more State Title to our list of accomplishments but in the end, what difference does it make?
The women's team has one last chance next Saturday to make it to the National Tournament. I wish them good luck.
After the game, a lot of well wishers were waiting in the gym. Ron came out and told everyone that Jay was already at Joe's Garage. Those of us who wanted to celebrate a fun season or reminisce about a great program or talk to the coaches about how great an impact playing for them had been, trouped across the street for the first leg of the after party.
Not everyone who came to Joe's continued on as the coaching staff, family and a few close friends continued up the street to the Green Mill. This is the place where 20 years ago, Jay and Ron retreated at least twice a week to confer about the players, the team, the opponents and the season. This is the place where when either of them entered, the staff yelled "Coach!" This is the bar I was referring to when I said "Do you think when the bartenders give you Christmas Cookies, maybe you're spending too much time there?" I was kidding; the cookies were excellent.
We crowded into several booths and ordered dinner. Jay stayed at the bar where he got into a conversation with some folks I've never seen before. I was in a booth with Tulsie, our trainer; Chris, one of the assistant coaches and Steve the young man who has been team manager for at least ten years. Tulsie and Chris have been with the program if not from day one, from very early on in the program. We talked about the beginning, when Ron had a full head of black hair. Now it's thinning and silver. Jaime was eleven when this started. She celebrated her 31st birthday last December. Zack wasn't even a toddler that first season and everyone there remembered the year I was pregnant with Josie.
Katie joined us for dinner. Jay finally squeezed into our booth when Katie arrived. He grabbed the waitress and asked her to add Katie's dinner to his tab.
"Your tab was taken care of by your friends at the bar, " she told him. That would be the same friends he had just met an hour ago.
That's not the first time that's happened to Jay and it won't be the last. It may well be the last time this crowd gets together again like this. The reality of that didn't hit me until it was time to go. Tulsie stuck his hand out to Jay and said "See you in the next life, Coach."
The Marauders have left the building.
