Sports Byline USA Insight

The Real Game Is Life

As we begin the journey through a New Year, some perspective and reflection is in order. If you’re like I am, then you probably think back on what has happened, and wonder what lies ahead in the year to come. If 2005 taught us anything, it certainly taught us tragedy can strike anytime and anywhere, athletes are fallible, and the toughest and truly important game is life itself, not sports.

The things I take forward with me through the New Year, and I hope all fans will as well, is how fickle fate is, and how special life is. Natural disasters, such as hurricane Katrina, showed how in an instant one’s life is changed and can even be lost. How living a hundred miles away, or even a block away, can effect your life when it comes to a hurricane or tornado. And, even the things you take for granted, such as the expectation that your child will out live you can in a moment turn from expectation to a nightmare, as witnessed by the Tony Dungy family. Success, riches and fan admiration doesn’t protect you from the pain of losing a child.

I hope in 2006 fans will remember athletes are human beings that can suffer the same pain and agony the rest of us can. That while they’re paid more then most for playing a game, they aren’t machines that can produce the same highly expected results each time they step on the field our court. Athletes play their sport also having to deal with real life problems and concerns, when most of us would call in sick and take the day off. That makes them deserving of our respect, admiration and cutting them some slack when they strike out with the bases loaded, drop a pass or miss a game winning shot. What they make, and the fact that they’re athletes, shouldn’t be determining factor as to whether we show them respect, understanding, support and appreciation as another human being. Yes, boo a bad performance, but calling them names and throwing things at them for their performances is classless and ignorant.

I hope in 2006, and beyond, the athletes will remember that playing the game honestly gives them greater integrity. Taking performance-enhancing drugs may help them for the moment, but in the long run it can ruin their careers, lives and reputations. Any achievement accomplished through the use of these drugs only cheapens their sport and their character. And, when their careers are over, reflection will bring them memories of shame not joy. While every athlete is looking for a competitive edge, that edge should come from hard play, hard work and a passion for the sport they play. Fans always appreciate and will remember athletes like Cal Ripken, Jr., Jim Brown, Larry Bird, Tiger Woods, Annika Sorenstam and others like them for their style and effort, as well as their accomplishments. Greatness and sports immortality comes from an athlete’s image and fan connection not from statistics and how much they make.

I also hope in 2006, and beyond, the media plays a more responsible role in the reporting and coverage of sports. It’s our job to observe, analyze and report to you fans what is happening in sports and why. In recent years, entertainment has become a growing part of media sports coverage. However, we seem to have forgotten, or even ignored, the line between what’s factual and rumored. The media rarely distinguishes between what a player does privately that may or may not affect his play and/or his team. Do we really need to know what a player makes, or that he’s getting a messy divorce, or that he got arrested for DUI? Maybe, but at least the media should ask themselves whether it’s important before reporting it.

Being the eternal optimist, I have hope that 2006 will continue providing us with more of the joy of sports. Co-mingled with that joy will be sadness and disappointment. But, I fully understand that one can’t appreciate and enjoy sports unless there is success and failure, happiness and disappointment. As has been said many times, sport is “the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.” Let’s all of us-fans, athletes and media-remember the game of life is what’s truly challenging and important. Sports should merely be a way we enjoy ourselves in the game of life.

I’m Ron Barr.

Ron Barr is an Emmy award winning writer and the host of the nationally and internationally syndicated sports talk show, Sports Byline USA.

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