soccer mom type sports fan, I will go to the game for the love of the
game itself.
Sports are so much than sweaty men fighting over a ball or competing
for bragging rights. They are about tradition..about dreams and
reality both..about teamwork and effort.
To help explain my love for sports, I have gathered my thoughts here on the 5 reasons loving sports is not an option...
Passion
Other than religion or sex, nothing brings out the passionate side of
people more than sports.
Ask an eighty year old former baseball player about his youth and
suddenly his eyes twinkle and he leans forward eagerly to tell you.
The years fade away and he can once again smell the leather of his
glove, feel the crack of that bat.
Ask a Kentucky fan about that Tim Couch touchdown..feel his excitement
as he relives every glorious step towards victory.
Or (heaven forbid) a Duke fan about the buzzer beater heard around
the world... You will be instantly drawn in to their passion. They
inhale the glory and breathe the details second by beloved second.
Dialogue with the football fan who had to work the morning of the Ole
Miss game. Ask him why he still drove 9 hours for half of a football
game... One he must've known was a sure loss. His infatuation overcame
all logic.
Excitement
Hear a mother's voice grow hoarse from cheering every child's great
play, not just her own.
Watch the the father pump his fist in the air as he shouts an ecstatic
"Yes !!!" when his half pint running back manages to simply catch the
ball and not fumble.
Sit in an ordinary restaurant in a Nashville Tennessee on a Saturday
night when Kentucky just beat Vandy. The UK fans are grabbing a bite
on their trek home when a single voice calls out a seemingly random
noise "aaahhh.." then feel the rumble of voices as the entire
restaurant erupts in a rousing cheer of "C.A.T.S CATS CATS CATS!!!!!"
Community
parade.. People lining the street.. Police escort and all. Is the
governor here? The President? Nope.. It's Little League Opening Day
in small town America.
In that same small town in the fall? Downtown is Completely shut
down.. Even the bank. Every display window and entrance from the
restaurant on the corner to the courthouse square is decorated in
black and gold. High School Homecoming Football games are serious
business. The community support is undeniable.
It's March Madness and you cannot possibly forget it's importance
because the children come home with stories of classwork stopping and
televisions coming on in class when the big game starts.
At that same moment, the customers at the deli counter are huddled
silently, intensely focused on the radio broadcast in the background
showcasing that same game. In nearly every office and business it is
the same.. We become one in support of the team
The Traditions
University of Mississippi traffic committee changed the legal speed
limit on campus to 18 MPH—Manning's jersey number.
Tennessee fans line the Tennessee River with hundreds of boats prior
to home games for one of the best college football tailgates there is.
Tailgaiting is almost as important as games to some fans.
Kyle Field, "The Home of the 12th Man," earns its nickname from the
history of the team and pride of its cult-like fanbase that stands
throughout every game since 1922
Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier in 1947 was not just
something big for baseball; it went far, far beyond that. It's only
natural that No. 42 is the one retired by all baseball teams in both
leagues
The Amazing and Awe Inspiring
Jason McElwain, the autistic 17-year-old manager of his varsity team,
was allowed to suit up for the first time for the team's final
regular-season game and inserted by coach Jim Johnson after the team
had built a big lead with four minutes left. That lead got bigger when
McElwain drained six straight 3-pointers in a shooting display that
would have been remarkable at any level by any player. "I was hotter
than a pistol," McElwain astutely summarized after his astonishing
feat.
Six seconds to go. Forty-eight yards to a touchdown. Team trailing
45-41 at Miami's Orange Bowl. Doug Flutie scrambled and tossed up a
prayer. See? Even God loves sports... He answers this Hail Mary for
sure
1/12/69 Joe Namath uttered the unthinkable words only he could get
away with and broke the code of centuries of competition...he
guaranteed victory. Although an unprecedented 18 plus point underdog
in a championship contest, the Jets won 16-7
Maris and Mantle vs. Detroit ... Maris runs down a shallow blooper to
right-center field with runners on 1st and 2nd, then flips the ball to
Mantle, who throws a rocket to Home and prevents two Tigers from
scoring, holding them a 2nd and 3rd. New York went on to win.
These are only a few choice examples of awesomeness. You could spend
days or weeks watching video of amazing plays from all real sports (as
opposed to activities parading themselves as sports such as golf.)
I've loved sports since before I can remember. It's a way of life, not an option.
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