Through Super Bowl losses, teams facing penalties and hits during the off season, and impending lockouts have made this sports fan's soul extra weary. But a chance set of tickets to see my team play in the Pre-Season along with a quote that totally brought the world back to me has made this girl so excited to be a part of this all again.
I happened to watch One Tree Hill, My absolute favorite show ever! And it was the last game of the season, for the One Tree Hill Ravens- the State Championships! and Marvin "Mouth" McFadden states one of the best lines in my opinion and something that we really needed to hear in this up and down of the sports world currently. He states: "You know, say what you will about the ravages of sports in this corporate age where overpaid athletes expect prima donna treatment, but there is still something so unifying about sport in its purest form, when athletes rise above themselves and touch greatness and, in doing so, remind us all that we also have greatness inside of us." This last line- when athletes rise above themselves and touch greatness and, in doing so, remind us all that we also have greatness inside of us.. This is what I love about watching the sports that I love watching. Every game I watch, every play I see, every second that a clock ticks down allows us as fans to take yet another glimpse of the greatness that we love in a sport, it gives an athlete an opportunity to have a few seconds of magic moments, from a Michael Jordan soaring above the court, tongue out, ball in hand, above the roar of the crowd, signifying all that makes him a legend. To a Santonio Holmes- with his sweet feet creating one of the greatest moments in Football history, amidst the flash of lights from a camera's bulb again making that moment one that creates legends. These moments are ones that athletes love to make, these moments are what they spend two-a-days, countless hours in training, a lifetime of practice trying to create so many of these moments, not just for us the fans, but for themselves, to be a part of what makes legends. Special moments, 10 seconds of a play that solidifies what will be their legacy.
For a fan, it is in these magic moments that we get up every game day, brave the cold, brave the rain, brave long distances countless hours of travel, sleepless nights, lost voices, hangovers etc. These are the moments that we all fight for, that make the game worth it, that make me LOVE the game over any team or any player.
I live for these moments. Some people ask me why I love the game so much, I don't have a simple answer. My love of the game as you can see is wrapped up in so many little moments, so many great plays, cheers, crowds roaring, brief moments when the fans, the coaches, the staff and the players all make up one big family. Being a part of a team who wins a Super Bowl or a championship makes it all worth it.
I don't know what my greatest moments in life are going to be, but for some of these men and women, they live their greatest moments every time the put on those pads, those cleats, their shoes, their jerseys, uniforms etc, they live their greatest moments when the whistle blows, the lights turn on or the gun pops. It is the best feeling to be able to just catch a glimpse of it, to cheer at the right moment, to get a little excited and to be there when those moments happen.
So here is to me getting my mojo back (this time for real) and here is to an amazing season of sports and to those little magical moments that add to the greatness of an athletes lifespan.
