The meaning, and worth, of sports...

Over the years I have had this conversation many times. "How valuable are sports in the academic world?"..... it's the same debate as when you substitute 'arts' for 'sports', IMHO.

Gotta photo here.. take a look:



First time any of those football players have worn "Black and Orange".... they grew up wearing "Red and White/Black". They were all Kerman High School Lions.. .not that long ago. Tonight they played for the Reedley J.C. Tigers... 100 players on their roster.

I'm old so what I'm about to say actually took place MANY years ago... but also - MANY years after High School. In 1963 Tranquillity High School fielded what may have been the best football team that ever played in the central valley. 2 TD's were scored on them the entire year. Not sure how many points they averaged... possibly into the 40's. I didn't play with them, I scrimmaged against them as a JV. They are legend.. in Tranquillity anyway... and one night -

I was down at the Corner Bar and "Bobby" came in.. had not seen him since High School. Bobby was a WR on the team I'm speaking of. Bruce Springsteen got it wrong.. it's not "Glory Days"... it's brotherhood. Bobby remembered me well. I got my butt kicked a LOT that year but I kept coming at em'.... Bobby remembered that.

I'm friends with several members of that 1963 team, (as well as the teams I played with)... and it's not 'glory days' that we focus on when I run into them.. (although that can, and does, come up ). It's Coach Lawlor... the 'meanest' coach that ever existed.. I'm sure most of you knew a Coach Lawlor as well.. and that today we revere with the utmost adulation. It's that A'hole Hector who used to love to snap his towel at your private parts. It's game 4 when Tom picked up one of our own fumbles, (a lineman), and then attempted a pass to one of our WR's. It didn't end well. It's John who once during 'film review day' laughed about dropping a pass that hit him square in the chest and Coach Lawlor throwing his shoe at him hitting him square in the forehead and leaving a mark he wore for the next several games.

Gaze again at the photo.. it's camaraderie. Glory Days? Well... yes, I think that fits.. but not in the way Bruce meant it. It's the days of learning other's have your back... even when you utterly fail, as well as those occasions you do not. It's a 'Fellowship'. It's invaluable. - JamesJM