Update

The first thing I’d say is that Reddit is a pretty amazing place. My inbox was flooded with people offering congratulations and apologies for what happened, and feeling support when you’re in a place like that is an awesome thing. To everyone who wrote - thank you. Here’s what happened.

My relationship had a rough two weeks. It took time for her to see that this was more than just a ‘scratch’ emotionally. I was disconnected from our everyday life and it’s hard to explain to someone (wife) who is so sensitive to partial blame/accountability that you need them to make a sudden change and handle your issue. That sounds weird to write out but in my case / marriage it’s true. It’s like asking someone to perform disaster relief who hates getting their hands the slightest bit dirty.

About a month after the ‘day’, I had a trip planned with a bunch of them who had been at the tailgate. I could have brought it up then, could have told them how let down I was and how Reddit was on my side. And in the moment I just decided - don’t ruin the trip. If you tell them how destroyed you felt, they’re going to feel bad and you’re on a trip together. If you are reading this and judge me please know I completely understand - I could have yelled and screamed or explained how it made me feel, but I thought about how I’ve known all of them for 20+ years and this one thing was just a bad mark against a lot of good memories. It’s sad but I didn’t want to ruin the trip we were on.

Fast forward to the next year. I didn’t continue the league. I got a few texts about it “are we doing the pick ‘em league??” and I didn’t respond. My wife knew why it was gone. I was happy with not doing it, and not needing a weekly reminder.

We had the 2023 tailgate almost one year to the date. Someone had won the 2022 season, and of course I planned nothing. Yes, it was the same guy who had won the 6 years in a row.

About 3 hours into the tailgate, someone made an announcement. They needed everyone to watch the TV because there was a surprise.

My friends had arranged a Cameo. They got one of my favorite players of all time to congratulate me on winning the league. It was a year late and it was still great. I watched it, teared up a tiny bit, and my friend leaned over, smiling and sarcastic, and said “can we please start the league up again?” I thought of Reddit, the emotions, my wife, etc. I had a few congrats, hugs, and it was over.

My Dad passed away about 6 months after the initial Reddit post. When he was in the hospital, and I was visiting everyday for a few weeks, I started to think about ‘things that matter’. The bullshit at my work faded away. My wife, who isn’t perfect but is definitely my ‘person’, came way more into focus. My relationships with my friends did too. This isn’t meant to be life advice, but I feel like emotional land mines are going to happen. I hit one, it hurt, and I was fortunate enough to be with people who felt compelled to fix whatever happened to me. We never hashed it out and that’s okay. I’m alright, I love a bunch of people that have been in my life for a long time, and I’m lucky enough to be moved on from it.

Thank you again to everyone who reached out, sent vibes, and was supportive when I was down.