Being a fan comes with no guarantees.

We devote precious time following our team's every move. We log countless hours on TV watching our team's progress. Occasionally, we spend a small fortune to see them play in person. It's an illogical obsession.

But, sometimes, it all pays off. Pittsburgh fans can point to the Penguins raising the Stanley Cup, or the six Super Bowl rings the Steelers have collected.

Other times... not so much. Namely, the Pirates have been underwhelming Pittsburgh supporters for 19 years running.

Nearly two decades of empty promises, unfulfilled dreams and, at times, utter incompetence.

But if you're a fan of the Pirates, don't jump ship. There is a light at the end of the tunnel.

I should know, I'm a Red Sox fan.

I grew up about an hour north of Boston. There's been a Red Sox hat fitted around my head for as long as I can remember, and I realize I've been incredibly spoiled in recent years.

In high school, I could hardly handle the thought of Boston making a deep playoff run. But winning two World Series titles in a four-year stretch? That's just impossible, or so I thought, but never admitted.

As the Red Sox proved in 2004 and '07, impossible is a dangerous word to use in the realm of sports. If anything, sports are impossible to figure out.

I'll never forget 2004 in particular. It was my sophomore year at Southern New Hampshire University and the small campus had turned insane. When the “Curse of the Bambino” was lifted: Bliss. Ecstasy. Euphoria. But really, there isn't a word that can truly describe it.

My Red Sox were champions, and I couldn't help but feel past failures made it that much sweeter.

Just a year earlier, Yankee fans were laughing in my face after Aaron Bleepin' Boone ended Boston's season with an extra-inning, walk-off homer in Game 7 of the ALCS. But in 2004, it was Yankee fans suffering in unfamiliar disbelief after watching the only team to cough up a 3-0 series lead in MLB history. And yes, I was smiling while I typed that fun fact.

The triumph of my Red Sox was impossible to fathom. It was a lot like this September's meltdown — except the exact opposite — as Boston choked away a nine-game lead in the AL wild card. And no, I'm not smiling anymore.

Even for a spoiled Red Sox fan, there are no guarantees.

The Pirates are a small-market franchise, but that doesn't mean Pittsburgh is a bad market.

Pittsburgh loves its sports. When the Pirates field a winning team, the fans — and income — will begin to overflow at PNC Park. This year proved it.

The Bucs have a solid core of young talent and that magical year is on the horizon. When will they turn the corner? I'm not sure. Nobody is. But when it does happen, it will be worth the decades of frustration.

Patience paid off for me, and it's still paying dividends: My almighty Red Sox turned into the laughing stock of baseball in September ... but I'll always have 2004.

Jason Orfao is a staff writer for the Butler Eagle.