SPORTS
Sports not life or death, unlike Iraq
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by Derek Zetlin
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
There’s a reason why I write this column every week.
It’s probably the same reason you’re reading it now.
It’s not rocket science — we love sports. Our weekly consumption of ESPN infinitely prevails over that of CNBC and Comedy Central combined. We know more players’ OBPs than we do countries’ GDPs. “Cinderella” reminds us of George Mason before lost slippers, and we can name more SportsCenter anchors than we can cabinet members in our own government.
I’m not proud of it. In fact, it’s rather embarrassing. My knowledge of sports vastly outweighs that of politics or economics (good thing it’s my major).
For a long time, I never thought anything of it. But recently, my ignorance about the world in which I live has bothered me more and more.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m still going to analyze lefty-righty pitching matchups before I study Japanese economic expansion. But I’ve come to realize something: Sports are not the end-all, be-all — they’re merely a means of entertainment.
I know it’s hard to take that statement seriously from someone who literally cried after Aaron Boone’s extra-inning home run off of Tim Wakefield in 2003 and who went into a 48-hour hibernation after Plaxico Burress’s last-minute touchdown reception in February’s Super Bowl. But it’s true; there are more important things in life than sports.
Sometimes we just need a reminder.
I’ve already got mine.
While I was stressed, worried about my Marketing 300 exam a few weeks ago, my best friend since sixth grade was training in Virginia.
Training for what, you ask? War. Not the Game 7 “war” Kevin Garnett speaks of (watch it on YouTube; it’s actually pretty funny). I’m talking about real war, the Iraq war, the war in which he’ll be fighting this summer.
For most Americans — including myself — war is so abstract. Yeah, our country is at war, but does it actually affect our everyday lives?
Ignorant, I know, but how many of us actually think about the war on a daily basis?
Starting in May, I will be.
This summer, my mom will worry if I put on enough sunblock while I’m waterskiing at my friend’s lake house. My friend’s mom will be worrying about, well, some more important things.
I’m not telling you to stop watching ESPN or stop playing fantasy baseball. Don’t stop bleeding cardinal and white or crying over the now Favre-less Packers. Take sports seriously; they’re fun. I merely urge you to put sports into perspective and understand the world does not revolve around whether or not Tony Romo plays worse with Jessica Simpson up in the Cowboys’ luxury box. It doesn’t even revolve around Jason Bohannon’s 3-point percentage or P.J. Hill’s average yards per rush, as much as we’d like it to.
I’d be a hypocrite if I said those things don’t matter to me, because they do. But some things are more important, like family and friends.
Especially ones who risk their lives so you can paint your body red, drink copious amounts of beer and scream “asshole” at every Michigan fan who stands in your section.
So next time you’re stressing over your next O-chem test, just be thankful you’re in Madison and not Fallujah, because some people our age are.
The issues Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith discuss every morning are heated and exciting, but they aren’t life or death.
Some things in life are.
Justin, thanks for doing that, so I can do this. Believe me, it doesn’t go unnoticed.
Derek (dzetlin@badgerherald.com) is a sophomore majoring in economics.
Anonymous (April 30, 2008 @ 11:21am):
good story
weak headline
Anonymous (April 30, 2008 @ 5:10pm):
Great article-well written--thought provoking-
GO JUSTIN
Go Celtics
Go Red Sox
Anonymous (April 30, 2008 @ 9:11pm):
Tres bien Dereek.
Anonymous (April 30, 2008 @ 10:57pm):
You're a great person Derek...what a great article.
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