Winning and Losing

Sports, they seem to be the thing that makes life so enjoyable and yet, it makes us so angry at times. Recent events in America's most popular sport, the National Football League, seem to have us second-guessing the things we sometimes base our life around. Whether you're the ultimate sports fan and watch three games at once or the one that catches the highlights when they're on TV and you just happen to flip on that channel, sports play a big role in our life and lifestyle. When I was choosing where I wanted to attend college I had some choices to make. It was going to be the biggest decision I would make up to that point, where would I spend the next four years of my life. The four years of my life that would lead me down the path of having a great life. Penn State was always going to be there, but as I was looking around at other places that would be a good fit for me, I found myself asking, “What is their athletic department like?” As crazy as that might sound and it probably sounds insane, that was something I was basing my college decision off of. In the end, Penn State was the best choice because it had everything I wanted. It was the easy choice because of one thing; it was home.

We look at athletes of all levels to be role models for the youth in America. That’s their job. It’s not to entertain us; it’s not to give us something to be happy about when we might need it. It’s to the perfect human beings. That means no making mistakes no matter what it is. It’s the sad truth about sports that we hold athletes to higher standards because they are athletes. It seems to be what we do and what we have done for decades. If your team loses on a Saturday or Sunday for example, you’re going to have an awful week. Even if we don’t notice it, we like to put the blame of how our life is going on if our team is winning or losing. It’s the American way. Is that really what it means to be a fan though? Fans are supposed to be there to support their team through the good and bad but the good times can’t come without the bad.

I’ve grown up around Penn State football my entire life and it becomes a part of you; much like any team will if you’re around it long enough. From the tailgating before and after the game to the game itself, those seven or eight Saturday’s of the year are a get away; they are a retreat to a place where people gather to spend the day in an environment that is nothing short of a safe-haven. Win or lose, you spend those Saturday’s with the people who matter the most and who make you forget your team lost. A college friend of my uncle was diagnosed with cancer towards the end of last year; it was a hard time for everyone who knew him. He didn’t know if he would make it to any games this season, but that was his goal. He wanted to be around his family, he wanted to be around Penn State football. He’s been to two games and the smile on his face when he leaves gets bigger each time. Sports are a microcosm in the grand scheme of life. They might have zero impact on our lives but they are what we look forward to after a long week. We can spend hours and hours prepping for the Super Bowl and in 3 hours it’s over; but it’s those days, 1 day out of 365 we embrace the influence of sports and become true fans. It’s the little things in life; such as those seven or eight Saturday’s of the year, which makes your appreciation for those little things go up. As fans we need to enjoy sports and value what they mean to us; and that’s more than just winning and losing.