These days, there are plenty of reasons to look at our country with pessimism and despair. Whether it’s the current recession, the ongoing wars, or the daily fighting between politicians, just about every day can turn into a bummer and quickly begin to look very bleak. Add in racism, gender inequalities, and differences over global warming and healthcare options, you can easily see how divided we have become.Still, there is one common thread that holds us together: sports.I cannot think of too many things in life that bring people, who are otherwise completely different, together. Fans cheering in the stands are from different races, religions, and political parties. Athletes playing on the court come from different backgrounds. Yet, during sporting events, all these boundaries and differences disappear, and everyone unites. Racists cheer the opposite race, heterosexuals cheer homosexuals, and Republicans cheer Democrats. Fans unite and jump from their seats together, regardless of who is sitting next to them, and athletes from different backgrounds work together as committed teammates fighting for the same goal. At least for a couple hours, we are all one.Everything goes out the window when we become intoxicated with excitement from our love of sports. We do not “qualify” who we are high-fiving, and we go nuts when we win – regardless of the makeup of the players that got us the victory. Our pride and overall outlook on life often ebbs and flows with respect to how our team is doing in the standings. When it comes to sports, we don’t care about being different, but we instead pull together as one for a common goal – victory.Not only do we win together, but we commensurate over losses together as well. When our team loses, it doesn’t matter who it is that extends their condolences; we genuinely appreciate the gesture. While a liberal Democrat might not have anything in common with a conservative Republican, the two will join together in synchrony in a “we’ll get ‘em next year” afterthought following a heartbreaking loss.It’s really quite amazing when you think about how sport brings people together. The same people who use words like “hate” and “despise” to describe certain types of people outside of the stadium are, ironically, the very same people who pay big money to cheer these people on when they’re competing as athletes. The players we watch somehow magically lose their skin color, their religious beliefs, and even their sexuality as fans emotionally cling to them and pay no attention to the differences that exist. What endeavor other than sports wipes away our differences and allows us – albeit for a brief moment in time – to unite as one?Sports are the universal common denominator that brings us together!www.drstankovich.com
