On ESPN and Life

These past couple of days have been pretty good for New England sports fans. On Sunday the Patriots completely steamrolled the Dolphins to remain undefeated on the season. Later that same day the Red Sox, after coming back from a 3-1 deficit in the series to tie it at 3-3, absolutely spanked the Indians to move on to the World Series. Thank you Dustin Pedroia. Each victory begs its own question. For the seemingly untouchable Patriots, that question is whether or not the 1972 Dolphins are going to have company in the history books. In case you aren't aware, that is the only team in the history of the NFL to have a perfect, undefeated season. For the Red Sox the question is can they repeat what they did in 2004 to overcome the unstoppable (and improbable) champions of the NLCS, the Colorado Rockies?

For us fans, the only real answer is wait and see. Sports, just like life, are unpredictable. There is no telling when or where an injury could strike to cripple a key player. Nor is there any accounting for the mysterious, but undeniable, power of momentum. A couple of weeks ago, a girl I work with was bewildered by the fact that when everyone arrived in the morning, all the guys congregated to talk about sports. She asked me what it was about sports that men find so captivating. At the time, I was unsure of what to say. It was early in the morning and I thought this to be a stupid question, so my simple reply was: What's not to like? I suppose that isn't an altogether horrible answer, but it certainly didn't answer her question. After having a little time to think about it, I'd like to offer a more complete answer.

Famed Washington Post columnist George Will once said, "Sports serve society by providing vivid examples of excellence." In a way, that sums up the entire topic. But in favor of not being lazy and, well, writing more than two paragraphs, I'll expound upon that idea. The truth is, life is rarely like movies make it out to be. The good guy doesn't always win, the better man doesn't always get the girl, and more often than not you lose the ones you care about before you've shared that perfect final moment. This is the reason that Hollywood, as well as television (not sure if that's got its own name or if its lumped in with Hollywood), are so successful. People like to be removed from their own mediocrity and shown amazing things. They like to see proof that antiquated notions like loyalty and honor still exist, if only in a screenwriter's imagination. For many of us, sports provide the same inspiration and satisfaction, but without the benefit of being preordained. Watching a miraculous comeback occur on a sports field often carries more weight than watching a hero do the same on a battlefield. That's because, even if it didn't happen to us, it really happened. It wasn't decided by a group of writers to be the better ending or the more logical outcome, it just was. Through suffering, pain and sheer will, the men on the field make miracles happen in real life. And the best part of being a fan is that you don't have to be there to experience it. Sports allow us to be on the team without ever leaving our homes. For our support we are rewarded with the chance to share in our team's glory and victory, or to suffer with them in defeat. And we know that either way we're celebrating or suffering along with all of the other members of the team. We're part of something simply because we believe. Even though we'll never meet most of the other members of our team, it is enough that we have this one common interest to unite us. People underestimate that, they really do.

People are frequently bitching about how much professional athletes are paid, and I'm right there with them. They make way too much money for playing a game. But the truth is, they aren't just playing a game and we aren't just watching one. We're experiencing it through their bodies. At its finest a sport transcends its rules to become a defining struggle. The men are warriors and the play is combat. They aren't simply fighting for a trophy, they're fighting to defy limitation and to touch greatness for the whole world to see. As fans their battle is also our own. Because if they succeed they have proven that you don't have to go see a movie to be inspired, to believe in something supernatural, because it exists here, right now. When that happens it can mitigate our own personal problems, if just for a moment, and release us to join in the elation and triumph of victory. On the surface, sure it was just a meaningless game resulting in a big piece of tin going to the winner. But for millions of people around the world, the significance is much deeper and the accomplishment means much more.