All Glory is Fleeting

At the end of the iconic motion picture Patton, the general delivers a monologue that is every bit as stirring as his address to the Third Army at the beginning of the picture.

For over a thousand years Roman conquerors returning from the wars enjoyed the honor of triumph, a tumultuous parade. In the procession came trumpeters, musicians and strange animals from conquered territories, together with carts laden with treasure and captured armaments. The conqueror rode in a triumphal chariot, the dazed prisoners walking in chains before him. Sometimes his children robed in white stood with him in the chariot or rode the trace horses. A slave stood behind the conqueror holding a golden crown,and whispering in his ear a warning: that all glory is fleeting.”

The man had a way with words – perhaps moreso than he could have ever imagined. His speech encompasses much more than just wartime. It also applies to the victories in sports. Trust me – I can vouch for this.

I became a Manchester United supporter during the 1976-77 season, when the Stretford Reds outlasted the Anfield Reds from Liverpool in the F.A. Cup final, 2-1. I had seen United play before in Cup Finals, and they had always been intriguing to me, but it wasn’t until the 1977 Wembley final that the light switch was turned on.

In the 45 years since then, the club (and supporters like me the world over) has experienced more than its fair share of success, capturing 20 English Premier League championships, a handful of F.A. Cup titles, and two UEFA Champions League trophies.

However, in the nearly 10 seasons since the trophy case was last opened at the club’s hallowed ground at Old Trafford, the fame has dissipated. The Red Devils have had to return to the backseat while watching two of their most bitter adversaries, crosstown rival Manchester City and longtime nemesis, the aforementioned Liverpool, have reaped most of the football rewards in United’s absence.

It’s a very bitter pill to swallow. I’ll be the first to admit that United supporters, and everyone else otherwise connected to the club, became spoiled by the achievements garnered from 1992 to 2013. Sir Alex Ferguson – arguably the greatest manager in English football history, and one of the best in the European annals – promised he would turn the club around, and he was good on his word.

Yesterday, I watched the first half on the opening leg of the UEFA Champions League semifinals, a 4-3 Manchester City win over Real Madrid in what many are terming an Instant Classic. Today, Liverpool are facing Villarreal in another England-Spain matchup in the the other CL semifinal. It’s another punch in the gut to United fans.

Personally, I’ve had to experience the same dashed hopes and melancholy memories with the American football team that I am a fan of – the Dallas Cowboys. The similarities between United and the Cowboys are almost unmistakable. The Cowboys won three Super Bowls in the 1990s, and in each of those years that they won, Manchester United won the Premier League championship.

The Cowboys last title came in 1996, as United followed four months later with its 10th English championship. Both teams have fallen on less than ideal (for them) fortunes of late, The hopes of resurrecting past riches always remain in the backs of the minds of supporters like myself.

Whether or not those hopes ever move to the frontal lobes remains to be seen. Because no one knows better than Manchester United and the Dallas Cowboys that all glory is, indeed, fleeting.