It’s *That* We Play the Game

by with No Comment CultureFeaturedSocial IssuesSports

“It doesn’t matter if we win or lose, it’s how we play the game.”

An old cliche that finally made complete, visceral sense to me this past week.

Covid has kept family and friends apart for so long that simple occasions that we once took for granted now feel like an historic achievement.

I got a bunch of family and friends together to play a simple kickball game. There were people present I hadn’t seen in a few years, some for a decade.

With heat, mosquitos, and small children (I had 2 toddlers to corral), I didn’t give us great odds to get though an inning let alone an entire game.

But everyone there seemed to understand the ever rarer ability for occasions like this to happen in these Covid times. Even the young ones, 7 to 14, hustled to their field positions or stepped up to the plate in pro timing with a sense of importance and urgency.

We got through 7 full innings with a very productive game of 3 outs or 5 runs per inning: double plays, home runs, peg outs, force outs, and more.

The young ones weren’t given special treatment so when they got on base or forced an out, there was a real sense of achievement and not a cheap pandering feeling.

I happened to be the final out of the game (I got pegged out representing the tying run). And when we lost, I had perhaps a brief sigh of failure before turning to the overriding sentiment we all shared: SUCCESS! WE HAD COMPLETED A GAME!

I had participated in one of humanity’s longest standing art forms: Sport. Whether to stay physically fit, for enjoyment, or to practice necessary survival skills like hunting or combat, Sport is an all time great achievement of our species.

Knowing I had been part of a successful execution of a single game of kickball was so satisfying, I did not care at all that we had lost.

This is why the Olympics are so important. Sport is happening. Peace is happening.

So much value is placed in winning and that is well and good (it is PART of Sport: to win), but if we do not value the ability to even execute sports, if there is no greater society to functionally host, or if cheating destroys the entire foundation and spirit of a game… then winning means nothing.

The real victory is having any games at all and completing them properly.

This goes for politics as well: the real victory is having a system that allows for fair elections and functioning government at all.

My biggest takeaway from this simple, kickball game is that I will teach my children to play hard, compete with everything they are capable of, and give every last ounce of life to their pursuits – Sport or otherwise; but to value the higher morality most of all: that we even get to play the game – Sport or otherwise.

No Horsing Around

by with No Comment FeaturedSports

Even with the national shutdown and suspension of our normal way of life, most pastimes can still be enjoyed. If you have reliable internet service, you pretty much can get anything you need. Is it the same? Of course not. Seeing a movie meant for a theater release isn’t the same as streaming… no matter how big and new your television screen is. Yes, you can still order the Surf and Turf platter via delivery; however, it simply isn’t the same served in styrofoam. Considering it costs the same, you want the same taste and experience you’d get in the actual restaurant. 

But it’s something. 

Prior to this shutdown, I was in a gym rat groove. I still can run outside and use my dumbbells at home (don’t worry about the weight of the dumbbells). Is it the same as a full-fledged gym??? No. 

But it’s something. 

One aspect of society that cannot be modified, and for good reason, is sports. 

Yes, ESPN is currently airing a HORSE basketball tournament between current and former NBA and WNBA players. I get it, they’re trying something. And I tried watching it. I really tried, it just simply wasn’t appealing to me. Aesthetically, it looked like it was shot on an Iphone 4. It was little action and mostly interviews with the players, the competitiveness was manufactured, and it wasn’t live. Sorry, something about the unknown of watching live sports is a major appeal to why we love it so much. I currently watch the classic games shown by various outlets, and love seeing the unknown in the face of fans as they watch something they don’t know or expect to happen. It’s a really special feeling only live sporting events can deliver. Either at the event or home, the emotion of fans cheering and live action is needed. A prerecorded HORSE competition simply can’t deliver that. And as a rabid sports fan, I only want the full return of sports. No more barnstorming and bad ideas, just the real thing. 

I can watch a remote episode of a sketch comedy show or a news broadcast, not the same, but it’s something. And that something is currently the state of sports. Meaning, we don’t have a true understanding of how or when the shutdown will end. And that understanding is beyond and more important than sports. With that being said, if with the utmost safety we can get modified versions of sporting events, I think it would be welcomed by many. 

Proposals such as playing in empty (fan-less) stadiums, playing in one arena and city, and other similar ideas of that nature are a good start. Sports is needed. The positive economic and social impact of professional sports teams on cities is beyond simple calculations. On a smaller scale, the same can be said for the economic and social impact of collegiate athletics (the NCAA) on college and university campuses nationwide.

The need to have an outlet for celebration and sports is inevitable and emotional. I just hope we don’t have to wait too long to experience it again. 

The Language of the Soul: The Power of Sports

by with One Comment FeaturedSports

As I watched the kickoff to another college football season, and the ESPN special commemorating 150 years of college football, it occurred to me just how unique and special sports is to our culture and to people in general. While I admit I am diehard football fan who will start my Saturdays at 8 am (CT) with College GameDay and conclude it with the ‘Pac 12 After Dark’ game that ends around 1 am, my experience is not unique in communities and states where college football is king. In places like Alabama and Arkansas, college football is king. For places like New York, St Louis, Chicago, and states in the Northeast, that would be baseball. Regardless of what sports is king in your community, that sport possesses a power that nothing else (or no else) will ever have: the power to transcend and unite their community of fans.

In an era of extreme polarization, never-ending political boycotts, and practices of cultural & demographic contempt, it is exceeding rare to find instances where two people from opposite sides of every hot-button issue dividing their community and the country. Movies, TV sitcoms, political talk shows, and music have become increasingly tangled with tribalistic practices of the day. As media producers and content creators focus their marketing efforts on segments of the population or niche audiences and not the general population, the chance of a pop culture phenomenon that people from different warring tribes will agree to a rhetorical cease-fire has become non-existent. The one remaining opportunity that remains is something that has been part of the cultural antidote to our social ills for over a century: sports.

During the Great Depression, a baseball player sold to the New York Yankees, Babe Ruth, became a household name and inspiration to millions of people in desperate economic and emotional situations. His ballgames served as a momentary distraction for his fans in a way that nothing else was able to. Fast forward 70 years and you will hear two people: Sean Hannity and Keith Olbermann, who loathe each other and aggressively disagree on every issue of the day, tell the same story during the last World Series the Yankees were in, giving each other giant bearhugs in celebration after their Yankees won the World Series. Two men who despise each other and would be glad to use every profanity under the sun had a moment where none of those differences mattered. 

There are moments in sports that its significance exceeds the normal relevancy of the event. Whether it’s Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier in 1947, to Texas Western University winning the NCAA basketball championship in 1966 against in all-white Kentucky team, to Tiger Woods winning the 1997 Masters. These events had a foundational impact on Civil Rights and race relations in general, and they all occurred through the prism of sports. Everyone who was alive when one of these moments occurred knows where they were, and what they were doing when it took place. 

These moments go to something much deeper. Sports has the unique ability to speak our community’s soul in a way that transcends our differences. When your team kicks the game-winning field goal, makes the game-winning three, or hit the game-winning home run with you sitting in the stands, do you care what color, gender, sexual orientation, or partisan affiliation of the fan behind you? You’re high-fiving everyone around you while experiencing a level of bonding euphoria that you will remember for the rest of your life. 

Sports can serve as inspiration during times of local or national hardship or tragedy. Whether it’s 2001 World Series weeks after 9/11, the resurgence of the Saints post-Hurricane Katrina, or the US Olympic hockey team at the 1980 Winter Olympics. These memories touched their fan’s souls at a time they need it. For me, that moment was at the A&M-Texas football game in 1999. Known as ‘the Bonfire Game’ for the 12 A&M students who died during the collapse of the bonfire stack during construction, it devastated the university. In a game where that structure was supposed to be set ablaze as a symbol of the burning desire to beat Texas, The Longhorn band played Amazing Grace as a tribute to the fallen students. For eighty-six thousand people in attendance, there was not a single dry eye in the stadium. For that day, and the remainder of the season, a team I had loathed and despised my whole life was no longer my mortal enemy, but my grieving brother. Speeches are nice, fundraisers can help meet the immediate needs of the people in need, but those transcending moments happen in ballgames.

As we look forward to another football season and the pennant races in baseball, we should remember and cherish the opportunities in front of us. At a time when it seems everything is viewed through the prism of being supportive or hostile to President Trump and/or his supporters/critics, we need to embrace the moments where our differences do not matter. These moments, no matter how fleeting, are where bridges can be built, and conversations can begin. I am not saying that it will solve the issues confronting us, but you can’t have a dialogue with anyone if you don’t have a line of communication, and there is no line of communication with better signal than sports. 

Similar Read: Professional Fandom: Donald Trump, Robert Mueller, Sports, and Pop Culture

Professional Fandom: Donald Trump, Robert Mueller, Sports, and Pop Culture

by with 2 Comments CultureFeaturedPolitics

Last Friday, the most anticipated political moment of the Trump Presidency occurred: The Mueller Report was completed and submitted to the Justice Department. Within minutes of the breaking news, every cable news channel, political blog, and Facebook newsfeed was flooded with a flurry of opinions without any new details. While it is a perfect example of the hyper-polarization of today’s political climate, it is also a microcosm of a much deeper trend that transcends politics. Like our interest levels in sports, music, and entertainment in general, our passion is no longer rational and under control. Due to the global reach of social media with immediate access to anything that strokes our most passionate interests, it is no longer acceptable to be a casual fan. You are required to devote a level of obsession that previously was considered psychotic.

Through social media and advancements in technology, fans of any form of entertainment have access to stoke their curiosity level from casual to knowledgeable to obsessive. There are Facebook groups, hashtags, fan pages, message boards, YouTube channels, smart apps, etc., dedicated to every cinematic or musical genre, sport, team, political candidate, and political or current event. If you are a fan of your college team, there are multiple message boards that provide in-depth analysis, recruiting updates, and behind-the-scenes stories regarding potential coaching challenges that keep you informed before any of it hits the mainstream news. If you are a fan of the WWE, you have an on-demand network that has every match, pay-per-view, or show. If you are a big video gamer, you can play every game online with people across the globe on every gaming console (Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo, PC) that matches your skill level and personal tastes. Simply put, if you have more than a surface-level interest in something, you will be exposed to enough material to progress that interest from ‘Intrigued’ to ‘Passionate’.

Like our entertainment options, the same options are available for our political tastes. Whether it’s the cable news channels that unabashedly market to a specific political affiliation, Facebook groups and fan pages devoted to individual candidates or causes, or the pre-determined newsfeed of our Facebook page from the people we associate with, it is nearly impossible for someone with an interest in politics to not make the emotional leap from a responsible voter to outspoken advocate. As one’s interest grows, the pressure from fellow believers is to only communicate and associate with likeminded views while censuring out anything that challenges or competes with that unassailable principle. One’s community is no longer your next-door neighbours or co-workers; it’s the hundreds of people we communicate with daily across the world. In many cases, these ‘friends’ are people we have never met and will never meet in person.

As our created communities become more politically homogeneous, our tolerance for divergent views weakens. If this were a football game, we became ‘That’ fan with our face and chest painted in team colors standing in sub-freezing temperatures heckling every opposing player or fan present. No one questions our fandom, but opposing fans and even some mutual fans, will dodge us to avoid making a scene or listen to a guilt trip for being a ‘Fairweather fan’. As voters transform from the family taking their kids to their first ballgame to ‘That’ fan, the political candidates who best play to ‘That’ fan are the ones that rise to the top. Donald Trump is NOT the cause of this dynamic, he is the byproduct of it.  

President Trump is the perfect byproduct of this phenomena. For the most part, no one is a casual fan or critic of him. He uses this dynamic to provoke the (predictable) reactions from his audience. If this was a neutral stadium, he’s provoking the liquored-up super fans from both teams to go at in the stands. In a vacuum, we generally find this behavior disgusting, but the reality is we all had a hand in this. The reality is we are all guilty of being ‘That’ fan (I am guilty when it comes to A&M football, Spurs basketball, and the WWE). For some of us, it’s politics. For others, it’s a sports franchise, musical artist, or gaming community. Having passion for something is a GREAT thing, but if our passion controls our behavior and character it will continue to poison the well for future generations. 

Similar Read: A Center-Right Response to Climate Change

Candy Corn Sports… What Happened to Baseball?

by with 9 Comments FeaturedSports

Possibly the most popular, unpopular thing in America is Baseball.

Every year around Halloween, polls are conducted on what’s America’s favorite candy to eat. Oddly, a frequent top choice is candy corn. Candy corn, in my anecdotal experience, is eaten only during Halloween, and after which, mysteriously is absent from the stores and consumption from people. Candy corn is also not a candy in which the masses draw too or crave. It’s not a very popular candy, yet during Halloween, it’s everywhere. You will never see a kid skipping down the street eating candy corn in July, not a chance. So how is it so popular? The same way baseball is popular, it’s ingrained into Americana, but not by choice, by circumstance. I’ll explain.

Circumstance.

Baseball by and large is played without much interruption from other sports. Baseball is synonymous with summer, which is the time of vacations and overall group activities. From work outings to student five dollar night, baseball is an excellent option for group outings on the cheap. For most, that’s about as good as it gets. Unless you’re 55 and a White male, which is the current average demographic for baseball. Football average age demographic is 47, and basketball… 37, basketball is also the second most popular sport in the world, but that’s for later.

Though baseball is still very much popular, it’s not very much liked. The Major League Baseball All-Star game is this week, and more news and attention has been dedicated to Lebron joining the Lakers and where disgruntled San Antonio Spurs star Kawhi Leonard might get traded. The sport has become candy corn. Something only good for the special moment – the more enjoyable venture takes precedence once the moment is gone. Just like candy corn is taken off shelves as soon as November 1st hits, baseball is put on the backburner to football as soon as the calendar hits September. The patriotic sport with the most history has largely taken a back seat to the more popular sports of football and basketball.

How did this happen?

  1. Baseball has not embraced the Latin culture of its Latin players.
  2. The pace and the length of the game is the slowest and longest ever in baseball history, aka boring.
  3. The biggest stars of baseball are virtual unknowns outside their respective markets.
  4. Baseball doesn’t even generate funny internet memes.
  5. Baseball is largely absent from talks on social media to the workplace water cooler.

But unlike candy corn, which is relevant for only its “once a year” glory, baseball still has the distinction of being the most successfully solely Black run enterprise in America… the Negro Leagues. Baseball is also a much safer sport than football, and as previously stated a much more cost appropriate sport than basketball to see live.

But with all that being said, baseball has a decision to make… either be candy corn and marked 3 bags for five dollars and liked only as a niche market, or become relevant again and be embraced. If not, all it will be is a place for sales professionals to have “team building” ventures, and while there, only buy expensive beer and talk about if Lebron can lead the Lakers to a championship.

America’s changing… is baseball in fear of being left behind?

Similar Read: A Peak Inside American Sports: Cheers & Protests

A Billion Dollar Industry That Doesn’t Pay Its Employees

by with No Comment Sports

As a young child, I had dreams of being an Olympic gold medalist, a professional basketball player, and a WWF (before it became the WWE) superstar. I just knew I’d be able to do it all. I unfortunately had an injury in high school, which put a damper on those dreams. 

However, I still received an athletic scholarship to work (not play) with one of the main sports teams at a major university.  This scholarship helped cover my tuition, books, and a few other expenses such as housing and my campus meal plan. In return, I spent roughly 5-6 hours a day at the athletic facility between practice, game prep, study hall, etc. On game days, I spent more time at the facility than the athletes did! Did I forget to mention, I had a full course load of classes?

Although I came from a privileged family, my parents never gave me an entitled upbringing. That meant if I needed something, I had to work and earn it, which included everything I needed in college. It really started to hit me towards the end of my freshman year when I had exhausted the extra funds I was granted via my scholarship, loans and other awards. I needed additional income to be able to travel home, go out with friends, and do normal everyday activities! 

I was fortunate enough to find a work-study position in one of the school’s offices that was willing to work with my hectic athletic and class schedule. If I had one free hour in the day or even just one free hour in the week, they’d let me come in and work. The work-study position allowed me an opportunity to earn extra income, but the athletes on my team didn’t have that option because of compliance rules. I knew many of the players would’ve loved to earn an honest extra income especially during the off-season or free time between classes and practice. As a result, some of them unfortunately resorted to wrongful activity that I will not discuss. 

So what is my perspective? I can go both ways on this argument. The NCAA, specifically Division-1 televised sports, is a billion-dollar industry and a major source of revenue for institutions. The athletes who contribute to that success should be compensated accordingly. But, college tuition costs between 30-120k or more for many of these four-year institutions, and these collegiate athletes should be grateful for that. Right? But what about the athletes who are walk-ons who contribute to a successful team but aren’t receiving any type of athletic scholarship? The time they put in and the contribution they make still helps that team; yet, they’re receiving no scholarship or type of compensation. What about the other collegiate sports that aren’t moneymakers for the university? Does that mean only football, basketball and baseball players should get paid? What about the irregularities that also exist between the male and female team funding? 

There are so many factors that exist that I haven’t even mentioned, and all of them contribute to the very reason on why a solution hasn’t been made. Considering the disparities that exist between the different programs and the different schools, I do believe that potential resolutions should be thoroughly examined on a case-by-case basis. I do like the thought of athletes at major Division-1 teams being considered as student work-study employees.  Higher performers receive higher wages; bonuses and additional grants or scholarship aid is given based on individual and team performance.  Also, walk-ons and those without scholarships should be able to receive some type of funding for their work contribution. This could help student-athletes learn the valuable aspect of money management, which tends to be the ultimate demise for many professional athletes.  Whatever the solution is, student-athletes need to be valued and compensated considering the billion-dollar industry that relies solely on their athletic ability. 

“Patriotism, No T-Shirt Needed”

by with No Comment CultureFeatured

Since my childhood, I’ve had an unadulterated love and support for all my respective sports teams, all of which hail from the DC area. Sadly, outside presidential inaugurations, there haven’t been any parades going down Pennsylvania Ave in quite some time. Like all fans of a respective team, we’re fans of the team, not every aspect of the team. We question player transactions, hiring of coaches, even supporting changing a certain team’s name. (More about that later on.) In the final analysis, wanting better and questioning the ways and means of your team isn’t the characteristic of a non-fan, it’s the opposite.    

So, what does sports fandom have to do with patriotism? In a sense, if you replaced the word fan with patriot in the aforementioned paragraph, all the elements stay true. By definition, patriotism is the vigorous support for one’s country. By definition, a fan is one who is enthusiastically devoted to something or somebody. In my example I used sports fandom to illustrate how it comes with both criticism of your team as well as support for said team. As a fan, being critical of a team, is something as unifying around a team as cheering for a team (see Randy Quaid as Johnny in “Major League II”).

Being a patriot on the other hand, for some, does not engage in critical discussions about their nation. I’ve noticed post 9/11 the term patriotism used as a shield to fend off the need to address and solve real issues and problems. Typically coming from conservative and republican circles, patriotism is many times used as a political guilt trip. The goal being one should feel ashamed for their reason for it goes against the essence of the nation. If that fails, the “If you don’t like it, you should just leave”, standard becomes the last resort.

Being critical of one’s nation is not a loss of patriotism. This is nonsense. Disagreeing with another person on their views of the nation is not grounds to question their patriotism.  

Much like a fan wants best for their team, a patriot should want what’s best for their nation. What’s best for the nation is a little harder amongst social political topics than sports, for the end game isn’t as clear. Thus why many deflect to terms like “if you don’t like it, you should leave”. To figure out the needs of a nation, it requires real work, research, dialogue, and the inevitable debate.  In sports for example, at the time of this writing my beloved Washington Nationals are having the time of their lives trying to save games. So the solution is the need for a closer. Regarding social political issues, it’s not as cut and dry. Standard national issues like healthcare, the environment, and education are contentious and divisive. What each issue means to all citizens and how in the most sensible and feasible way it comes into fruition requires a process. A baseball save is very much defined, something my Nationals seem to have a hard time with; however, it’s still very much defined.

“Patriotism Is A Dirty Word”

by with One Comment CultureFeatured

When I was asked to define my patriotism, I initially laughed. I honestly can’t tell you the reason I laughed other than realizing the word patriotism makes me feel uncomfortable, but I couldn’t really explain why. Then I thought about it, and I remember when I officially broke up with patriotism.

Back in August 2016, NFL Quarterback Colin Kaepernick made headlines for kneeling during the national anthem before a game. Social media was going nuts, and I remember seeing a post on my timeline about Kaepernick being a coward and a disgrace. The post went on to say that Kaepernick’s actions were basically a spit in the face to true patriots like Pat Tillman. To refresh your memory, Pat Tillman was the military vet who turned down an NFL contract to enlist in the military after 9/11.

Please don’t get me wrong. I have so much respect for the women and men of the military. Anyone who is willing to take the chance and sacrifice their life and the life of their family to defend others deserves our utmost respect. They put their own wellbeing in the hands of a government they individually may or may not agree with; yet, they follow orders to protect our lives. That’s amazing.

However, I also think it’s amazing that someone like Colin Kaepernick is willing to put his own well-being on the line for a cause that was sensationalized, and then ignored. The Black Lives Matter movement was like a pawn to the media. They used it for clicks and views and then when the story died down, they moved on to the next. Kaepernick was using his platform to bring awareness in the simplest way and now he’s not only out of a job, but they called him names and belittled his character. All because he didn’t stand for a song that is itself racist! (Reference to Francis Scott Key and the third stanza of the Star-Spangled Banner.)

I don’t think patriotism is an inclusive word. Patriotism in my mind is the nemesis of progress. I recently heard someone call Mitch McConnell a patriot, and that honestly made me laugh out loud. Is this the same Mitch McConnell who was considered an obstructionist during the Obama administration? If you ask me, he should be the face of patriotism.

Now I know why my face twists up when I hear the word patriotism. It’s because the examples I’ve seen of patriotism are always used to belittle someone who’s trying to make progress. It’s kind of like a dirty word. I could also just be one of those millennials. You know… the ones who don’t like to be labeled or put into a box. It’s not that I hate the word; I’m just ambivalent about it. Instead of celebrating the Patriots, I’ll celebrate the humanitarians, the people who put others first. That seems more American to me.  

Similar Read: American Democracy: A Paradox