The joys of professional sports
Over a year ago Wrestling guru Vince McMahon launched the XFL, a fledgling football league that failed miserably mostly due to unrealistic goals. The football as pretty bad, but a number of good things did happen as a result of the XFL. The NFL adopted additional camera angles and on-field gimmicks to bring the game “into your living room.” QB Tommy Maddox played in the XFL with the Los Angeles eXtreme, taking them to the championship, winning the game and landing himself a place as QB for the Pittsburgh Steelers after years of trying to make it in the NFL. A number of other great stories along those lines took place as well.
Mike and I took in the first XFL game in Los Angeles and we had an absolutely amazing time. Briefly, the game started out good, then the visiting team (can’t recall who they were right now) began to womp us hard. Then it just got damn boring. No problem, because once the game got boring, the fans got interesting! Random fights would break out between absolute morons or a woman would flash the audience. Over the course of the second and third quarter screams of “Fight!” or “Tits!” or “Fight/Tits!” were heard very regularly, with parents of 10 year old boys doing their best to shield their offspring from this base display. Two 11 year old kids, picking up on the craziness in the stands, performed a mock fight themselves which landed them on the jumbo tron with enthusiastic cheers from the audience! It was a very rowdy, very fun game.
With about two minutes left in the fourth and a seemingly insurmountable lead by the opposition, Mike and I decided to make our way to the exit. Then Tommy Maddox happened. Somehow he brought the eXtreme back, tied the game and won it for LA in overtime. The place went wild because it actually became an amazing game!
Now, I share this story with you for the following reason. Today my sister Liz sent me the following image in e-mail. It’s one of those that’s making the rounds right now, so you may have seen it already. But, if you ask me, this image really says it all when it comes to professional sports. THIS is what it’s all about. Click the thumbnail to the right to see what I mean.
They talk about the benefits sports brings to a young persons life. Proof positive that is true.
