Welcome to the first installment in an occasional new series of blogposts called “Games We Played.” The idea behind this series is to — in a quick and hopefully fun way — pass on to my grandchildren’s generation the games we played as kids. And by games I don’t mean Monopoly and Chinese Checkers and I certainly don’t mean any game that can be played sitting on the couch with a computer, tablet or phone in your hands. I’m talking …
Category: Sports and Culture
A couple of weeks ago, I was in Chicago for a professional meeting of the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education, where one of the scheduled speakers was Mike Eruzione. Please tell me you know who Mike Eruzione is. Please… Okay, I realize that not everyone is a sports fan, but Eruzione played a huge role in what is certainly one of the greatest moments in sports history. Ever. In 1980, in the midst of the Cold War …
So they were intense games, “friendly” only in the soccer sense of the word, meaning a game between two countries that doesn’t count in a record book. But the games mattered to those playing, and that in itself is the glory of sports. To not play hard, to not compete, is to disrespect both the game and your opponent. But, just as on the world stage, the games ended with respectful handshakes and hugs, the sharing of water and smiles. …
Enjoy the Olympics. Cheer on your favorite athletes and rejoice in the competition and the victories. But here’s a more important challenge: Emerge from the Olympics with a better sense of your own call, your own race. Then go run it. …
Here’s the point of all this, really. If you don’t like the culture, make your own…or help others make their own. Instead of paying $50 or $100 bucks to see a megastar at your local arena, support or create your own small venues that put the spotlight on the gifted but lesser-known artists who may never find their way (or want to find their way) to top 40 radio, MTV or the Grammy Awards. …