On October 9, 2022, I had to seriously question why I watch sports. It started with a cup of tea at 9 a.m. watching my newly adopted soccer team, West Ham United. After going down 1- 0 they scored three straight goals on their way to winning. So far so good. As the day went on the stakes of the games got bigger. Next up were my Dolphins. Versing their division rival New York Jets. Missing their starting quarterback I had low expectations for the Fins. However, the game was still close going into the fourth quarter. After a Dolphins missed field goal that would have put them in lead, the Jets pulled away scoring 21 points in seven minutes. That loss hurt me, but the biggest game was still to come. The Mets were in a playoff elimination game, the winner moves on. I had high hopes. Those hopes were crushed when they lost 6-0, managing to get only one hit in the whole game. That game ended at 10:11 p.m. Season over for the Mets. That loss hurt the most. My week was ruined.
Why do I waste so much time watching pointless sports when I could be spending my time doing something productive? Well … because for me and millions around the globe, sports matter. A sports team that represents a city or country becomes a sense of pride for its supporters. They fall in love with the players and stick with their team through good times and bad. Spend their hard-earned money on jerseys and tickets to games. Sports can unite. It can connect people from all different walks of life. Strangers can have a lengthy conversation about sports without ever knowing each other’s names. For families, it is often a right of passage. Parents taking their kids to the game or watching it on TV together becomes a way for them to bond. Bonding through sports is an integral part of many families staying together. I grew up in a family watching football every Sunday, going to Mets games in the summer, and taking trips to Miami to see the Dolphins. No matter what is going on we can talk sports. As a kid watching sports, you don’t realize how essential sports are to your life till you’re older.
October 10, 2022, was the first day of wrestling practice here at Stevens. I had a great day of practice to start my final season, and it made living with the brutal losses of the Dolphins and Mets much easier. It reinforced why I follow sports. The ups and downs of following a team mimic real life; it teaches us to get knocked down and get back up. As a Mets fan, I have been knocked down a lot. But next season I’ll be back at Citi Field rooting for the orange and blue.
So, do sports matter? In the grand scheme of things, probably not. Still, many devote so much to their team and to the sport as it gives them something to look forward to. It has become the lingua franca of the world. Maybe that is why it matters so much.
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