We’re a few weeks into a new season, and there’s a good chance your team is off to a bad start. Maybe it’s simply disappointing, or maybe it’s bordering on disastrous – these things come in different flavors. But when it happens, it leads to panic and a sense of impending doom, as you can’t help but hear about looming milestones like November 1 or US Thanksgiving, and how the season will be a total writeoff if your team isn’t back on track by then. A slow start is the worst.
Also, it might not matter.
The “might” is a key word here, because a slow start can absolutely torpedo a season. But it doesn’t have to, as history often reminds us. So today, let’s see if we can calm a few nerves for fan bases in Colorado, Nashville, Buffalo and elsewhere, and maybe rekindle a few memories for others. Let’s look back at your team’s worst start to a season that ended up being just fine, thanks.
We’re going to define a bad start a little loosely here, which allows us to play around with some arbitrary end points, although we want a team that’s at least under .500. For some teams, that cold streak will only last a few games, while others might take months to get going. And of course, the “didn’t matter” part will be in the eye of the beholder – for some of these teams, a few extra points in October could have meant home ice, or a better playoff matchup, or who knows what else down the road. But the larger point remains: Often, a few bad games is just a few bad games, and good teams find a way.
There is hope. You just need to know where to look. Let’s remember some bad starts.
>> Read the full post at The Athletic
(Want to read this post on The Athletic for free? Sign up for a free trial.)
No comments:
Post a Comment