10 Greatest Things About Sports

In celebration of the tenth edition of the “Grandeur of the Game,” the ten greatest things about sports will now be listed.
1. Sport gives you probably the single greatest excuse to eat as much junk food as possible. From hot dogs to popcorn to peanuts to chips and dip, this is the one time into today’s health crazy society that is culturally acceptable to eat food bad for you. I mean seriously who wants to watch Albert Pujols smash 450 foot home runs while eating salmon fillets with a garden salad. So go ahead sports lovers, eat that triple cheeseburger and enjoy every moment of it.
2. Sports make brother and sisters out of people who would have never previously met. Fans that have nothing in common except for the fact that they love the same team. And think about that little curly headed, 70 pound kid on your grade school football team. You would have never talked to him in your life but that one game he stood his ground to tackle the other team’s monster fullback (you know that 11 year old who was already shaving). That little guy earned everybody’s respect by being brave when it would’ve been so easing to hide. That’s a respect that can never be broken.
3. Sports has caused the creation of possibly the greatest show ever: SportsCenter. You can watch SportsCenter six times in a row every morning even though it’s the same highlights, because yes, Lebron James’ dunk was really that spectacular. And don’t worry about other people thinking your weird because you watch the same show over and over because everyone else is watching it too.
4. Sports has been one of the biggest allies in the civil rights struggle. When Jackie Robinson broke out with the Brooklyn Dodgers in the 1950’s, it made people realize that it wasn't the color of the man, but the heart inside him. And with Billy Jean King and Lisa Leslie, women were ready to show that they deserved a place off the sideline and on the field were they could be, like their male counterparts, some of the world’s greatest athletes.
5. Sports gives you memories that you’ll never forget. Don’t tell me you don’t know exactly where you were when Michael Jordan hit his last shot in his last game for the Bulls. Legs crossed, sitting on the floor, three feet from the TV knowing that you were watching greatness. You’ll always know where you were when your favorite athlete did something special and you were right them with him.
6. Sports helps you realize just how much your parents actually cared for you. Your father giving up his own golf playing so he could teach how to swing a nine-iron in the backyard. Your mother rushing home from work everyday so she could drive you, your sister and your brother to baseball, basketball and soccer practice all in one afternoon, and all with the orange slices in hand.
7. Sports has taught us the lessons of life. Teamwork, commitment, pride and so many more. You can read the definitions of all those words in a dictionary, but when you go out there and learn what they really mean first hand, the lesson will be with you forever.
8. Sports has given us an excuse to buy all sorts of clothing and memorabilia. Can you really cheer on Peyton Manning as he throws five touchdowns if you don’t have on his $89 replica jersey? Can you really be a fan of Mickey Mantle if you passed up on a chance to buy a baseball autographed by him? Of course not, being a fan isn’t just about going to the game, its about being the most obsessed and crazy fan you can be.
9. Sports has given us so many traditions that we have no idea what they mean, but we love them. Take Virginia Tech for example; does anybody really know what a “Hokie” is? Why is it that the winner at the Masters gets a green jacket? And someone give an award to the genius who thought up the 7th inning stretch. We have no idea what all these traditions mean, but we can’t live without them.
10. As we remember the heroes of 9/11, we realize that sports define us as Americans. When that event happened, we didn’t want to play games, but after a few days, the people of New York and Washington D.C. said play. They wanted us to be a people who didn’t sit back but a people who persevered. So as we played again, we played with American flags everywhere and tears on our cheeks. We played because the game gave us hope, because the game was so grandeur.