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Talk about rooting for a loser. Do you realize that in my lifetime, (23 years), these five teams combined have won a total of one championship?

Or the fact that they've only played for two championships during that span?

Count the Cubs out right away. They haven't played for a championship since 1945. And if my great-grandfather was a Cubs fan, he might have caught the last time they won a World Series in 1908, but he would have been mighty young.

Vikings are 0-forever when it comes to Super Bowls. Timberwolves will throw a celebration if they just make it out of the first-round. And the Minnesota North Stars are dead. Screw the Dallas Stars. When they moved out of Minnesota, they became dead to me forever.

And then there are the Jayhawks. My beloved Jayhawks. My "you can't watch KU with us, Ryan, because you're a little scary when they're on TV" Jayhawks.

The one shining moment amid a world of losing teams came in 1988. Danny (Manning) and the Miracles. Larry Brown when he still had brown hair. I think I was nine at the time. But you can't truly appreciate a championship when you're nine.

Out of all the teams, KU has been the most intriguing to watch. Year in and year out, they provide the most hope that one day, yes, I will be able to dance naked in the streets in celebration of a victory ... yikes.

So close in 1991. Stupid UNC in 1993. Should have won it all in 1997. Took Duke to double-overtime in 2000. And now, finally, playing for a national championship with another perennial loser (Jim Boeheim) and a kid too young to appreciate where he is (Carmello Anthony).

The feelings, the emotions, the unbridled passion. It's all documented. From the opening tip, to the agonizing air-ball, you get to feel what it's like to come so close to ecstasy, then have it snatched away leaving you curled in a ball in the middle of a snowstorm without a blanket.

The following is a (sort of) censored description of what it felt like to be a KU Jayhawk fan on Monday night.

And just for fun, I've added some NDA (Next Day Analysis) of my thoughts and emotions.

Score: 0-0

Opening tip-off is in four minutes. I just told my boss I was stepping out to use the restroom. He told me to be back before 11 PM and to be sober enough to finish the job.

NDA: I love my job and my boss right now. What a great guy to let me go like that, but what was he thinking? Stay sober? Right.

Syracuse 0-2

Stupid Craig Forth has to spoil things with his stupid layup. No matter. I'm at home now surrounded by my roommate and a bunch of college kids, none of whom seem to be rooting for KU. This might not be a good idea.

Tied 2-2

YES! Jeff Graves with the huge defensive rebound, then sticks it in on the offensive side. Man, forget everything I said about him being a fatass, Graves is playing huge.

Kansas 3-2

Dammit, Nick Collison, you have to hit your free-throws. But we got one and the lead. Let the blow out commence.

NDA: Hmm ... free-throws. Yes, it would appear that even two minutes into the game I had nailed down the exact cause of defeat.

Syracuse 10-5

No. Carmelo Anthony just hit his first basket of the night and it was a three-pointer. We need to keep them from shooting the three's like that. Anyone can win if they hit their outside shots.

And by the way, who invited the fat, loud girl? Nothing annoys me more than people who know nothing about basketball but decide they want to cheer louder than everyone else. Someone give her a twinkie and shut her up.

NDA: I do appear to be insensitive here and I apologize. But you had to be there. This is the kind of person that, if you saw her (or him) walking your way, you'd punch yourself in the nose just so it would start bleeding so you could say, "hey, I got a bloody nose, I have to go."

Syracuse 10-8

COLLISON WITH THE DUNK AND THE FOUL!

That's huge. That guy is Player of the Year right there. KU is just toying with the Orange boys right now.

Syracuse 23-14

Gerry McNamera with another f*#@!&% three-pointer. Don't let him shoot the three!

And I'm starting to get really irritated with these people at my house. Get the f*#@ out if you don't want to watch the game and definitely get the f*#@ out if you're going to cheer for Syracuse.

NDA: Seriously, I was ready to snap at this point. McNamera keeps hitting threes and the girls in the house keep talking about how cute Anthony is when he smiles. I'm pretty sure smoke was coming out of my ears.

And in case you couldn't' tell, I've turned off the "profanity blocker" in my head. You've been warned.

Syracuse 34-20

What is Michael Lee doing shooting three-pointers. Mike, you're a f*#@!&% bench reserve and not even a very good one at that. Stop shooting, you moron.

NDA: Actually, Lee is one of my favorite and in my opinion one of the most underrated players on the Jayhawks. If he makes that shot, I guarantee I'd be throwing a "Michael Lee is my favorite player" party.

Syracuse 42-27

What the holy hell is going on here? McNamera apparently made a deal with the Devil and refuses to miss a shot. KU players keep picking up fouls and the Jayhawks are down by 15. I think I'm going to be sick. Seriously, I need to get in the bathroom.

Oh, wait, it's filled up by a bunch of people who don't live here. I'm going to kick my roommate in the knee when this is over for inviting these people to the house.

NDA: My roommate did not get a kick in the knee and I did not get into the bathroom. But McNamera did make a deal with the Devil. It's the only plausible explanation.

Syracuse 47-37

Okay, we're not dead yet. Keith Langford is playing like Superman, but these guys keep picking up fouls.

Syracuse 50-37

McNamera for three ... f*#@, f*#@, f*#@!

NDA: Pretty much sums up the first half.

Halftime: Syracuse 53-42

I need to get out of here. These people are driving me nuts. I am having vision of drop-kicking the guy who keeps cheering for McNamera through my front window. Have I had too much beer to drink? Whatever, I'm going to the bar.

Syracuse 53-42

McNamera missed his first three of the second half.

Perhaps that deal with the Devil was only good for a half. Sweet Sassy Molassy, I sure hope so.

I'm a bar now, surrounded by KU fans. I'm already liking this better. The pilot has turned on the profanity blocker, so it should be smooth sailing from here.

Syracuse 55-51

HELL YES, KIRK HINRICH! That's what I'm talking about when I say get to the basket to draw the foul. Syracuse looks scared now. They're going down. Momentum has swung in favor of the Jayhawks, I can almost envision Roy holding up that championship trophy.

You guys better call timeout. It looks like Anthony has soiled his diaper.

Syracuse 55-52

Yes, finally, we're hitting our free-throws. One possession game. When the hell did this happen? All I know is this beer is going down faster ... and that is a scary thought.

NDA: The swing of emotions knows no bounds. Am I the only one who takes games like these this serious? It's no wonder my family and close friends refuse to watch any big game with me if I have emotional attachments.

Syracuse 59-54

We're one for our last seven, we've missed two free-throws, and Lee has decided it's time he starts chucking three-pointers up again. Someone tie that kid's hands behind his back or something. This is getting rough to watch.

NDA: At this point, everything you see typed has been edited for spelling. I was well beyond the legal limit. And unfortunately, some graphs had to be cut because, honestly, they made zero sense.

Syracuse 66-58

Who is Josh Pace? And why hasn't someone taken him out yet? Anthony is hobbling around like someone shot him in the back. Not that I'd hope an injury on anyone, but I hope 'Mello falls down and has to be taken off on a stretcher.

Syracuse 70-60

A 10-point deficit with eight minutes left. Just to point out that Michael Lee has taken three shots in the last two minutes.

"COME ON, KANSAS, DO SOMETHING FOR CHRIST'S SAKES! YOU GUYS SUCK!"

NDA: Yes, that is a direct quote. At this point, I think I was scaring some of the people at the bar. Fortunately, the bartender found it humorous, not dangerous, and kept on serving.

Syracuse 72-64

FOUL ON LANGFORD? HOW IS THAT A FOUL? DID HE BREATH ON HIM TOO HARD? SOMEONE CHECK TO SEE IF THAT REF HAS BEEN DRINKING!

NDA: First of all, it wasn't a foul. You never call that a foul. Ever. I don't care which team it's on. That takes Kansas's best player at the time and puts him on the bench with more than five minutes to play.

Second of all, that last outburst did get me cutoff at the bar. Not so funny anymore. Good job, Ryan.

Syracuse 78-70

What did I miss? I arrive just in time to see Graves miss both free-throws. That fatass, it's amazing he can get up and down the court at all.

Screw it, it's all over. I'm going home.

NDA: We're at a new bar. There are a total of five people here, including the bartender. The TV looks like it's 14-inches and it's on a top shelf above the bar. Not a great place to cheer your team, but I can feel the tears welling up in the back of my head, so it's a great place to watch your team go down in flames.

No, I did not go home.

Syracuse 80-77

Oh my goodness. Michael Lee just made a basket. Someone alert Dick Clark and the UN. Why the hell is he in the game with less than a minute left?

NDA: Dick Clark and the UN? I'm as confused as you. Why would they care if Lee made a basket? And he's in the game because Langford has fouled out. Man, was I really that drunk?

Syracuse 81-78

Please, God, you know I don't ever advocate praying for sports. But come on, so close, just please let them hit a three. I know they can do it. Come on, please.

NDA: Prayer. A sports fanatic's last hope. And just to point out, by doing this, I am a hypocrite. I'm pretty sure God doesn't have any money riding on this game so I highly doubt he cares who wins. He was probably watching the Flameworth County Music Awards anyway.

Final Score: Syracuse 81, Kansas 78

*EDITED FOR CONTENT*

NDA: This last paragraph won't make it in. Rest assured it was mostly just profanity mixed in with a few death threats for Clark Kellogg, Billy Packer, and Carmello Anthony. And a mighty struggle to hold back tears.

As Hinrich's air-ball fell into Syracuse's hands, I got out of my seat and walked back into work. No post-game celebrations or interviews, no analysis of what happened. My heart had been ripped out, no need to let anyone dance on it.

KU played a hell of a game, but when you miss that many free-throws, you're supposed to lose. When you miss that many three-pointers, you're supposed to lose.

It hurts to come that close, only to see your team fall short. I make no apologies for my emotions during the game, I love KU basketball. And hopefully somewhere in New York, there is some sports freak who feels as good as I feel bad.

Rock Chalk!

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