Oftentimes during this incredible Oregon football season, I’ve found myself positively rambling about the Ducks. A friend or relative will ask about the Bowl Championship Series rankings, and I’ll end up talking about how clutch Darron Thomas has been.
I’m quite sure that I’m not the only one suffering from this burst of excitement. Oregon is, after all, the number one team in all of the polls. The collective head size of every Eugene resident has grown exponentially in the last few months.
Still, when these conversations end, I sometimes stop myself and ask, “What’s gotten into you? Why do you care about this so much?”
Well, the simple answer is: “Because I’m a sports fan.” Intense passion comes with the territory, and ESPN has even launched a new ad campaign with the punch line: “It’s not crazy; it’s sports.” Catchy, huh? The commercials deftly tap into the ethos of sports fans, further illustrating that you won’t understand the concept of fandom until you witness the blood, sweat and tears that go into it.
But when you think about, all of this is just a little bit crazy. My life pretty much revolves around my favorite sports teams; when I get out of class, the first thing I think about is what time the Bulls play in the evening. I used to be proud of this — now, I’m not so sure.
On this, the day after the 2010 midterm elections, take a moment and look at the world around you. The United States is involved in two wars (one winding down, the other just gathering steam). Unemployment runs rampant throughout the country and natural disasters seem to be striking by the month.
And yet, the talk of the town has been … a football team? Look, I understand the argument that sports are an escape from every day life. Heck, I’ve been
living proof of that argument for most of my 20 years. But at some point, you have to wonder how much is too much.
What if, for example, we put so much energy into following the war in Afghanistan? What if the 54,000-plus people who showed up at Autzen Stadium for every game actually stood and protested a fight many have deemed unnecessary? Would there even be a war going on?
What if those who supported the troops, instead of scouring the Internet for news about Kenjon Barner’s status, instead took the time to post a message of thanks to the men and women serving overseas? It’s a small gesture that could go a long way (you can do it on the U.S. Department of Defense website).
Like the rest of the country, we’re too caught up in our own issues. As I write this, the top two most-read stories on The Register-Guard’s website have to do with Oregon football. A recent New York Times article also showed that most politicians have abandoned the war in Afghanistan on the campaign trail. No one cares about it, and if the people don’t care, neither do the politicians. This is pathetic, and as citizens we should be ashamed of ourselves. I include myself in this discussion; I’m not going to sit here and pretend that I’ve paid more attention to the war than to my favorite sports teams. It would be disingenuous to suggest so.
To be sure, there is nothing wrong with being an avid sports fan. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t kick myself for falling into the trap of modern athletics. What should be a helpful diversion has become an unhealthy obsession.
What bothers me most is that through it all, soldiers manage to keep up with what concerns us. We see them during every BCS National Championship or Super Bowl, when the TV networks cut to them cheering on their favorite teams inside a small tent.
They keep up with us. Why can’t we pay them the decency of caring about their lives? Have we really become so callous, so selfish in desiring to know only about what pleases us? Some people seem to care, but not nearly enough.
Go ahead, tell me to get off my high horse. You’d be mistaken in doing so, because this isn’t a plea from above. I’m in the very same position that countless others are in; over the years, my priorities have become terribly mixed up.
All I, or anyone else, can really do is work to rectify this problem. Don’t get me wrong; I will always enjoy watching Oregon football and I look forward to seeing what heights this team can reach. But we should remember that more important things happen every day. Football is a game.
Everything else is, well, life.
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