I sometimes think of the comedians that make fun of sports with silly stories about people chasing after little balls on the golf course and confusion about just "who is on first!" Some sports fans might give these routines a little laugh, but for me they were never that funny. Oh, certainly there is a lot of emotion that goes into being a fan and sometimes things do get out of hand. But the truth is that real life can just be very difficult for many people. Sometimes the difficulties go on and on. And while many of us get down on our knees and ask for God's help, sports offers a great time-out from our worries and makes us feel young at any age, if only for a short time. Saint Paul used sports as a metaphor for not just life, but life well-lived. I think Saint Paul would have been a sports fan.
I know young sports fans enjoy playing sports more than anything. Watching sports is the next best thing. And then there is clothing, memorabilia, signage for our cars, sports bars, branded sports drinks and foods, sports programs, sports news feeds, and today all types of gambling promotions. And of course, there are books on sports! That's where I come in.
Certainly, not all athletes are role models, but many of them do make great sacrifices to work as a member of a team to achieve wonderful results. They work through all kinds of setbacks and tough times. And if we are patient enough, our teams usually come though at one time or another. When Mike Cameron wrote our Public Bonehead, Private Hero about baseball's Fred Merkle, Mike's favorite team the Chicago Cubs were still lovable losers who had not won a World Series in over 100 years. Then in 2016, Mike's Cubs led by Joe Madden and a great group of young talent won the World Championship. Each year we see amazing turn-arounds that keep fans engaged.
You can complain about the sports in 2020 with the fits and starts, the lack of real fans at games, etc., because of Coronavirus, but I am one of those who is very happy to have something--some semblance of the sports life we love. Many of the contests and results may be recorded with asterisks and footnotes, but there is something wonderful about the positive athletes, coaches, refs, management and owners who are giving their best.
If you look back at the history of professional sports, you will see there were many times where seasons were seriously affected by tough times. Many times, the game carried on regardless and for most people the message was enlightening: we will get through this and better times will follow.
