Using sports as an escape
Cameron Blair
Issue date: 9/11/08 Section: Sports
Seven years ago today, a tragedy occurred that caused this entire country to stop dead in its tracks. This same event has also played a large role in shaping many of the policies America has enacted since that day.
I am, of course, referring to the attacks against the United States on Sept. 11, 2001. Today, many sports columnists around the country will likely be writing about this event and its connection to the sporting world.
However, I will not attempt to pull off the impossible task of taking an event as significant and tragic as the attack and comparing it to to the relatively meaningless world of collegiate and professional sports.
To me, it's impossible to make the comparison. It would be like Poison writing a good song or Vin Diesel making a decent movie. Basically, it's not going to happen.
Instead, I will focus solely on sports as an escape from the sometimes unpleasant realities we have to face from time to time. And there is no better time to do that than this time of the year.
There are so many different sports going on during the early autumn months that ESPN is forced to present game scores only on the Bottom Line as the amount of games being played makes showing stats impossible. Yes, I admit it's sad I have noticed this.
However, you don't have to go as far as Bristol, Conn., which is the home of ESPN (Wow - I think it may be sadder that I know that), to see the wide variety of sporting goodness in front of us. All you have to do is take a glance around campus.
Despite an 0-2 record and a loss to the Team-Whom-We-Won't-Mention Saturday in the final game of the oldest collegiate football rivalry in this state, Eastern's football team still has ample time to turn the season around.
Just look at last season's team. After a tough non-conference schedule led to a 1-3 start for the Colonels, the team rallied to win their final eight regular season games on their way to an FCS playoff berth.
And there is no reason to think this season will have a different result. Quarterback Allan Holland is quickly moving up on the list of all-time passing-yard leaders in Eastern's history, and senior tight end Stephen Sizemore, with 14 catches in two games, is quickly establishing himself as a premiere pass-catcher in the OVC.
I am, of course, referring to the attacks against the United States on Sept. 11, 2001. Today, many sports columnists around the country will likely be writing about this event and its connection to the sporting world.
However, I will not attempt to pull off the impossible task of taking an event as significant and tragic as the attack and comparing it to to the relatively meaningless world of collegiate and professional sports.
To me, it's impossible to make the comparison. It would be like Poison writing a good song or Vin Diesel making a decent movie. Basically, it's not going to happen.
Instead, I will focus solely on sports as an escape from the sometimes unpleasant realities we have to face from time to time. And there is no better time to do that than this time of the year.
There are so many different sports going on during the early autumn months that ESPN is forced to present game scores only on the Bottom Line as the amount of games being played makes showing stats impossible. Yes, I admit it's sad I have noticed this.
However, you don't have to go as far as Bristol, Conn., which is the home of ESPN (Wow - I think it may be sadder that I know that), to see the wide variety of sporting goodness in front of us. All you have to do is take a glance around campus.
Despite an 0-2 record and a loss to the Team-Whom-We-Won't-Mention Saturday in the final game of the oldest collegiate football rivalry in this state, Eastern's football team still has ample time to turn the season around.
Just look at last season's team. After a tough non-conference schedule led to a 1-3 start for the Colonels, the team rallied to win their final eight regular season games on their way to an FCS playoff berth.
And there is no reason to think this season will have a different result. Quarterback Allan Holland is quickly moving up on the list of all-time passing-yard leaders in Eastern's history, and senior tight end Stephen Sizemore, with 14 catches in two games, is quickly establishing himself as a premiere pass-catcher in the OVC.
