Pitt Panther Prowl

Why we love sports

Sports have an amazing power in society. They give the collective community a common interest and goal. They give us a sense of pride. And in difficult times, they can be a big part of the healing process. Sporting events are often used to commemorate other cultural events, bring awareness to an issue, or remember the deceased (such as the Maggie Dixon Classic and the Jimmie V Classic). Games can be inspired by tragedy and can lead a team to a whole new level of success as they use sports as the outlet for the pain and emotion.

Think about it. Every year during football bowl season and during March Madness the media find every story they can to bring out the “against all odds” stories or the way people have overcome adversity through sports. Vince Young was hit by a car as a child and Glenn Dorsey had braces on his legs. Sports became something different to them entirely. Something that we take for granted became something they aspired to because of difficulties in their childhood. ESPN also regularly has stories about how sports affect the lives of “ordinary” people. They find a way to bring a tear to our eyes as they talk about the Yankees bringing a sick kid in to spend the day with them. Or the story of the kid who wanted to call a play for Notre Dame. Charlie Weiss ran that play to open the game and the kid died shortly thereafter. That sports moment became the highlight of that child’s short life and his family can carry that happy memory with them forever.

At times life smacks us right in the face and forces us to look at life for what it is and to gain a proper perspective on the value of sports. For example, Virginia Tech is a football powerhouse. They are also pretty good at baseball and basketball (sometimes). But on that day last April when a gunman began killing fellow students at Virginia Tech, all of a sudden it just didn’t seem important how the football team looked in spring camp. Sports became secondary, as they should, while real life had to be taken care of. Eventually life went back to “normal” and football season came around. That first home game seemed so therapeutic to the community. And then the Yankees came out just last week and played Virginia Tech in baseball as a show of support. So sports were put on hold in a time of great tragedy, but then became a part of the process of healing and putting life back together.

I went to Denver last week for both of Pitt’s NCAA tournament games. I had a great time, but when Pitt lost to Michigan St., there was just this feeling of sadness. I felt a big let down. I found myself actually praying during the game, asking God to let Pitt come back and win. I had placed such a high value on what Pitt did in the tournament that I haven’t watched another tournament game because it just reminded me of the sting of Pitt losing. I was angry by the fact that I knew this loss meant more talk about letting Dixon go (or whether Dixon would leave for another job), more talk about needing better recruits, and more talk about how Pitt can’t seem to win in the NCAA tournament.

Today, in the small town in Kansas where I live, five high school girls were broadsided by a semi and four of them died. I am the pastor of a church, so I was called to go over to the high school to counsel students and faculty mere minutes after the crash happened. I was there at the school when it was announced over the loud speaker that three girls had died and I got to hear the names as the other students did. I was there an hour later when they had to announce that a fourth girl had died.

So what?

I guess the point of all of this is that sometimes we can get so involved in our passions, such as my passion for the Pitt Panthers, that we can lose sight of life itself. I was so upset by Pitt’s loss to Michigan St., but all of a sudden I don’t care. Now I feel silly for sitting in the Pepsi Center and praying for God to give Pitt a victory. I remember when Pitt played their last game against Virginia Tech before they left for the ACC. I was praying during that game for a win as well. God asked me whether or not a Pitt win was really the most important thing in my life. In that one moment I felt very foolish.

Sports can be a great thing. I love them and many of you do too. We can get so emotional and so involved in sports that nothing else seems to matter. Right now, with what my community is facing, I have had to reevaluate my priorities and for a short while, sports just won’t matter. That will change. In fact, the school will almost certainly honor these girls at a sporting event because that is the kind of event that the whole community will be present for. Sports will no doubt be a part of the healing process for this community. That is why we love sports. They have the power to bring us closer together.

But today, for me, sports don’t matter. I just want to sit with my family and be thankful for my blessings.