Elimination Day

When my boys were young I made a deal with them - Mostly Matt who really wanted a pool in the backyard.

“I’ll give you three sports teams. If they win a championship you get a pool.”

He asked to think about it a while. Talked it over with Jake.

“We’re taking the Bills, the Sabres and the A’s.”

This was in 1997.

“Don’t be dumb,” I said. “Take the Yankees.”

They stood firm.

The Yankees won 3 straight and 4 since the bet was made.

No pool.

And around the year 2000, I began taunting the boys with celebrations on ‘elimination day’.

Three days - when Bills, Sabres and A’s are eliminated - during the year - as soon as I wasn’t on the hook for a pool.

I vaguely mentioned ‘elimination day’ before the Bills game started on Sunday.

I was roundly booed.

And man, it was a depressing day around the job sites here in Western New York. Guys either didn’t even want to hear anything about the game…

…and other guys talked non-stop.

There was a lot of rage more than anything else.

“We get buried in snow and our shit bird teams choke. Welcome to beautiful Buffalo,” one guy said.

He was the nice guy in the group.

There were theories.

1). The coaching sucks.

2). The refs love Mahommes.

3). Taylor Swift HAS to be at the Super Bowl.

4). It’s all scripted.

5). It’s the O.J. Curse

And cooler heads will prevail.

By the time I got home from work Jake was already halfway through acceptance.

“We’ll rework Von and Knox’s contract, draft a receiver, and try to stay healthy. Right back at it next year.”

He was being way too reasonable.

“How about Bass?” I asked.

“He needs to go into the pit,” Jake said, referencing the new stadium hole.

So, maybe not completely over it.

Every so often I will ask them if they’d like to switch up their teams in an effort to finally get that pool.

“The Yankees are still your best bet,” I tell them.

Sam is a Yankees fan…

…he gets outvoted.

“Suit yourself,” I say.

“Go Bills!” They answer.