Has it set in YET?

[heyzeus]

I've often wondered, when I hear the statement "It hasn't sunk in yet," if that is any indication of the actual importance of that championship for that person.

This is, by no means, meant to challenge anyone's loyalty to their teams. I just think that, for many people, losing hurts more than winning feels good. And on top of that, there's typically going to be more losing (not winning it all) than winning. So winning carries more of a burden. A single championship has the responsibility of trying to make up for all of those years of not winning it all. That's a tough task.

Well, 2006 felt so strange after all of those years of frustration. The 1985 incident. Losing to the Twins and the homerdome in 1987. Blowing the 3-1 lead by virtue of 2 blowouts vs. the Braves in 1996. Watching everyone on our pitching staff break before our eyes in 2000. Losing in the bottom of the 9th vs. the eventual World Champs in 2001 (after letting Craig Counsell hit a huge HR). Letting Benito Santiago beat is in 2002. Letting the Cubs beat us in 4 out of 5 games in 2003. Watching a team of destiny in 2004 lose to another team of destiny. Watching the 2nd team of destiny--saved by Pujols in Houston--ultimately fall flat in the last game of the old stadium.

All of those teams lost in such emotionally painful fashion.

Then in 2006, all of the sudden the team that wasn't supposed to do anything went through a talented Padres team, gave us an epic series against the Mets, but then just cut through the Tigers like a hot knife through butter. It almost seemed too easy. Where was the struggle? Where was that sudden turn of karma? Seriously? This team did it where the others couldn't? Jeff Weaver wins the clinching game and a rookie closer with no regular season saves finishes it out?

--P--

Yes. This nails the feeling exactly.

[Popeye_Card]

Here's what it felt like to me. You've played a video game for years and years, and you just can't beat it. You play and play, but you just end up frustrated each time.

Then about a year after giving up, you decide to play it just for fun, and you end up beating the game. Then you sit there like, "That's it? That's how I beat it? Wow, that's sorta anti-climatic."

That's how I felt when the confetti was falling all around me and they were setting up the stage mid-field. I was so happy that it finally happened, but it all seemed so odd.

--P--

[mcgee51taguchi99]

Here's what it felt like to me. You've played a video game for years and years, and you just can't beat it. You play and play, but you just end up frustrated each time.

Then about a year after giving up, you decide to play it just for fun, and you end up beating the game. Then you sit there like, "That's it? That's how I beat it? Wow, that's sorta anti-climatic."

That's how I felt when the confetti was falling all around me and they were setting up the stage mid-field. I was so happy that it finally happened, but it all seemed so odd.

--P--

Hall of Fame analogy there. Seriously, go ahead and take the rest of the day off.

[Centreville]

That's exactly how I feel. I have been waiting for a championship ever since I was a child, and when they did win it last year, I didn't jump around, cry for joy, things that I had always imagine I would do, nothing. Just stood there in shock. It sunk in the day of the parade...

[TheoSqua]

I don't think you really can love baseball just for winning. Theres 30 teams in the majors, so if every team wins a championship that means each teambase "fan" gets to see 2 championships in a lifetime (gotta figure 3 would be pushing it since you'd either be dead or too young to remember it).

So the return of winning vs the amount of time you put into baseball, it obviously wouldn't be worth it for the average fan to watch baseball just to see a team win the world series.

[Popeye_Card]

I don't think you really can love baseball just for winning. Theres 30 teams in the majors, so if every team wins a championship that means each teambase "fan" gets to see 2 championships in a lifetime (gotta figure 3 would be pushing it since you'd either be dead or too young to remember it).

So the return of winning vs the amount of time you put into baseball, it obviously wouldn't be worth it for the average fan to watch baseball just to see a team win the world series.

You could easily enjoy 3--ages 15, 45, and 75 for example. But yeah, you obviously have to root for more than just winning it all.

The only real affect it's had on me is that a.) I get to buy cool championship stuff (hooray capitalism!) and b.) I can finally go through an offseason without a bad taste in my mouth as to how the previous season ended.

But in some ways I'm still sad. I'm sad that Lankford, Walker, Morris, etc. didn't get to win a ring with the Cardinals while Weaver and Belliard did. Stuff like that. You always want more as a fan.

--P--

[bronx_bird]

Having been away from the Midwest for far too long, I always felt bad after seasons that fell short (some BARELY short), but as time went on, I felt more for the Cardinals' fandom as a whole and some of the loyal actors....like LaRussa especially, rather than myself.

When we won in the fall, I felt more relief for that release from frustration than elation. The StL fan base had never experienced a drought longer than 18 years since those who were fans before 1908. That's pretty steady and cool, relatively speaking. As 2000 passed without a championship, that longest drought kept getting more and more annoying. I was most happy to know that Tony finally guided a team of great players to a championship (no matter how much luck might be involved in past wins and losses)....and also that young fans who don't remember 1982 or previous championship seasons could join the club of Cardinals fans that do.

For myself, although I was in the stands for Games 4 and 5, and although it was one of the coolest experiences of my life....I have found that it doesn't compare with 1982 for me, because I was 9, and for some reason, life is more care-free for most kids (thankfully, it was for me) at that age.

I'll always remember my first.

[Fat Strat]

Here's what it felt like to me. You've played a video game for years and years, and you just can't beat it. You play and play, but you just end up frustrated each time.

Then about a year after giving up, you decide to play it just for fun, and you end up beating the game. Then you sit there like, "That's it? That's how I beat it? Wow, that's sorta anti-climatic."

That's how I felt when the confetti was falling all around me and they were setting up the stage mid-field. I was so happy that it finally happened, but it all seemed so odd.

This is kind of how I feel. I almost feel guilty that this team won. I went in '05 when Mulder lost to Oswalt in game 2. We live about 7 hours away from StL, so it's a big deal to pack up and go to a playoff game. I had an opportunity to get tickets to the '06 NLCS, but we turned them down. We didn't think it was likely that we would make it out the series, and we were so used to losing that we didn't think this year's team would be any different.

I felt guilty in one sense because, while I enjoyed it and loved every minute of it and had no expectations and no disappointment if they would have lost, I never BELIEVED that they were going to win. I did believe in '00, '02, '04, and '05. The '06 team just wasn't the same team. They didn't capture my attention and imagination until it was too late.

So, yeah, it was somewhat relieving that Pujols, Rolen, Carp, and Edmonds finally have one under their belt. It was amazing to watch the boys toughen up and do things right. It was a bit bitter to watch them do it in October after forcing 6 months of sub-par baseball on us.

[Suicide_Squeeze]

It has sunk in with me, but it did take awhile to do so. I also cannot wait to go to Atlanta in July for four games and listening to them call us the champs each and every time. That's when I'll really get to enjoy it.

[JCShutout]

I want us to bring the trophy to Chicago when we play the flubs...

or atleast have a ceremony for the trophy when the flubbies come to town.