In an effort to gain a better understanding of the sports culture that pervades almost every aspect of the Chicago lifestyle, my roommate Nicole and I watched the movie "Friday Night Lights" this evening. A quintessential (dare i say classic?) football tale, the film reproduces a tumultuous season of fall ball in Odessa (middle of nowhere), Texas. People love this movie and I can't quite wrap my head around why. To me it was just sad. And not sad because [SPOILER ALERT]
the star player gets injured in the first game of the season, or the home team fails to win the state championship, but sad in a more "this is pathetic"-"why do these people care so much about football?"-"its just a game. go to college" kind of way. While watching the movie, I was frustrated with the characters, all of whom were adamant that the best days of their lives existed solely in their memories of high school football. It got me thinking about my own relationship with sports. Yes, I appreciate athleticism. and I appreciate the entertainment that a game can provide. But am I fan? I don't think so... going to dodger games growing up remains one of my most nostalgic childhood memories--not because I saw any memorable games (truly, I remember a grand slam once, but can't tell you anything more than that...), but the atmosphere is just electric. And sure, the sport facilitates that environment, but my memories of dodger stadium are about as far removed from baseball as they could be. when i think of going to a dodger game, I think warm summer nights, and fleece blanket promotions, and chocolate malts, and the anticipation of wandering around the parking lot afterwards looking for the car, and spending three noisy, lovely, precious, priceless hours with my dad and 50,000 (on a good night...) other Angelinos. Regardless of the score of the game, I always returned to my car feeling triumphant and content. Perhaps it was the closest I ever got to being part of a community in Los Angeles.
So does this make me a fan, or not? If the dodgers won the world series, I would probably wear my dodger hat a little more. I might be quicker to answer "the dodgers" when people inquired about my favorite baseball team instead of my usual "the home team". But that probably wouldn't make me a fan. if anything, it would make me a bandwagon fan--far more taboo than being indifferent.
The enjoyment of sports for me doesn't come down to the final score. It never has. Even in looking back at my own experience playing soccer growing up, the things that stick out most in my mind are the incredible friendships and bonds formed both on and off the pitch. Perhaps you'd say that I'm not a fan then because every game ultimately boils down to "winning" and "losing"...but maybe I am. maybe I appreciate the things sports are capable of achieving just as much as the most diehard fan.
If I took anything to heart from tonight's movie it was this quote from the coach: "It took me long enough to realize that, uh, there ain't much difference between winnin' and losin', except for how the outside world treats you. But inside you, its about all the same. It really is."
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