The Day After The Night Before

I suppose I could have added this as an additional to yesterday's post, but it deserves it's own space to be heard. I've realised exactly what the difference between disappointment and outright panic over yesterday is. The answer is 5 points. The psychological barrier of 100 points is what has caused the internet to melt down overnight. If we'd lost by 99 points I can guarantee that the reaction would have been half as savage. People would still be losing the plot, but I doubt they'd be ranting and raving like complete freaks as they are now. But the barrier was broken and freakdom reigns - I've been responsible for enough it, I should know.

We can slaughter the players until the cows come home, but where's it going to get us? Same with murdering the coaching staff. Yes, it's the first time since 1952 that a coach has debuted in Round 1 and lost by a hundred, and yes it is a massive disaster but what do you want Bailey to do about it? Whether his gameplan works or not is anyone's guess but I sure didn't see him out there yesterday kicking balls to opposition players and personally letting Hawthorn run riot. Give him a few weeks (at least) before you start sticking the knife in. I seem to recall some particuarly spaz Hawthorn fans having kittens over Clarkson about 10 minutes into his coaching career, and now they're probably whopping off over his picture in excitement at the fact that they're seemingly a top 4 side. Who would you have in the booth instead? Yesterday's hero Sheedy? Give me a break, the man hasn't fired a shot for five years.

The next 23 weeks - all star game (any danger we might have a representative?) and mid-season break included - are going to feature a lot of heartbreak. At some point you may actually question why you bother spending money, and investing effort both emotional and physical in watching it. But if you're sick in the head like me you'll be back and secretly somewhere deep down loving it even when we do lose to Carlton by 300.

The world is a horrible place. There are more important things to destroy ourselves over than football. Fire up.