4. My team is being disrespected in a power ranking!
Your team is only good if other people say they’re good. Forget on court performance, or kickass highlights, or winning record. The wins only matter as much as someone says they matter. And damn it, they better matter a lot or I’ll get pissed. Really, really upset at everything and everyone. Especially you.
This is your fault, Power Ranker Person. You know you did this because you have a grudge against my team, for whatever reason. You’re just the worst. You’re the lowest of the low. Scorched engine oil. The puddle that collects at the bottom of your recycling bin from unfinished cans of V8, soup, and diet Dr. Pepper.
I’m not sure what it is about this. My guess is insecurity. Sure, lots of lashing out can happen because people lack self-confidence, but power ranking anger is a specific grade of grief. It comes hard and fast and from so many different fanbases.
I think it’s because people want confirmation that what they want to be true is real. The Pistons really are on par with the Clippers and the Celtics. Or the Magic’s offensive surge is going to continue. Blake is going to keep hitting those 3s. It has to be legitimate or else I’ll die. I’ll just die.
It’s a matter of desperately trying to hold on to something that may disappear at a given moment, and if someone else thinks differently they have to be wrong because I need them to be wrong.
You have to live in the moment. Stay mindful. If something good is happening now, enjoy it now. If it changes, it’s not a ranker’s fault.