It's Just a Game. Or is it?

On the Edge
"It's Just a Game"

The dream that the Bronco's would go to the Super Bowl this year is still warm after its death, and it is the temptation of many fans to ease their pain with the claim that they shouldn't be upset because, after all, "it's just a game."

But is it just a game?  Is it really?

Why are sports so important to us?  Why are we so willing to throw thousands, millions even, of dollars to these players, coaches, advertisers, clothing companies, game day food, etc?  Is it really that our priorities are that out of whack?  Is it such a negative thing?

There was a time when my temptation was to answer this question with a resounding, "YES!"  At that time, it was such a negative thing in my opinion!  And, don't get me wrong, I do believe that the pay gap between a football star and, say, a teacher, is serious and needs to be addressed.  But I don't think that football, baseball, hockey, soccer, or [insert sport here] are to be condemned, either.  Sports are not intrinsically evil.

Look at what they do to our communities!  They bring us together in a way that nothing else can.  I suppose that you could say that sports divide communities in some ways.  They "divide" people who root for different teams (Bronco's vs Raiders).  They "divide" people who root for different players (cough cough Tim Tebow cough cough).  They "divide" people who root for different sports (baseball vs. football).  But, when it comes down to it, nobody is going to protest the playing of sports itself.  Nobody is going to get up and shout that football is from the devil.  Well, with the exception of the mom in the movie "The Waterboy!"  But that's a different story entirely!

Now, I don't particularly enjoy watching football.  But that doesn't mean that I think that football is bad.  It just means that I think it's boring.  That being said, I love football movies, TV episodes, and stories.  And the reason that I love those things is the same reason that most people actually enjoy watching the game itself (which I simply don't understand).  Because there are no guarantees in sports.  It's exciting.  And one bad move, one moment of hesitation, one moment of unsportsmanlike conduct or selfishness/not-playing-as-a-teamness, can completely change the dynamics of a game.

It's amazing how one player can lift the spirits of the entire team. I won't mention the famous (or infamous, depending on what you think of him) Tim Tebow, since there are a lot of polarized feelings there!  I will, however, mention Ubaldo Jimenez, who used to play for the Colorado Rockies.  Minus a few fluke seasons, the Rockies are a notoriously bad baseball team.  I love them.  I am loyal to my Colorado Rockies.  I can't even imagine cheering for any other team.  But I'm also a realist, and I can say without sadness or disloyalty that they are not a good team.  But I'll tell you what, when Ubaldo Jimenez was playing for us, the year he pitched a no-hitter, you'd never know that the Rockies were so bad!  At least, not on the games when Jimenez was playing!  On the other days, though, you'd be disappointed.  The Rockies rallied around their star pitcher.  They put in extra effort for "The Chosen One."  But as soon as another pitcher was on the field, they'd go back to playing mediocre baseball.

What is it about a star that can make a team come together?  Why did all of the members of the Rockies play better with Jimenez?  Why do the Bronco's rally around Peyton Manning?  It's simply because these players are not just players, they are legends.  And, as we recall in The Sandlot, "Heroes get remembered, but legends never die." 

It doesn't take much effort to see the correlations between most things in the secular world and our faith.  Sports have led us to ponder our faith for thousands of years.  It's in scripture!  And anything that reflects the spiritual life in any way is a good thing!

The legends of sports are much like the legends of our faith.  We rally around them.  They make us, the "running backs," the "wide receivers," the "centers," or whatever position you choose (yes, I had to look those up) play stronger, faster, better and with more commitment than if we didn't.  They give us hope.  After all, their lives aren't much different than our own.  And yet, there is something special about them.  It is the ability to see what they have, that we don't have, that makes us desire a better, fuller relationship with Jesus.

Who are these legends?  They could be any person who has lived the faith in a legend-wait-for-it-dary way!  Take for example, Moses.  Or Abraham.  Or Mary.  Or John the Baptist.  Or Peter.  Or Paul.  Or any holy man or woman from Scipture.

Or take the Saints.  Saint Francis of Assisi.  Or St. Thomas Aquinas.  Or Saint Augustine.  Or Saint Therese.  Or Saint Maximilian Kolbe.  Or Saint Thomas More.  Or Saint Theresa of Avila.  Or any of the Saints. 

Or how about those who live today, who experience the very same world that we do, in the very same times that we do:  like Pope Benedict XVI.  Or Scott Hahn.  Or Peter Kreeft.  Or Matthew Kelly.  Or Curtis Martin.  Or Jackie Francois.  Or Jeff Cavins.  Or Tim Grey.  Or Edward Sri.  Or Bob Rice.

Too often we let our world dictate to us the type of life we should be living, and the things that we should be doing.  And too often that message is that a holy life is something to be ashamed of.  There is NOTHING shameful about rallying around those holy men and women who lead you closer to God.  Absolutely nothing.  That's the team that I am on.  And I hope to be as good a player as those holy men and women I listed above.  The legends of the faith.  And that means that I am going to have to work hard, play with integrity, and leave the game making the other team say, "Wow.  That was a tough game.  I kind of wish that I was on that team, too." 

The sports we watch are a reflection of the lives we live.  We are all in this game of life . Does your life end with the victory of Heaven, or was it just to "have fun," "nobody's keeping score," and playing to "show me the money?" You have to ask yourself, "Is it just a game?" or is it something more?