My son called me yesterday after the win over Spurs to bemoan what he termed the "lackluster" nature of City's title win this year whenever it occurred, today, or next week at Swansea: no sheer joy, no on-field celebration in front of the home crowd as there was in 2012. He was right. There is nothing better than that. And although we mentioned the possibility of securing the three points we needed by a United loss today it was unemotional math, neither of us thought it worth the emotion of hope. United were not going to lose at home to dead last West Brom. Neither of us thought about the emotion of schadenfreude that would come in to play today if...
In great sports rivalries there is schadenfreude that comes into play. Even if your team isn't playing there is still joy in your rival's loss. If City had beaten United last week 3-2 in a match well-played by a game United squad, there would have been the opposite, some grudging respect for United. There would have been some glory for United in gallant defeat. We wouldn't want that, would we? No we would not and so today's loss by United presented the inverse of the emotions of winning the title at home. We were presented the gift of City winning the title at Old Trafford by United losing in front of its own fans--who booed them off the pitch! Ah, exquisite joy, that. Rare, unexpected, double joy, winning without even playing by your greatest rival losing, humiliatingly.
No, nothing, not this, not anything, will ever top the frisson of the QPR title win. This though can be savored by its own lights, in the bright light of triumph, and in the dark light of schadenfreude.
In great sports rivalries there is schadenfreude that comes into play. Even if your team isn't playing there is still joy in your rival's loss. If City had beaten United last week 3-2 in a match well-played by a game United squad, there would have been the opposite, some grudging respect for United. There would have been some glory for United in gallant defeat. We wouldn't want that, would we? No we would not and so today's loss by United presented the inverse of the emotions of winning the title at home. We were presented the gift of City winning the title at Old Trafford by United losing in front of its own fans--who booed them off the pitch! Ah, exquisite joy, that. Rare, unexpected, double joy, winning without even playing by your greatest rival losing, humiliatingly.
No, nothing, not this, not anything, will ever top the frisson of the QPR title win. This though can be savored by its own lights, in the bright light of triumph, and in the dark light of schadenfreude.
