The Vernal Villan: Week 10, Objectivity

This Saturday, I spent my day at the American Musicological Society's Capital Chapter Meeting. Trust me, it was as enthralling as it sounds. The ultimate downside to this, however, was not being bored by papers, but rather missing the Chelsea match.

That said, when I came home and finally got to see the score, I was elated. We had taken a point from a team that, by most regards, is one of the best ever put on a pitch. Easily one of the best in the world at this point, at the very least. If someone had told me that they could guarantee us a point against Chelsea while Marc, Gabby, and Heskey would be out, I'd have paid what was needed.

But that doesn't seem to be the general reaction around the Internet. Instead, the zeitgeist seems to encapsulate mostly disappointment. And while I can understand that, it made me think about a few things.

Fanhood isn't rational. Think about this match objectively. If I told you a team that had lost it's manager a week before the season, had a new guy on board, and was missing three of its best players (three of the top five?) would gain one point from "Give Everyone Else" The Blues, you'd say the non-Chelsea team had done very well for itself, correct? If I then told you that the non-Chelsea team had been plagued with defensive troubles all year and had somehow held one of the most prolific teams in history to a nil-nil draw, you'd think that was amazing, right?

But for the people who watched the game, it isn't enough. We had chances, and some of them were really good. What is it about a match like this that leaves fans wanting more? I didn't get to see it, and I'm happy. But almost to a person, anyone who watched is lamenting not getting three points on Saturday.

And I want to be clear, I don't think anyone is being irrational. I know the feeling. When the chance to do better than previously expected prevents itself, it seems like a wasted opportunity if its not taken. Coming into the game, I bet we all would have been happy with this result. But those who watched got to see Villa come tantalizingly close to 3 points. It's like eating. Sure, you may be excited for a great chicken pot pie you ordered at the restaurant, but then you see someone else eating the best looking roasted lamb you've ever seen. Suddenly, through no fault of its own, the chicken pot pie seems lackluster. On Saturday, the waiter brought us out a delicious meal, only to have him tell us that, oh by the way, roasted lamb was also on the menu.

Hey, at least we got to eat!