“I’m telling you. Who’s on first, What’s on second, I Don’t Know is on third.” ~ Abbott & Costello
Since 1937, Abbott and Costello’s skit “Who’s On First?” became a household name as sports continued their rise in our nation and across the world. However, the past-times that bring even the worst of enemies together began nearly a century earlier. Baseball was invented in 1869, followed by football in 1892, and then basketball in 1946, just to name a few. Sports are so much more than something to watch on television as background noise or places to socialize. Sports are so much more than championships or ‘jock’ players. Sports are something that embodies the heart and soul and emotion that everyone should be able to experience at some point in their lives. Sports bring communities together in ways you couldn’t even imagine.
Only a week ago, the Cleveland Cavaliers won the National Basketball Association championship, bringing the first title in any sport to Cleveland in more than sixty years. I’m sure if you hear the name LeBron James, it sparks memories of feuds, hatred, and burning jerseys. But on Sunday night, the millions of people that hold disdain in their heads for him were smiling and crying right along with him as that final buzzer sounded, myself included. It was so much more than any of the players or the record-stopping or even the title that Cleveland had been craving. It was seeing the pure raw emotion on the faces of everyone in that building and across the country celebrate with them.
On a larger scale, just think of the 1980 Olympic hockey team. Just the team in itself is an incredible example of how sports can bring people of all backgrounds together for a common goal and have them leave as a family. A group of misfit hockey players winning an Olympic gold medal. A journey that brought people who may have never even spoken before together. A journey that had half the world rooting for an underdog.
Speaking of journeys, between March and May this year, I witnessed people coming together in miraculous ways as college sports teams made spectacular runs that no one expected even in their wildest dreams. People who I didn’t even think knew what a basketball or baseball was were following the journey, posting on social media, talking to people they probably never said a word to before, and it was a beautiful thing to witness firsthand.
Sports change the way you look at life and the world, even if only for the four quarters, two halves, or three periods that they let themselves become immersed in a sport. For some, sports is an escape from reality, a comfort in rough times, or something that will always bring a smile to their face. For others, sports is something relaxing, fun, and a break from this stressful thing we struggle through called life. Whatever sports is to you, embrace it. Moments as precious and genuine as the ones give us are fleeting in the world today, and it is important to hold onto the moments as long as you can. Maybe you play back an excellent play or a record-breaking game. Heck, I still remember clear as a day a rebound I saw during a high school game when I was in eighth grade.
Embrace what sports give you. Genuine action is fleeting. Don’t let it pass you by. Thank sports for everything they do for us that we don’t even realize. Appreciate them.
