Why I Love Sports

There are some days I don't know what is funnier, girls faces when I start talking about a sport outside of the context of who has the better looking backside; or a guys face when I start challenging why they think their team is going to win. Either way it has become a mild form of entertainment for me. Then last night I kind of wondered if this might be hampering me in the dating department. Which brought up a whole slew of questions and the answer ended up boiling down to the unfortunate fact of the matter is that nothing really going to change much of anything. I enjoy sports too much.

Let's start with the simple fact that I grew up in a house where that's what was on tv... Sports you name it, it’s on. I even remember my dad sitting down and willingly watching yachting and their 10 minute turns. It was painful to say the least.

I do know that in our house there were seasons, there was football season, basketball season, and then the summer season. Dad didn't get into baseball all that much, which I was fine with. Actually the only baseball I remember dad watching was during the last home run race. I had no idea what was really going on, but dad wanted to watch just to say that he saw the history happen... I get it now... I have since discovered the passion for baseball. I can't discuss the strategy, because I don't understand the strategy well enough, but I'm working on it.

I know why dad enjoyed the sports he did... Heck I've seen the film that my dad talked about. He watched the NBA because of guys like Dr. J and Larry Bird, who had skills and played the game. The whole game didn't come down to who can out dunk who. I grew up watching guys like Micheal Jordan, Dennis Rodman, Carl Malone, John Stockton and Shaq, when he played in Orlando... Yeah. Think about that. The first Olympic dream team was out there and I watched the Lady Raiders take a national title with Cheryl Swoops leading the pack. I even remember this kid Darwin Hamm shattering a backboard on the college level... It shocked everyone the announcers included. But it is one of those moments that unless you saw it no one understands.

We watched the NFL religiously in our household. Sunday if you didn't want to watch football you better find something else to do, cause it was game day in our house. I watched the Cowboys take Super Bowl championships with the likes of Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, and Deion Sanders. The Dallas trifecta, they were an unstoppable team. Then I watched Sanders change teams, Smith retire and Aikman age out. While what seemed like thugs take over the ranks. Leaving me some what disheartened, and moving me into the world of college football.

I like hockey and it’s not just for the violence. Hockey is a beautiful sport under the right circumstances. I had watched off and on for years, then I watched the last winter Olympics, Team USA and Team Canada were playing against each other. Something that hadn't happened in like 40 years... History in the making already.

Not only that, it gave new depth to the game. Team mates were suddenly competing against each other for gold. Plus the games themselves were fast and hard hitting, but not dirty. There is still a degree of decorum in the arena of Olympic hockey. Then the two teams met up again... Yes, twice the US and Canada went head to head in a total grudge match. This was hockey the way it should be played. Plus you couldn't watch the amazing saves by Team USA's Ryan Miller at goal and not tell me that you wouldn't be a little fascinated by the sport.

So a little insight...

Then last night I was watching what was picked as the must watch bowl game of the season. Yes... the must watch bowl game wasn't the BCS, the Rose, or anything else, but it was the Cotton Bowl; for more than one reason. Let's start with the former Big 12 rivalry that was there. I actually think my favorite quote of the evening came from the announcers saying that Bob Stoops has been telling his team that A&M isn't a SEC team, they are a Big 12 team... Ha! I think after last night the proof is there that they have always been an SEC team. I think that was made apparent when OU started huffing and puffing trying to keep up. But I'm not gonna rehash the epic win that A&M and Manziel managed to pull off.

Instead this is going to be the perfect demo of why I love sports.

I wanted A&M to win for no other reason than I can't cheer on a team that I have no respect for the coach. Stoops falls into this category. Conference allegiance or not, I just can't look past it. That and A&M has set out to prove something I mean they moved from the Longhorn... I mean Big 12 Conference for a reason. They know that they have skills to offer, they just weren't gonna get a fair shake. I don't blame them for the leave.

The game was a bit of a nail bitter early on. Manziel couldn't get his rhythm going, and wasn't falling into his passing stride as quickly as he had been, but his line was working hard to give him the time he needed.

Then came that game defining moment that A&M needed to light what ever spark they needed to find their rhythm in the game. They intercepted a pass from Landry Jones. And I'm not talking about kind of bobbled into an interception. I'm talking about a it looked like Jones was actually passing to the wrong player, right place, right position, perfect timing type of interception... I got up and cheered... Heck the dog even barked over it.

It was from that moment that I started seeing the team that I had enjoyed watching in the SEC. The team that made it look like lots of crazy-wild-anything-can-happen-fun-to-play football. That one small play changed the entire tone and the outcome of the game, because A&M took the opportunity and monopolized on it.

It was college football at its finest and was a game to leave you talking.

I think that these moments in sports can be sort of a metaphor for life. Good things happen, like catching an interception... or bad, like throwing the interception. It’s what you do after that moment that matters. You can fight hard to monopolize on your advantage, take it for what it is, or do nothing. But the smart athletes take every chance they can get to fight for the win.

Are you given awards in life? No. Well not in the form of trophies or metals, but what you leave behind is way more important. And I don't ever want people to think that I didn't take the opportunity... whatever it is.