SuperBowl Blues

So close...I was really hoping the Cards would pull it out, and they almost did. Phooey! Oh, well, I always like to cheer for the underdogs anyway.

So, what is it about a game that can capture our emotions and hearts for days, even weeks leading up to the contest and causes us to scream at the TV like it really mattered in the eternal scheme of things?

I think there are several things at play (excuse the pun):

1) It allows us to forget our troubles and focus on something that's entertaining and distracting and FUN. Lord knows, we could all use some distractions right now, and sports are certainly a safe way to forget about life for a few hours.

2) It also, I believe gives us an outlet for emotion that we do not feel comfortable showing in everyday life situations. Most of us, when we are disappointed or exhilarated are uncomfortable screaming in frustration or excitement in our day-to-day existence. We can even weep in disappointment when our team loses, but we're really not allowed to weep in disappointment on our jobs when something doesn't go right. Some people do, of course, but for the most part, we are very uncomfortable when someone displays openly their feelings in public. In fact, when we are overcome with emotion (say crying about something painful in our lives), we usually feel the need to apologize for allowing our mask to slip and being unable to control ourselves.

3) I also think that on a deeper level, sports can take the place of real emotional involvement in the things that are really important in life. For example, when is the last time you cheered out loud about a victory by our troops in combat? When did you last weep over the plight of abused children or over the thousands of babies that are killed in this country every month?

I believe that sports actually serve as a vehicle that we use to cope with our lives. The contests on the football field, basketball court, baseball diamond or whatever your game of choice is allow us to vent and vocalize our frustrations and joys freely in an acceptable venue, when to express these same feelings in our daily lives would make us "weird."

Don't get me wrong--I'm not advocating that we all run around wearing our feelings on our sleeves all the time. Society would be a mess if we did. In fact, societies where that is the norm are usually out of control. However, I am saying that we need to allow ourselves to feel more deeply about the things that really matter.

I guess I'm thinkin' that maybe this world would be a better place if I began to be at least as involved in real life issues as I get in sports.