Sports in America

Let me preface this by saying that this article is different and it’s not about the Raven’s as much as it is about a revelation that I had over the past week. I often see a lot of name calling and hatred back and forth between fans of opposing teams and in some cases fans of the same exact team. I try to write articles that create dialogue and discussion that may generally not occur.

The NFL schedule was released, I’m planning my trip to Miami for the game, and the Orioles season is kicking off and life is great. Given the events of this past week it made me realize just how great sports are. After the horrific events that took place at the Boston Marathon it was rough but there was one thing to bring the people of Boston and America together. SPORTS! On Tuesday night just over 24 hours after the bombs went off the Boston Bruins played an NHL game. When the National Anthem was being sung the guy on ice singing was only three lines in and stopped because the 17,000-plus citizens of Boston took over. It was an emotional moment for any American whether you are a hockey fan or not. That’s the great thing about sports, in that moment the people in the crowd weren’t Democrat or Republican, black or white, rich or poor. They were American’s who were hurt by the actions of people who are hell bent on bringing this country down.

Sports have been and always will be around until the end of time and that is one thing that society can always cling to for relief in stressful times. No matter whom you root for or who your favorite player is we all have a special bond because these sports mean something to all of us. Athletes across all sports showed support for Boston and the victims of the tragedy. No show of support stood out to me more than one that came from one of the Red Sox most hated rivals, the New York Yankees. “Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond is a staple at Fenway Park and is played every game no matter the score. In one of the classiest dedications I’ve ever seen the Yankees played the song during the third inning and the fans sang along. It may mean nothing to some people but anyone who follows baseball know just how much each team hates each other, but again in that moment they were Americans supporting other Americans.

It made me realize how lucky we are to have so many professional sports and the ability to escape real life for a few hours and enjoy something as one. It taught me to not take sports so seriously, it’s a game, and it’s supposed to be fun. There are things more important than a win and a loss, playoffs, pro bowls, and championships. At the end of the day no matter how good or bad your team is the sun will rise tomorrow and we will all go about or daily lives, why not enjoy sports for what they are? ENTERTAINMENT!!!!