From college to professional, from baseball to basketball and everything in between, “For the Love of the Game” is an opinionated look at sports throughout the nation and in the St. Louis area. This twice-monthly column discusses topics pertaining to the phenomenon of sports and what they mean to the writer.
Tim Doty
– Copy Editor –
The clock is ticking down and is about to hit zero. This is my final column writing for “For the love of the game.”
I took over this column last January. I only wrote seven posts including this one, but I enjoyed every moment of it. I got to do what many people do every day: discuss sports and my opinions on them. It was a fantastic time for me and, hopefully, for anyone who read any of my entries.
One thing I didn’t discuss is the sports program at my, soon-to-be alma mater, school, STLCC-Meramec. Throughout this semester, discussions took place and the decision to consolidate the sports programs at all St. Louis Community College campuses was reached in order to help trim the budget. Teams at Meramec, STLCC-Florissant Valley and STLCC-Forest Park will eventually play under one STLCC team effective July 1, 2011.
This decision is not completely terrible. It could have been worse; the entire sports program could have been cut leaving STLCC with no athletic teams whatsoever. As the next seasons for sports approaches after this semester, the new STLCC teams should continue to charge on in the National Junior College Athletic Association. Even with budget cuts and difficult economic times, there will still be sports at STLCC. There will still be games to love.
All levels of sports, from little league to the professional ranks and everywhere in between, are meant to be enjoyed, discussed, and provide entertainment. They teach the players and the fans about passion, dedication, and teamwork. Even the pros may need a quick recap of teamwork every now and then.
Fans are as important to sports as the athletes. With them, there would more than likely be no sports to watch, no Stanley Cup, no World Series, no Super Bowl. The entertainment factor is why professional athletes make the big bucks. College players, even though they aren’t paid, play for either passion or the chance to one day have their name called out over a P.A. system in a stadium full of 50,000 screaming fans. With some professional athletes now on Twitter, following not only games but even favorite players provide whole new spin on covering sports.
Fans fuel the fire that is sports. Columns are written, games are televised, entire networks are devoted to 24/7 coverage of all sports. There are shows on these networks dedicated to debating sports. From the anchors on “SportsCenter” to the two guys at the bar arguing about the referee’s call, the phenomenon of sports will always be there year after year.
Keep reading this column no matter who writes it next semester. Keep cheering for favorite teams and players no matter if they play high school football or in the NFL. Why do players worldwide dedicate countless hours to practice and playing? Why do fans cheer season after season?
It’s for the love of the game.
