They gathered in droves, trekked to Toronto, and believed they were about to see something that hasn’t been seen in more than 30 years. But unfortunately, it wasn’t meant to be. Toronto Blue Jays fans watched in shock as Game 7 on Saturday went to extra innings with the World Series on the line. The L.A. Dodgers’ Will Smith knocked in a solo home run while Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto shut down the Blue Jays to seal the deal. On Monday, many fans were still feeling the disappointment that came from coming so close to the title. “It was just shock and sadness,” Graham McCormick, a season ticket holder from Waterloo, Ont., said. “[It] might have been easier if it was a bit of a blowout, but it was so close. For it to slip away, I think we’ll create a lot of lessons for everyone on the team and fans.” Watching highlights of the game feels like a nightmare for McCormick as he recalled what it felt like as the feeling at the Rogers Centre shifted from hours of elation to utter devastation. “The clock literally struck midnight and the dream was over,” he said. Experts said that feeling of sadness after watching a major loss is a normal reaction, especially for people who invested a lot of time and emotion into the season and the team. However, it isn’t all doom and gloom. “It’s more positive and more constructive when we realize, ‘You know what? They did amazing,’” Pat Barclay, a University of Guelph psychology professor, said. “So many people came together and that’s something we can be proud of.” Barclay said sports teams often bring people together, and that itself can be positive. “We still have the friends and family who we watch the games with, who we discussed it with. We can always go and still hang out with them and enjoy the good times and make other memories.” Staff at Morty’s in Waterloo said it was sad to see the final outcome, but the last few weeks have been among their best for business. It was standing room only for Game 7. “Young and old - we’ve got people who are clearly university students high-fiving people who have been Morty’s regulars for 40 years,” Derek Mcley, a manager at Morty’s, said. “Everybody’s on the same page cheering for the Blue Jays.”
