Graceful in Defeat

I've been quiet about this for a while. I had to wait for the metaphysical swelling to go down a little bit before I put any narrative weight on the subject. The Denver Broncos lost their playoff game. To be more precise, they were beaten roundly in the AFC Championship game by the Pittsburgh Steelers, 34-17. My wife was very supportive, going so far as to bake me a chocolate cake in recognition of my relative stability throughout the long professional football season. I lost a dollar bet on the game. I'll live.
My son, sadly, had his first cognitive experience with being a good loser. He wore his John Elway jersey for two days leading up to the game. When it was all over, he told me, "Dad, I feel a little stressed out." I told him to imagine how good the people in Pittsburgh and Seattle felt, and that they had been waiting for thirty years to win a Super Bowl. He listened patiently, but I knew what he was feeling down inside. He knows we have to wait another year to see if it will be our turn again next year.
Meanwhile, last Friday in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, A 17-year-old high school student said he was humiliated when a teacher made him sit on the floor during a midterm exam in his ethnicity class - for wearing a Denver Broncos jersey. His teacher also made other students throw crumpled up paper at Vannoy, whom he called a "stinking Denver fan." The teacher's defense: "If he felt uncomfortable, then that's a lesson; that's what [the class] is designed to do. It was silly fun. I can't believe he was upset."
Gee, I guess I'd like to see the lesson plan for that day. Back here by the bay, I can honestly say that the people around me have been universally supportive, regardless of their rooting interests. It's just about time to switch from my winter Broncos jacket to my spring windbreaker - the one with the Chicago Cubs logo on it. Spring training starts in about thirty days.