Because these things are cumulative. The pain of that Nats Game 5 fiasco last year was magnified because of the losses in 2016 and 2014 and 2012. The Wizards' second-round loss to the Celtics was worse because of the second-round losses to the Hawks and Pacers. The Caps' second-round loss to the Penguins wouldn't have been so bad if the Caps hadn't previously lost to the Penguins, and before that to the Penguins, and before that to the Penguins, and then there was that one time they lost to the Penguins, and the Penguins, and the second round, and the Penguins, and the second round, and the Penguins, and I swear it sometimes makes you want to give up on the whole concept of sports fandom entirely and just concentrate on pickling. And if you root for all of those teams . . . I mean, I'm sorry.