The Sports Fan's Plea

               Sports, for many people, are a sanctuary.  It unites people from all walks of life.  I, personally, was on Bourbon St. on that fateful Sunday to witness, the team I always loved, and an entire region be lifted up by the sight of the New Orleans Saints first Superbowl victory.  It truly was a sight to be seen.  Looking back many months later I realized, fully, what sports can truly do.  Cops embraced criminals, saints were high fiving sinners, and for that one moment I beheld what so many people throughout history have searched for: utopia.

                It truly was that moment that made me understand the plea of the sports fan.  It is the reason, that people relieve their high school careers.  It is that moment that some question what could’ve been, and it is that moment that we, as sports fans, gather around the television, scour the internet for articles, participate in fantasy sports, and never miss our favorite teams games.  Sports are a release.  They are a moment that allows enemies to become friends, and more importantly they are a moment when we don’t think about our troubles in life.

                In this day of million dollar contracts, looming lockouts, franchise relocations, and free agency, what happens to the fans?  We have heard all the points from all sides.  We understand that sports are a business, that players put their bodies on the lines for our entertainment, and we understand that athletes are people too. 

                Yet, in this day of instant access, the sports fan raises this plea:  Do not forget us.  Athletes such as Tiger Woods, Ben Rothleisburger, and others need to realize that our children idolize you.  We all make mistakes, but our lives are not under a public microscope.  They say that it is not fair for the athlete, but the athlete made the choice.  They were blessed with the God given talent to play these games we enjoy and they are handsomely rewarded for it.  With these rewards, though, comes the public scrutiny.  There will be no changes here.  To any athlete who complains about this, the answer is simple:  straighten up or remove yourself from the million dollar salary and fame.

                To the owners who preach that their sport is a business, we understand.  It is a business.  We understand that our favorite players might get traded.  We understand that ticket prices will rise.  It is simple supply and demand.  But to the owners we ask, that you remember who supports your businesses.  With the impending NFL lockouts, remember that millions of people are counting on your players and product every week.  Please find a resolution.  Sports fans don’t care about how it’s done, but find a resolution.  Ask Major League Baseball owners and players what a lockout can be like.  It took years for the people to come back only to find themselves watching the Roger Clemons’, Sammy Sosa’s, and Mark Mcguire’s be named in the Mitchell Report and be called in front of Congress on steroid allegations.

                Please remember that without the fans, there would be no product, there would be no sport.  There would be no television contracts, multimillion dollar stadiums, or team apparel sales.  We, as sports fans, do not want this.  We just want to see the games, take our children to games, and let our children have their own dreams of one day becoming professional athletes.  We also want our own moment of “utopia”.  We want to witness, what I was lucky enough to witness that fateful night on Bourbon St.  With this we ask, let the games play.