The loser's season

and one of the happiest plates in New York City #117

March 2020, and how I’m feeling today

One of the themes of the 2021 primary election season was there were more candidates than ever running. It was supposed to show how thriving democracy was in New York City, with a more robust public-matching fund program making it easier for any regular schmo to represent their communities in the city council or as mayor.

At some point after hearing it repeatedly the flip side of it hit me like an anvil. There would be more losers than ever that season, no matter how hard they tried.

Thinking about all the time and energy and years (or months, or decades) of planning and dashed hopes and dreams left me down. The campaign posters that lingered on highway ramps and empty storefronts for years, literally and figuratively fading, reminded me of the dozens of losers still walking the streets of New York City. They very publicly tried and they very publicly failed, and nobody thought to take down the signs.

My friends told me I shouldn’t feel that bad for politicians, especially if they were rich and/or annoying. But it’s hard not to feel a little bad for anyone who tries something and fails – spectacularly or pathetically, with good intentions or not.

I’m reflecting on losing today because of election season and, of course, because we are in the midst of March Madness and my basketball team lost yesterday even though so many people, especially me, thought this was Our Year.

Some might see the spring as the start of new life, of fresh blossoms and a rebirth. I see it as the start of the loser’s season. Voters sign petitions and fans fill out brackets and we watch and read stories of sacrifice, or dedication, of love of the game or the city. But in a few weeks, a few months, most will end in heartbreak.

I watched Saturday’s game at a friend’s house and with a few minutes left someone asked the kids if they believed in miracles. In unison, most of the kids (and one of my friends) loudly declared “no.” The kids were right. How did we think we could win when we missed layups and couldn’t hit any 3-point shots?

During elections I often wonder if the supporters of some candidates who don’t seem to have a chance really think they can win it all. Don’t they look at the stats? Aren’t they talking to non-delusional people? Are they hoping for a miracle when they can’t even raise any money?

When the last whistle blew on Saturday I tried to quickly process the end of the team’s best season since before I was even born. Some kids seemed unable to believe that there would be no more basketball for a long time, crushed by a disappointment that was new to them. For a few months we were the winners, but now we were not. One kid cried, and his mom reassured him that we could do it all again next year, bigger and better and even more fun. Like we do every year, we hitched our hopes to the future, even though we haven’t seen a return on this yet.

We’ll see lots of that before June, with weeks filled with promise and hope, before we know who the losers are. We should think about them, too.

Other interesting stories

↣The head of the Mayor’s Office of Contract Services is out [THE CITY]
↣Mayor Eric Adams didn’t raise a lot of money in his latest fundraising haul. [THE CITY]
↣And he’s maybe running as an independent, a possibility I discussed in our weekly election newsletter (SIGN UP!!) [THE CITY]
↣The pedestrian walkway for the Queensboro Bridge was all set to be announced until City Hall stepped in and delayed it. Streetsblog broke it first, and the New York
Times’s take features the spokesperson for the mayor using “LOL” in a statement.
↣Another almost felon’s landscaping company gets a lucrative Parks Dept contract [THE CITY]
↣Non-citizen voting struck down as unconstitutional [THE CITY]
↣Randy Mastro is back in city government [THE CITY]

Latest FAQ episodes — Harry spoke to Liz Glazer about subway safety and we spoke to State Sen. Jessica Ramos, who is running for mayor.

And the INNER CIRCLE SHOW (I am playing two iconic Manhattan figures) is very soon. You can buy your tickets online!

This is not a sandwich, however! Saturday night I went with some friends to L&B Spumoni Gardens before going to see DJ Nicky Siano at the El Dorado bumper cars in Coney Island for his 70th birthday (a very amazing experience, you can read about his 60th birthday here.)

It was a perfect meal for the hours of dancing ahead of us, and we ended it with that leaning tower of spumoni the waiters drop on your table when you ask. It seems like everybody gets it and everyone always has the same reaction, pure delight. You hear old people giggle as they stick their spoons into the quartered tartufo. It’s all plated on a bed of sprinkles and cherry syrup, topped with heaping piles of whipped cream. I decided last night it’s one of the most amazing plates in the whole city because of how much happiness it brings – and everyone could use a little of that.

Thanks for reading!