I have a decidedly love/hate relationship with sports. On the one hand sports fandom has been a part of my life since childhood. On the other hand, sports in postmodern America have contributed to the downfall of traditional culture. Contemporary America suffers from an inordinate obsession over “sportsball.” Many men and even many women are infatuated with their favorite sports teams and live their lives as though the outcomes of sporting events are the only thing that matters. The accomplishments of athletes are praised beyond due measure and many prominent athletes are awarded a status that crosses over into idolatry. Many sports icons are degenerates who set a terrible example for children. The American obsession over sports has also been a means of pushing a radical leftist agenda on social and cultural issues from racial integration to sodomy. The Baylor gang rape case serves as but one example of the absolutely rotten nature of sports on college campuses. Many major sports actively celebrate white dispossession and discriminate against white athletes. Sports play a prominent role in our degenerate society of bread and circuses. Loyalty to sports teams has replaced and supplanted traditional and healthy loyalties to family, folk, and faith.
All that being said, there are still redeeming qualities that sports can bring to our modern world, and the Chicago Cubs’ recent win in the World Series has given me the opportunity to reflect upon the nature of sports and its place in a healthy society. Athletic competition remains a bastion of male camaraderie in a world obsessed with feminization.1 Sports can be a wholesome diversion for men to enjoy in moderation, and certainly has a place in traditional societies. Athletic competitions have even served as a basis for avoiding war between rivals in the past. Following a beloved sports team is a common pastime that ties generations of boys together with their fathers and grandfathers. I have many fond memories of Little League which instilled in me a love for the game of baseball. For baseball fans the sound of bats cracking and baseballs snapping against the leather of a baseball glove coupled with the smell of freshly-mowed grass serves as a welcome sign that spring has come. There is always the promise that this year will be the year that your team wins it all, and for Chicago Cubs fans the wait is finally over.
After a record championship drought of 108 years, the Cubs have finally won the World Series. Cubs fans have literally waited for more than a lifetime for the Cubs to bring home another championship. As a native of central Illinois, I live along the Mason-Dixon Line which divides fans of the Cubs and the St. Louis Cardinals. I am a Cardinals fan, but I have several friends and family members who are devoted Cubs fans. For many friends, coworkers, and relatives the Cubs World Series victory is a dream come true. I enjoyed watching the Cubs win their first National League pennant in 71 years with my near 90-year-old great-uncle who is a lifelong Cubs fan. I imagine the reaction of my deceased grandfather who was a lifelong Cubs fan and never was able to see the Cubs win the World Series, and I have heard that many Cubs fans are planning on leaving mementos at the graves of their deceased fathers or grandfathers who never were able to experience the thrill of a championship. As a Cardinals fan I remember the euphoria that comes with winning a championship just five years ago. I’m truly pleased that my friends and family members who are Cub fans are able to experience this feeling now. To all longsuffering Cubs fans, and especially to those who have been especially patient such as my great-uncle, I offer my sincere and heartfelt congratulations.
Footnotes
- However, even the masculinity of sports competition has been under fire by initiatives to make male athletes sport pink athletic wear in solidarity with breast cancer survivors, as well as TV shows like Pitch, which encourage the integration of female athletes into male sports leagues. ↩
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