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I have been a sports fan for, well, forever. My life between the ages of eight and fourteen flowed from spring to summer to fall to winter. Now, one might ask the question, “Were you any good?” To which I can only answer, “Not really.” In my five years of football the total number of victories captured by my teams was in the ballpark of eight or ten. I wasn’t very good and I wasn’t winning. Nonetheless, I still came back every year. But why?

Because once in a great while I made a great play. Once in a while I felt like Joe Montana. Once in a great while I had one of those special moments, which up to this point in my life, I have only found on the court, the field, or in the locker-room. I’m talking about a tiny flickers of greatness that stay with you forever; a veritable moment frozen in time. These moments are why I love sports.

Today, I don’t play competitively, mostly because the very word ‘competitive’ implies having at least a chance at victory. Also, there are rules inhibiting my entrance back into Little League Baseball. But mark my words: I’d give those little kids hell. So how do I get my sports fix? Where can I go to feel the connection with the games I still love and once played? The answer is simple, but it involves a little dedication and imagination: 1. go to a game, 2. become a coach, 3. re-visit the playground, or 4. take a trip to the backyard. You need dedication to do all of these, insofar as you wish to be a good fan, coach, or “athlete”. Imagination, though, shows up in the last two.

There should be no reason that your YMCA scrimmage isn’t on the same level as the Final Four. Just because there aren’t 5,000 people watching you play doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try. Did the lack of a crowd stop you at recess in forth grade? Have a little imagination. The person defending you might look like a pudgy, over-the-hill, short-shorts donning bozo, but it’s more fun if you pretend he’s Allen Iverson. If organizing a pick up game is too time consuming, just head to the backyard. This is the only place in the world where you can legitimately provide your own play-by-play. The number of times I shot the 3-pointer at the buzzer (usually to miss, grab the rebound and quickly make the basket) for the win is incalculable. It is in the backyard where the Packers convert the forth and 26, where Buckner follows through on the routine grounder, and where Scott Norwood makes the field goal. This is why I love sports.

The Good

Sports help instill values by teaching teamwork, responsibility, perseverance, dedication, and confidence. This isn’t to say that you will only come across these principles through sports, of course. This may sound like a lame attempt at a civics lesson, but I think it is fair to say that sports, when played and taught “correctly” provide us with great experiences and a sizeable toolkit to approach our lives. This is why I love sports.

I admit I may come off as a sentimental, ultra-symbolic geek (a huge leap from my normally cynical self), but this next bit is a reason I love sports: McElwain. McElwain is a senior in at Greece Athena High School in Rochester, New York. He is also the team manager of the varsity basketball team. He was added to the team roster by coach Jim Johnson so he could dress with the team on the final game of the year. Why should we care? McElwain is autistic. Now before you think this is simply a feel-good story, wherein facts have been distorted, let me finish. Greece Athena had a double-digit lead with four minutes to go, and Coach Johnson put McElwain in. The result: six three-pointers and overall twenty points from McElwain I’ll remind you this was done in four minutes.

By any standards, all the way up to the NBA, this is a heck of an accomplishment. Were the shots contested? Did the defenders not guard McElwain? Was this simply an act of kindness to someone “less fortunate”? Hardly. McElwain, as he put it, got “hotter than a pistol.” Three-pointer after three-pointer after three-pointer went in. The crowd was on their feet, the players and coaches were awestruck, and McElwain was in the moment. Now the symbolism that is ultimately extracted from this story can be wishy-washy. There might be the tendency to misinterpret the event. All I can say is for four minutes, a young man lived up his basketball dreams and a community came together. Does this story belong in a Tony Robbins infomercial? You be the judge. But there is nothing wrong with being inspired.

It isn’t a mystery that sports bring people together. Team sports require that players work together to achieve a goal. Team and individual sports require the tutelage of coaches and the support of loved ones. Even in simply being a fan, one is afforded opportunities to encounter others. I went to the NFC

Wildcard game in January of 2004 when the Packers played the Vikings. I sat next to Brett Favre (actually it was a man with a Favre jersey, which is what I was wearing as well) and a couple whom I had never met before. Yet, every first down or big play I found myself hugging and jumping up and down with these complete strangers. When things didn’t go our way, we comforted each other. What does this show? First, that sports fans are crazy, possessed weirdos who engage in strange behavior, but that isn’t important. What is important is the fact that sports can bring us together. The fact that we can care so much about something so seemingly trivial is important.

How does Hamline fit into the picture? Hamline represents some of the goodness in sports. Our athletes aren’t likely to go “pro” or make millions of dollars. Their biggest games don’t house thousands of spectators and they don’t typically make national headlines. What they represent is a love of the game. There is a rich tradition at Hamline, relating to academia and athletics, but we aren’t known as a “powerhouse” in either respect. Yet, every year we have dedicated students, professors, coaches, and families fight the good fights. One would be hard-pressed to find an athlete who doesn’t like to win. But Hamline athletes are in it for a different reason (this hopefully isn’t an insult to those who are in it go pro; I have heard going pro is quite enjoyable).

The Bad

Sports can be a mechanism for division; a seed for hatred, bigotry, sexism, and homophobia. Often it seems that ignorance is pervasive in sports. Unrealistic portrayals of a healthy body image, racially stereotypical commentary, sexist commercials, and homophobic comments are but a few examples of this. One thing is certain: there are no surefire effects that come from sports. Assuming sports necessarily lead to all things “good” is preposterous. Yet, the culture of sports is doomed only if rational individuals allow it to be.

Final Verdict

It might seem that I’m suggesting that the “tiny flickers of greatness” define one’s life. I apologize if this is the case, because little could be further from the truth. At the end of the day, we don’t need to hang our hat on one moment, but rather the entire body of work. It probably won’t matter 50 years from now if we made that free-throw. It will probably be of significance, though, whether we took with us the friendships and lessons learned on those fields of battle.

Over sentimentality and longing for the past is unhealthy. The assumption that winning and achievement are the most significant is untrue. The culture of sports is far from perfect. We have to protect the integrity of the games, and also work to instill the values that are dear to us. If we don’t, we ultimately fail. We pander to the ignorance that already exists.

So now that I have presented the problem, I should have an answer, right? Unfortunately, I am not that good. I don’t know how to “fix” the bad in sports. I do have a few ideas, though. Don’t sacrifice the integrity of the game for winning. Don’t think that the presence of a court and a ball means you need to throw humanity out the window. Remember, racism, misogyny and homophobia are still prevalent, and do something about it. Remember, it is okay to be an intelligent, progressive human being and enjoy sports. Remember, the playground and the backyard. If you do play, play for the right reason. Have fun. Take a moment after all you’ve read and remember why it is that you love sports.