Over the last eight weeks, I have experienced much joy and frustration on account of the Indianapolis Colts. This past Sunday night, I experienced a lot of both. The Boys in Blue played visitors to one of their most heated rivals- the New England Patriots. The game was competitive throughout. Despite the fact that the Colts never trailed through four quarters of action, tension remained thick until the final minute as the Patriots offense kept pace with Peyton Manning & Co. In the end, my team was victorious and they walk off of the field that night as the only team in the NFL that remains undefeated (8-0). I'm doing my best to enjoy these elating moments. Not only because this calibre of success is fleeting in the tempestuous world of professional sports, but because I have not always had the luxury of witnessing these moments with my own two eyes.
About a year and a half ago, I made the decision to take some time off from school after completing my Master's degree at Candler. I knew there would be several benefits to this break. First and foremost, I knew this would be an opportunity for me to rest up and recover from the last six years of hard, academic work. I place a lot of pressure on myself to perform at a top level and the stress that pressure creates was burning me out to the point that my passion for my studies was flagging. Many times over the last two months, I've repeatedly thanked the good Lord for the absence of papers and exams in my life right now. There are many things about the school experience I presently miss, but the continual worry is definitely not one of them. (Even the great stress I felt preparing the GRE was still considerably less than what I ususally feel over a significant paper.)
A second and wonderful benefit of this break is that I have REAL weekends. Saturday and Sunday are an opportunity for fun and fellowship free of the burndens of assignments or other such responsibilities. In graduate school, weekends are the time to do all the homework you don't have time to do during the days you have class. During my time in Atlanta, there were very few weekends that I didn't spend half my waking hours with my nose in a book or my fingers on a keybord typing something school-related. Consequently, Sunday afternoon and evening were usually anthing but a time of rest. And from September to late December, setting aside three hours of my Sunday to watch a football game wasn't something I could do in good conscience.
This, in turn, meant that I saw very little of my hometown Colts before final exams were over. During the 2004 and 2005 seasons, I did not watch an entire game of football until Thanksgiving break. This meant that I missed most of the games when Peyton was setting the single season record for touchdowns thrown, as well as most of last year's 13-0 start.
NO MORE! This year is different, my friends. This year I have alread watched six Colts games in their entirety (as well as 4 or 5 other whole games that didn't even involve my team). As I said before, I know this is a luxury- a blessing, to use more theological language. Even though I've never been any good at athletic competitions, I've always derived great joy from watching them and cheering my favorite teams. When I was small lad growing up in Bloomington, my family dressed me in Cream and Crimson and instilled in me a love for Indiana basketball. So deep was my love for the men's basketball team that I literally wept when Duke eliminated the Hoosiers from the 1992 Final Four. As I grew to adulthood, familial and regional ties led me to cheer on other teams with comparable fervor. The Indiana Pacers, Greenbay Packers, and San Antonio Spurs are prime examples. Not too long after I moved to Indianapolis in 1994, the Colts were added to that short list.
As I see it, there are three noble reasons to watch sports teams like the Colts. First, sports can be appreciated deelply for their aesthetic value. My football I.Q. is rather low, but my ignorance does afford me a great opportunity to learn more about the details and dynamics of American football. I love to see top athletes performing the astonishing and difficult feets that only competitors of their formidable skill could perform. Similarly, I love to see the testing of superior minds and wills against one another, as the coaches and players on one side attempt to out maneuver the opposing coaches and players. Sporting events by nature are far from shallow and empty; they possess a richness and depth that can never become passe for those who have eyes to see these qualities.
Second, sports are an excellent form of entertainment. One needn't understand the intricacies of a game to feel authentic satisfaction while watching it. Again, I embody the truth of that reality when it comes to the Colts. Even for folks that have a solid master of all the X's and O's, the drama created by tradition, rivalries, and the promise of championship glory make competitions all the more interesting to observe.
Last but not least, sports can be a highly effective means of building community. The truth of this observation is self-evident to those who have experienced it. (For another stunning example, use the "Resonance" link to check out Erin Miller's recent posts about what the St. Louis Cardinals' World Series victory has meant to their fans.) Over the last six weeks, I have spent quality time with The Tranbargers, Aaron Homoya, and Perry as we watched the Colts together. The highs and the lows I experience as a fan take on greater significance when I share them with friends and family.
And now I get to have these experiences on a weekly basis again. Not only do I have a chance to watch the games but I get to watch them in Indy with other hometown fans. It's good to be back. Especially when the team we're all committed to keeps on winning. :)
3 comments:
wow, that was lengthy, and I have to confess, I didn't read it all.
But you're right about sports and community building. I have a whole set of new friends because of a few World Series parties. It has made a difference in my happiness in this place.
And I didn't forget to call you tonight. At least not permanently. But by the time I remembered, I thought it might be too late. Not sure if you were working tomorrow or not. So ... you got a blogger comment instead, which I find nearly as fun!
Hope you're doing well.
Poignant words Dave Scott. Sports is the great unifier in this country. Writing specifically on the Colts, they are a very "classy" team as well. If you follow the major message boards on the big sports websites, you will find that most (the intelligent posts---not the "flamers") posters show great respect for Peyton, Marvin, Reggie, Dungy and the whole franchise in general. That is the biggest compliment of all, to have the respect of people from all over, not just Indiana.
whew!!!
I figured after all that talk we made this week that Buffalo would give Indy all they could handle. But remember, great teams find ways to win.
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