Before those living along the path around the Falls had access to a multitude of sports channels, “The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat,” clued viewers that ABC’s “Wide World of Sports” was about to start. The series featured a great variety of venues and the emotions that played out on each. During the past several days those same emotions were experienced by many who travel the path.
Friday’s appearance of the Lady Panthers at the state volleyball tournament brought an early start to the weekend. The early release allowed many students, staff and parents to show support for the team at the Resch Center. The contest was slated to begin at 4 in the afternoon, but fans could not enter the arena until it had been cleared after the earlier session. Once done, fans began working their way to the ticket scanners.
A section of the seats had been reserved for Panther fans. It represented about a fourth of the available spectator seats. The end sections of the arena were roped off and not open for seating, perhaps a flashback to the seating situation at the Seymour gym, where the Lady Panthers earned their ticket to the state tournament.
Friday afternoon when it became apparent there were more Panther fans than space available, the Resch Center management had the common sense to open up more seating areas. There was no question that the Panther fans had the largest contingent at the event. We are not sure if anyone was minding the store back in Oconto Falls because not many people were left back home.
Both the Oconto Falls High School band and choir lobbied to be part of the event, and their effort paid off. When it was time for the “The Star-Spangled Banner” to officially start the event, 85, plus or minus one or two, OFHS choir students paraded onto the playing court. Dressed in matching black shirts, they sang their hearts out. When they returned to their reserved section in the stands, the space they filled could be used to gage a quick estimation of the number of Panther fans on hand. Easily, there were at least a thousand.
Even with a thousand fans in the stands to support them, the players facing the East Troy team had their most difficult challenge of the season. The first set was close, but with the next two, there was little doubt about the final outcome. East Troy was unstoppable and went on to earn the championship trophy on Saturday. Based on the scores, the Panthers gave them much more of a run for their money.
There was no thrill of victory. The agony of defeat could be seen in full color on the front page of Saturday’s sports section. An emotional hug between a coach and an athlete is one thing, but when the two in the picture are also mother and daughter it takes on even more meaning. In the final analysis, it was a great run, but East Troy was a team of Wonder Women that was unstoppable. That takes some sting out of it.
There was a different type of sting in the lack of a thrill of victory and the sensation of the agony of defeat for those watching the Packers on Sunday. Fans may have been asking themselves, “What else could happen?” To have to revert to the third-string quarterback so early in the game was unexpected. Before long, victory was also unexpected. This was a Gold Package game, which meant that many of the fans were coming from Milwaukee. Some may have felt a need to return to Brew Town not too far into the fourth quarter. It’s unusual to see the Packer fans leave before the end of the game, but the agony of defeat must have been too much this time.
It might be a little irreverent, but the “Thrill of victory and agony of defeat” might also be applied to Monday’s Veterans Day observances. There was a very nice program at OFHS with a number of community veterans on hand. At that program, like many others, the term “sacrifice” was woven into the presentations. There may be a bit of a thrill in a military victory, but very often there is agony in that victory, since not all victors survived to celebrate. At times, the lines of victory and defeat, along with thrill and agony, can become blurred.
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