Culture Crash: Fall Sports

Fall is upon us. September is underway and with it comes the apex of the sports calendar. Last weekend, the NFL season kicked off and all month, the MLB’s pennant races and Wild Card hunts are shaking out. Then will come the MLB playoffs and the dawn of new seasons in both the NBA and NHL. Plenty of sports intrigue abounds this time of year- Four divisions in baseball are coming down to the wire, Jimmy Garoppolo has taken over at quarterback in San Francisco for a massive contract with very little in the way of experience, and you may have heard LeBron James is taking his talents to LA.

Those who don’t love sports may roll their eyes, but sports are one of our most inexhaustible sources of drama. An MLB pennant race or Playoff series can grow close and players will make or break their destinies–an error can doom a player to eternal shame. Just ask Bill Buckner. Or a clutch home run can cement your place in history. Just ask Kirk Gibson.

On the football side, The NFL will dominate TV ratings into February, even if they are falling year-to-year. Sunday Night Football truly is an event people gather to watch and over the next few months, controversial calls, big-time catches, and game-ending interceptions will dominate headlines on a Monday morning.

An essential ingredient in the drama of sports is just how elusive victory can be. Every season, only one team ends up champion. As a sports fan, you realize that more often than not, your team will lose- even for the frontrunners. But that glimmer of hope that this year could be the year keeps us fans hooked.

Personally, I’m hoping Kris Bryant can return to form after an injury-plagued 2018 campaign and Khalil Mack can be a difference maker for my Bears. Across the country, many others have wishes of their own. Autumn means plenty of things- pumpkin spiced lattes, apple-picking, and trick-or-treating- but as the days grow shorter and our sweatshirts get more and more use, many of us will also pass our evenings and weekends watching sports. Here’s to hoping this fall provides sports-lovers with a worthwhile ride.

I’m Evan Rook.