A striking parallel

Today was the day.

I thought Andy Roddick had finally done it. (And, from reading about the match, it seems he was closer than I had even realized at first … 6-1 in the tiebreak? Sheesh). I thought he had finally fulfilled that “promise” we had always seen in him. He was going to beat Roger Federer in the Wimbledon final.

It was going to be the talk of the sports world. A watershed moment. The breakthrough Americans had been waiting for.

And then we all got ahead of ourselves. It was just the second set. And he was playing the world’s best.

Just like we did with soccer two weeks ago. On the cusp of a real breakthrough, we forgot that sports are heartbreaking. And breathtaking. And cruel. And beautiful.

So, we wait another year for that “one big win.” It has to come sometime, right?