Blandinoed Or Cruzified: Which Hurts More?
By Cory Mageors | @inthemageors
105.3 THE FAN -- I took a bit of a hit on this last night because I asked this question. Which one hurts more: the Dez Bryant non-catch or the Nelson Cruz no catch?
I am still thinking this one out right now, and maybe I'll just have to go with a ranking system at some point.
We in the DFW area have experienced some tough losses: Roger Staubach to Jackie Smith wide open in the end-zone against Pittsburgh; Michael Irvin pass interfered by Deion Sanders but never called; Dirk missing two free throws and the Mavs collapsing from there against the Heat.
Then there is Cruz.
One play away from the first and only World Series Championship the Texas Rangers would have. The ghost of Cardinals past seemed to use their collective breath to push the ball just out of reach of Cruz.
I've seen Cruz make some spectacular catches, and whether you believe he was out of position and could have never caught that or whether you believe he just screwed up, it doesn't matter. He didn't catch it, and the Rangers didn't win.
Now the Dez non-catch.
A play that was quite possibly the most athletic play of all time. It was absolutely amazing, and clearly a catch except by the letter of law, but not the laws of physics.
A play that has Cowboys fans, a lot of NFL players and even coaches scratching their heads and wondering "if that's not a catch, then what is?"
A moment in time, stripped away by another person.
My argument can stem from many things. Am I more of a Cowboys fan than I am a Rangers fan?
I don't believe that's the case. I've watched both teams since I was a kid and played baseball growing up thinking I would one day pitch for the Rangers.
A lot of people argue that the weight of the moment is what sticks with them more.
The World Series vs. moving on to the NFC Championship game. I've seen the trump card thrown out easy with that, and I understand.
But for me it's the difference of a human error and human intervention.
Cruz didn't catch it, and we watched the rest of the game fall apart. The Rangers had opportunities to come back and win, but couldn't overcome the moment.
The Cowboys had opportunities too, but the emotional letdown was also too much to overcome as the defense couldn't stomach the fight anymore.
But Nelson Cruz is the martyr in that moment. He missed the ball and we have somebody to blame.
With Dez, we blame a terrible rule that will probably be changed in the offseason. A call was changed and overturned. I watch the play and I've seen Dez do the exact same thing multiple times without a no catch ruling. Yet in this game, with everything on the line emotionally for a team and fan base, it's changed for whatever reason Den Blandino wants to give.
The Cowboys felt like they had a team of destiny vibe about them. They were not the most talented, but they came back and never gave up. They represented the hard working nature we like to believe we posses and throughout the season made plays at the end of games for dramatic comeback wins.
That Rangers squad was on their second chance with the World Series and had probably the most talented roster in baseball for the second straight year.
It was supposed to win that World Series from what all the baseball writers said even the year before. A human error caused the loss, but somebody reached into the Cowboys fans collective chest and brutally pulled out their hearts.
I'm still on the fence on this right now, maybe because I'm still so emotional, maybe because I see so many "It Was A Catch" shirts, proof that a fan base still can't believe it happened to them.
How many Nelson Cruz shirts do you see?
Maybe after next year or the year after, I'll be able to reasonably say Cruz's was a bigger deal to me. But right now, as I prepare to watch the Seahawks take on the Patriots in a Super Bowl I feel the Cowboys legitimately had a chance to play in, I am burning up still hurt by the Dez non-catch.
Here's my ranking of moments that hurt
1a. Blandinoed
1b. Cruzified
3. Jackie Smith (even though I didn't watch it I've seen replays and that hurts)
4. Irvin-Sanders Non Call
5. Dirk Missed Charity Shots
Listen to Cory on the K&C Masterpiece, weeknights 7-11 p.m. on 105.3 The Fan!
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