It's March, and I'm Mad

I blame Paul O'Neill as much as I blame myself, though it is also helpful to have other people to blame as well...mostly people who have the unmitigated gall to point out the obvious. But, really, I guess I have to blame, uh, my uncles Al and John. That's it...it can't be my fault so they are the easiest to blame (mostly because they are the farthest away!).
Being an A+ competitve personality, I have a tendency to come unwound at times, usually at times when I have NO control over the situation. Paul O'Neill hitting into a double play in the World Series ten years or so ago is a perfect example. The remote flew out of my hand, out the door of the TV room, over the railing, hit the main floor, bounced up into a chair and smacked into a big window! The only casualties in this event were the remote (rendered totally useless) and my emotional state when reminded that I was being childish and should grow up (adding combustible liquid to an already raging inferno). So, I didn't take that reminder well. Had the window shattered, though, it would have been MUCH worse.
It is similar every March when favorite basketball teams get bounced from a tournament as happened twice already this week. Bothe the UW-Green Bay men's team and the Duquesne University women's teams fell agonizingly short of a tourney victory. Losing, I guess, I can take (if I absolutely HAVE to), but playing poorly and losing a close contest drives me crazy. It is a proven fact that shouting at the television or the internet broadcast of a game is probably useless, but I continue to do it, though, strangesly, I rarely do this when attending a game in person. Ranting at raving at the computer did not help my son's college team win tonight, but I put the blame for that on the announcers.
The situation: the Dukes were up by two with a minute or so to go. A foul is committed on the opposing team's post player, and the announcers go on and on about what a terrible free throw shooter she is...naturally, she makes both shots. A foul is committed on the other end, and the announcers pointedly note what a great free throw shooter the Dukes have...naturally, she misses one of two, the opposing team runs the floor and hits a layup A FREAKING LAYUP! with 2 seconds on the clock...game over..."we" lose. Even media people should know that the surest way to defy convention is to TALK about it! Geez!
Of course, I was out of my chair, swearing and throwing things before being reminded that I was again acting childishly and that "it's only a game." Aetna, Mt. St. Helens, Vesuvius, Fuji...you get the idea. This is not something that's going to go away. It will take weeks to get over this.
Childish, you say? Possibly, but it's not my fault...it's reaction. I'm pointing the finger straight at people who encouraged me to be competitive, the people who taught me that there are some things that transcend normalcy when goals are at stake...that there is a need for passion in life, even if it gets misplaced sometimes over situations which may NOT be the most critical to life as we know it.
Maybe, just maybe, it's OK to be childish sometimes if the remote isn't involved.
So, how did I manage to calm myself a bit tonight after two nights of frustration? I watched Japan and Korea play baseball and didn't care who won...Japan did.
But, you know what? I wouldn't change me for anything (though I cannot say that other people feel the same!).