More than Games

     On April 15, 2013, a bomb went off near the finish line of the Boston Marathon. Three innocent people, each with their own hopes, dreams, and aspirations, are now dead, at the hands one man’s twisted virtue. However, in times of tragedy humanity has always found a way, a will to succeed, a light in the darkness, and continues on with God-given strength. We as people have consistently shown an uncanny resilience. It seems that our most shining moments come in our darkest hours, and no single part of our culture is more emblematic of that rare ability than athletics. In short, it’s always more than a game. It’s about taking a stand. It’s about making a statement. It’s about us.

   

     Sports have always been about dominance. One must be bigger, faster, and stronger in order to succeed. It’s not about beating your opponent. It’s about destroying them. Crushing them. Owning them. Despite all this, the most powerful moments in the history of athletics have come when opponents, be it on the field or in the game of life, have come together in solidarity for the betterment of society, standing unafraid in the face of adversity. For example, FC Barcelona sponsored a game between Palestinian and Israeli nationals in an effort to promote peace in the Middle East. Another example can be found in the story of Jackie Robinson. While his play and status as the first to break baseball’s color barrier deserve recognition, no single instance of personal solidarity is more obvious than when his teammate, the Caucasian Pee Wee Reese, walked across the diamond to embrace the second baseman despite jeers from the crowd. Athletics give people, regardless of race, color, or creed, a chance to work for a common goal. The love of the game alone, no matter how trivial, brings them together. He who competes no longer lives as an individual but, at least for a time, functions as a member of a community to overcome obstacles.

     Sports also give us a chance to show upstanding moral character and provide a forum for positive change.  Tommie Smith and John Carlos worked together with Australian sprinter Peter Norman in the 1968 Olympics to make a lasting impact on human rights and race relations with one of the most iconic moments in Olympic history-the infamous gloved fist protest racism. "If I win, I am American, not a black American,” Smith stated later. However, what one group of people or nation does not do is often just as important. In 1980, our great nation made a decision to avoid the Sochi Olympics in order to protest (and to my homeroom teacher I apologize) the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the governmental abuses rampant in Communism. Later on, the two nations squared off in a hockey match that would come to be known as the “Miracle on Ice” which is still seen to be emblematic of Capitalism’s triumph over Communism and freedom over oppression; although in reality it was “just a hockey game.” And while it may be hard to believe, but at one time, North and South Korea decided to walk under one flag during the Olympics in a symbolic gesture of unity despite stark differences-that they chose to do so in a competition was telling of a newfound community. On April 15, runners who had just struggled through 26 miles ran 2 more to donate blood for their fallen brothers and sisters. They willingly gave of themselves so that others may live-a group mentality found in all sports. The day after the bombing, the Boston Red Sox sent a message that their city would not be defeated by drubbing the Cleveland Indians 7-2. The bombers tried to bring out the worst in us but, in the end, and in part through Athletics, only showed the great heights we can achieve.

   

      No politician’s speech, Congressional law, or statue truly embody the human experience like sports do. Athletics bring us together when politics cannot; the PRC and the US did bond over ping-pong after all. People put down grenades to celebrate goals, revel in made baskets rather than detonated bombs, and count touchdowns instead of tactical strikes, all in the names of mere games. They serve society not by their ability to entertain, but by providing shining examples of excellence and moral integrity in situations symbolic of human life. As we mourn in the wake of unspeakable tragedy, it is important to know that people will always find a way to persevere. We are not finished with the race to recovery; we are just starting but be confident that nobody will run it better than the United States of America. It’s more than a race. It’s about making a statement. It’s about taking a stand. It’s about us. 

Images Retrieved From: wikipedia.org and padresteve.com

Bullet in the Chamber

     Hello, everyone. I am currently off the grid, at least temporarily, as I am on a road trip to my new cousins’ baptisms in the eternally flat hellhole known as St. Louis. That fact, however, will not prevent me from indulging in a little ranting, a little raging, and maybe-if we are lucky-some semi-coherent thought. As a rule, there will be more than a few typos because I don’t proofread these-this is strictly for the blog and for you guys-not for the school newspaper.

     Oscar Pistorius was a hero. More than a man, more than a myth, hell, more than a legend, his journey from a double-amputee to a shining example of the resiliency of the human spirit is well chronicled. Only now did we realize that the dashing South African was actually a deeply flawed man…just like the rest of us. He made a horrible mistake, and he will ultimately pay for it, and the fame he labored to achieve has only made his swift fall from grace that much more painful. He’s successfully escaped legal punishments before, and it’s a damn shame all these are coming to light now when it matters most rather than as they occurred. We all simply covered our ears and sang to ourselves to keep the mythology of the Blade Runner alive, purposefully forgetting his less than perfect attributes. We failed to listen to the whispers of imperfection after he crashed his speedboat into a pier and ultimately ended up needing facial reconstruction surgery and over 100 stitches. Bottles of liquor were found on board. We failed to listen when he brought a loaded gun into a crowded restaurant, and accidentally shot it. He asked his mere mortal of a friend to quite literally take the PR bullet. We failed to recognize his dangerous and speed-centric lifestyle. He loved fast cars, firearms, and the fairer sex-he seemed, as one friend said, to desire to be known as “a man’s man.” Perhaps he was trying to compensate for his legs, or lack thereof? We can never be sure, but that guess is as good as anyone else’s at the moment.

    The severity of Pistorius’ crime is unarguable, but we must take partial responsibility for being surprised that the man was human and therefore intrinsically fallible. We are at fault here too. But the runner is the one on trial, and we must examine the facts and figures surrounding the death of one Reeva Steenkamp before coming to a verdict. Pistorius had a history of jealousy and a bit of an inferiority complex, facts that lead me to my hypothesis mentioned in the prior paragraph. Ultimately, however much we perpetuate the man’s flaws, they are not particularly relevant to this case. Sorry ladies, this isn’t a domestic violence case, and I thank God it’s not. Those who say it is are sadly mistaken. This crime was gender-neutral, as Pistorius never actually know the gender of the person behind the bathroom door. What’s more, is that he stayed at the scene of the crime rather than running away, as is common in domestic disputes, called the police, and tried to resuscitate his spouse. His actions indicate this was not an argument gone tragically awry and also that Pistorius willingly submit himself to police investigation. Chance cannot be sexist. Furthermore, Steenkamp was a strong woman, and was a champion of women’s movement in South Africa. Those close to her said she would have left any relationship she felt was unhealthy.  And now she is gone. A memory. Another innocent life taken by poor judgment and molten lead. But this case isn’t a public referendum on gun control either-thank God for that as well. Pistorius needed weapons for protection anyways-without legs he is essentially defenseless, in a situation eerily similar to that of the Black Knight in Monty Python. 

     The facts show that this was clearly an accidental homicide, but a murder nonetheless. The facts also show that astronomical crime rate in South Africa makes Pistorius’ story that he believed himself to be shooting at an intruder plausible. But what the facts cannot ever show is what truly happened that night, or what was going through the Olympian’s mind when he pulled the trigger. Were his actions merely reflex stemming from countless hours spent at the shooting range? Did he have a valid fear for his safety? Did Oscar Pistorius fire those bullets with intent to kill, or to defend himself? Ballistic tests show that he did not have his prosthetics on at the time of the shooting, and only put them on to kick the bathroom door through which he shot down, after all. I do not believe this to be premeditated, and find the runner’s actions to be made valid fear, but I also find it to be a punishable crime and a murder. I believe Pistorius is truly sorry for his actions, though such regrets cannot bring back Reeva Steenkamp. But if the court rules that Pistorius had an intent to kill without a reasonable claim of self-defense, regardless of whom he was shooting at, as his statements unfortunately and unintentionally express, then he will be found guilty of murder in the first degree, his life all but over.

     The Blade Runner, as we all know, is human. He crashed back to Earth after living in the clouds amongst the gods. We all know he is a good man with a compassionate heart, and deeply regrets his actions, or at least pretends to be. Likewise, we realize this is not the first time he has been in trouble with the law. We are at fault here as well. We worshiped him and his story. We made the man a legend beyond flaw and it took a tragedy to recognize he is like us. When the verdict comes in this case over the summer, I hope the courts show mercy to a man who made a mistake, but punish him to the full extent of his crime. I hope we can learn something from this as well. I hope we can learn to avoid making myths out of men, immortals out of mortals heroes out of humans, and gods from earthly greatness. 

Images Retrieved From: www.couriermail.com.au and www.washingtonpost.com

Love of Country?

     The Olympics have always taken my breath away. I remember watching US swimmer Michael Phelps win a record eight gold medals in one year. I remember watching Jamaica's Usain Bolt utterly destroy the competition, winning the race in style while beating his chest, though it cost him an even lower world-record time. I remember watching dreams come true, and I fear all of that may be coming to an end.  I am worried that the Olympics, arguably the one pure form of competition left and where athletes compete for love of country, not for money, will become akin to what people are trying to make college athletics-a moneygrab for it's competitors and nothing more. I fear that those who do compete for the love of the game are few and far between, and most likely do not come from the United States of America.

     When Dwayne Wade of the Miami Heat came out and said that he wants to be paid for his time on the Olympic Basketball team, I immediately asked myself, "Why?". Wade already has his millions, and I assume he loves his country, so why would he want to demand payment for something millions of people would do for free? He's greedy. It's a natural instinct to want to be fairly compensated, I get that, and I understand where Wade is coming from in regards to his desire to receive payments, or at least a percentage of the profits from every jersey bearing his name, but why? Because the Olympics are becoming the world's biggest advertisement for an athlete's talents and endorsement opportunities. Get on the podium, get your millions in watch deals. It's simple really. I'm fine with that. Companies need a face to be competitive, whether it be a gorgeous supermodel  or a talented athlete, and the Olympics give an athlete a stage to audition on. But in their heart, the Olympians know that the hopes of a nation rest on their shoulders. They compete for the love of the game, not for money. At least they're supposed to. Wade's comment sounded eerily similar to the argument made by proponents of paying college athletes. People go to college to prepare themselves for the rest of their lives, and play sports because they can, not to play sports then drop in on a few classes. Collegiate athletes will tell you that they play to win a championship, not for payment. The same goes for some professionals, who stay with one team their entire careers for the love of the game, even though they could move to more marketable teams. Therefore, if one college can offer more money to a player than another university could, the player would almost always go to the school offering more money. The same concept applies to the Olympics. If John Doe is theoretically able to compete for three different countries, then he will most likely compete for the nation offering the most money to compete, not necessarily for medals as is custom now, putting smaller, less developed nations at a disadvantage, sucking the soul out of the games in a ruthless monetization of citizenship.

     The real issue, at least for me, is where is the love of the country? The Olympics are the embodiment of nationalism, or heroism, of athletic immortality. There is no drive to compete if one knows they will get paid regardless. The only incentive someone should need for competing in the Olympics is knowing they are going to battle for their country in a (mostly) bloodless war for dominance. Do you think the Miracle on Ice would have happened if there was no drive to compete? The ragtag team beat the Soviet Union for a reason--that they were representing the free world-- and they knew it. They accomplished the impossible, but they had to continue competing. Would there have been a drive in the gold medal match against Finland if they received their compensation beforehand? I'm not sure, but it's a valid question. The true beauty of the Olympics lies in an athlete's desire to perform for his country without getting paid for simply showing up.  Why even have a competition between nations if it is simply another way for athletes to make money, not to represent their love of their country? The moment Olympians start getting paid will be the moment it will lose it's soul.

Images Retrieved From: www.geotravellers.com