A Simple Reason Why I Love Sports
I had one of those “This Is Why The Games Are Played” moments on an airplane destined for Charlotte. (I apologize for the recent references to airport-living, but apparently, much can be learned when you travel.)
Me: Did you see the game last night? (It probably wasn’t necessary to say ‘the’ versus ‘that’ — If he broke out singing the World Figure Skating Championships theme song I was prepared to put on my headphones like Kevin McCalister did in Home Alone (the second one; who likes the first anyways?). The point is, he know it was the game I was talking about. For you figure skating junkies, that’s Super Bowl XLII I was referring to.
67-year-old (and 15 times retired) man:: You know what? You’re not going to believe it. I was on a plane last night, much to the dismay of myself and every other man on that plane. (Okay, the guy missed not only the greatest Super Bowl of all-time, but also one of the greatest game plans and execution.)
Me: You must have seen the play.
67-year-old (and 15 times retired) man:: Fortunately, I got home to see the last two minutes. Wow, talk about a great catch.
Me: Actually, 67-year-old man, the catch was great, but the most overlooked play of the game would have to be on that very same play. Don’t get me wrong–fantastic catch — and one that probably ranks in the top-10 Super Bowl catches of all-time (velcro to helmet?) — but the way Manning escaped the pocket was incredible. Talk about poised.
67-year-old (and 15 times retired) man: And his laser of a pass…
And so on.
Did I have to detail a) what this game was; b) what this game meant; c) why society mandates that the entire male population be off a plane on this particular night; d) the play?; or e) the implications of such a game? No, no, no, no, and no.
A man I never met, never will see again, and all it took was a Eli Manning and David Tyree connection to have a connection ourselves. Where else does this happen? Politics maybe, but two Barack supporters have a connection only in a “we both want out of this mess” sorta way. Sports, in this particular instance, were a connection because we both knew exactly what happened, where it happened, why it happened and why that particular moment mattered. No need to waste time re-hashing these seemingly minute details — well, because if we didn’t already know them, a scowl would be etched across society’s gleaming (because of last night’s contest) face.
One last thing, airport-related: Try this sometime. Just start a conversation, but make sure to bring sports into the conversation, somehow, in someway, on the airplane to the person you are sitting beside. If you’re lucky, you’ll be besides a “of course I watched” guy (or girl — if you get one of these, and all seems right in the world). If you’re by a a) “I used to be a sports fan, but salaries … ticket prices … steroids…”; or b) “I don’t so much care for sports” guy, find it in you to get a reply like this: “You know what, I’m turning on ESPN before I unpack.” It’s a fun game. Talk about the fun. Talk about the memories. Talk about the journey. Talk about passion. That’s what it’s all about.
I choose to do this because it makes me feel like a sports radio talk-show host. You must establish yourself as someone that knows what you are talking about — or at least make it seem as such — and all of a sudden, you get a lot of “I never thought of it like that” or “Wow, you’re right.” It’s rewarding. Then the questions come, and it’s like I’m taking questions from callers. Try it.