Mother Nature, Patriotism and the Big Game

It’s not nice to fool with Mother Nature.  That’s the old saying, but man, lately she seems to be a little extra ornery.  We’re not talking rain outs here, we’re dealing with hurricanes.  Mama - and I’d like to believe that she is a sports fan like most of our mothers - has recently unleashed a barrage of natural disasters that seem to have their sights set on putting an end to our American past times. 

Last week, Hurricane Sandy crashed on the northeastern shores of the United States and left a trail of destruction we haven’t seen since her older sister Katrina devastated the southern bayou region surrounding New Orleans back in 2005.

It is difficult to place significance on sporting events when there are families left powerless, homeless and suffering the loss of life.  How does one celebrate the weekend of a big game when their fellow countrymen are sleeping in shelters wearing the same clothes they’ve had on for a week?

As our public servants sacrifice their time and wellbeing for the good of mankind, we as civilian bystanders are best served supporting them… in any way we can.  There is no reason to harbor guilt for carrying on with our lives.  At some point we are all faced with a situation brought on by a natural disaster like a tornado or an earthquake or a flood or a tornado.  There is no stopping such a happening - only preparation and recovery. 

This is why the show must go on.  Americans love their entertainers, whether that be talk show hosts or point guards.  It is okay to escape for a little while to root for your favorite team or laugh at your favorite television comedian.  It is their place in society to take us to that special realm.  Physical complications such as electricity and transportation can cause a postponement or two, but once those problems are fixed there is no reason why the games cannot be played.

In the case of the New York Marathon, which for the first time since it’s inception in 1970 was canceled, athletes who had trained for years to run in the event instead gave their time to help those devastated by the hurricane.  Instead of running for a time, they ran for a cause.  They grouped by country and ran for Americans.  Instead of packing up and returning to their corners of the world from which they came, they stayed.  When it would have been easy for them to feel sorry for themselves, they felt sorry for others and postponed their dream of running in the greatest marathon on Earth.  All participants in this year’s race will automatically be qualified to run in next year’s marathon.  When I first read that the race had been cancelled, I wondered why.  The hurricane did not affect the terrain of the run and millions had already come to the east coast for the marathon.  It generates tremendous revenue for New York and the advertisers and merchants who support it.  Instead of wiping it out, why not use it for a platform to raise money for the Red Cross?  Turn it into a telethon for those severely crippled by the storm.  Well… that sort of happened.  No one even had to ask.  They banded together and did it unselfishly on their own.  Amazing humanity and amazing patriotism.

This is a sports column.  I like to write about sports.  I am always humbled when sports and real life cross paths.  They do so everyday.  But with something of the magnitude of a hurricane dismantling an entire coastline, it becomes even more significant.  Like the athlete who makes millions quietly visiting a young cancer patient or the professional football team that invites an entire firehouse to be their guests at a home game, these things make us all feel better.  They warm our hearts.  We are all healed a little bit by such happenings.  Disasters bring that out in us. 

Mother Nature can be nasty.  Keep in mind that most days are natural disaster free though.  She is mostly good to us.  But when she does decide to wreak havoc, it is our job as a human race to band together and do what we can to help in the recovery.  If that means playing a game of basketball or running a marathon even though the trophy has been locked away until next year… then so be it.