Loss

The San Francisco 49'ers lost to the Minnesota Vikings, 24-27, in yesterday's football game. SF seemed to have had the game until the last two seconds when the Vikings scored a touchdown from a Brett Favre pass.

I am a casual sports fan and don't really have a team that I follow or call my own. But between the 49'ers and the Vikings, I wanted SF to win and they were so close to having it for a 3-0 record.

When I saw the final seconds and the referee's confirmation of the touchdown, I felt that heartbreaking sensation again; a sinking, deflating, paralyzing feeling of disbelief. I heard myself muttering the following a few times: "Ouch!!"

A writer for the San Francisco Chronicle described the loss as "groin-level painful." 

(Shaun Hill, San Francisco 49'ers Quarterback)

I may not be the kind to quibble on the technicalities of a football game but a loss is a loss and the emotional effects of it (as a participant or partial spectator) are as much real and felt, especially in a well-executed team effort.

I had a brief chat with a friend who is an SF fan. I could tell that the impact of the loss hit  him hard, even though he predicted them to lose!  He agreed with me that it was a good game and his belief and confidence in this 49'ers team can not be dismissed.

Onwards to Week 4 of pro-football.