November 5 2008: Watching the World Series the other day made me realize something important. For a number of years I was a fan of baseball and football, until I became somewhat bored with the classic national sport and turned my attention to the gridiron. This season, however, football has been a bit of a bore, both college and pro, which is my favorite form of the game.
But seeing Chase Utley of the Phillies make that masterful fake throw to first base, causing Tampa Bay's runner at third to sprint for home, then throwing him out, made me realize that it's not the game itself, but the individual plays that come up which makes the game enjoyable.
The same thing for football. Watching running backs juke their way around defensive linemen, watching lines open great holes for their running backs, watching strong defensive play by those who excell at the game - these are all the things which make football great. Two examples have to be taken from the Philadelphia Eagles, quarterback plays by Donavan McNabb being chased around the backfield for 14 seconds before throwing a completion, and by Randall Cunningham completing a 96 yard pass play after seemingly being trapped behind his goal line.
Rare moments such as those make sports a worthwhile diversion, since you never know who and when a great sports feat will be accomplished. That's one of the reasons I enjoy rodeo. Now I'm taliking about the full seven event rodeo, not just bull riding. When you see those moments of true beauty - when bare back, saddle bronc,and bullriding cowboys become one with the animal, when each of the two participants in those events work to outsmart the other and run an outstanding ride, when the calf roper and his horse work together to quickly rope and tie down the calf, when team ropers are able to quickly get out of the chute and make a clean catch, when the steer wrestler is able to make a quick catch and takedown of the steer, and when the barrel racer works with her horse to make fast and clean turns around each barrel - that's when you can say all the watching has been worth the time. And that's a reason I enjoy shooting rodeo photos (to see some of each event, visit my site at cowboyartshow.com).
All of these sports prove the point that although the athlete - human or animal - is extremely talented, it's that athlete's ability to understand how to use that talent, and that the training and coaching recived makes that talent come to the fore.
All of which not only makes for sports' great, and enjoyable, moments, but which are lessons for real life.
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