Is there any ride that has as many ups and downs on a person’s psyche than being the fan of a professional sports team?

I’m asking this question in the immediate aftermath of the Toronto Blue Jays loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 6 of this year’s World Series.

I was hoping to write about how the Jays beat the odds in yet another series to win the whole shebang for the first time in 32 years.

In fact, up until Addison Barger got caught trying to scramble back to second base on a bullet throw from Dodgers’ outfielder Enrique Hernandez for the game-ending double play, I still thought they had a shot to win the game and the series. But they didn’t, which set up the winner take all game on Saturday.

Unfortunately, because this paper goes to press on Saturday afternoon, I had no clue on the outcome of said Game 7.

If they won... woohoo. It’s been hard not to cheer for the Jays this post season. They are a tight knit group who seem to truly love the game they get paid millions to play and they seem to really love and appreciate each other.

Even though the Jays winning would back Torontonians even more unbearable than they already are, it’s a small price to pay for winning America’s favourite past-time and bringing the trophy north of the border.

I just wish I could have been there in person, if that, in fact, is what happened. There’s nothing quite like being a part of that atmosphere, unless of course they lost.

The last time the Jays were in the World Series was 1993. My body Kevin and I went to Game 2 at the Skydome, hoping to see them win against the Philadelphia Phillies and take a 2-0 series lead. Instead, they gave up five runs in the second inning and ultimately lost 6-4 after giving up an insurance home run in the seventh that landed three rows in front of us.

I believe we paid a scalper $400 each for the tickets that were midway up the outfield bleachers.

The five-run burst in the second inning completely took the air out of the place and watching the rest of the game was no different than watching a game in mid July.

The four-hour drive back to Ottawa was even more deflating than the actual game.

The Jays would go on to win the series on Joe Carter’s legendary walk off home run in Game 6, but of course, we weren’t there for that epic moment in sports history. We had already blown our budget on the tickets to Game 2.

That’s the problem with best out of seven or best out of five series. You have no idea if your team is going to win any one particular game. Your only insurance is to go to every home game and hope they win. That’s why your much better off going to something like the Grey Cup, or the Super Bowl, if you don’t mind taking out a second mortgage to buy a ticket.

Anyway, where was I ? Oh yes, the World Series and Game 7 in particular. If the Jays did win Game 7, I’m sure the aprés party was outstanding.

Canada and Canadians haven’t gotten behind a team like this since the Toronto Raptors won the NBA championship in 2019, or the 2010 men’s Olympic hockey team that won gold in Vancouver on Sidney Crosby’s epic overtime goal.

And we should savour every minute of it, assuming we won, because it doesn’t happen very often. The Jays haven’t won the World Series since 1993 and they’ve only won it twice in the 48 year history of the franchise, which also happens to be the same number of times they’ve been in the World Series.

The Raptors have only been to the NBA finals once in their 40-year history. And a Canadian team hasn’t won the Stanley Cup since 1993 when the Montréal Canadians beat the Los Angeles Kings.

Closer to home, the Ottawa Senators have only made the NHL finals once in their 33-year history and they broke every fan’s heart when they lost in seven games.

You’re more likely to see a total eclipse of the son than you are to see a Canadian team win a professional sports crown.

So here’s hoping the Jays won on Saturday, and if they didn’t, here’s hoping we don’t have to wait another 32 years to get another kick at the can.

(If you wish to comment on this or any other View Point column please write to Fred Sherwin at fsherwin@orleansstar.ca)