Whether we realize it or not, there is a reverence in sports that we don't see anywhere else in our lives. Sure, the world of sports is a collection of overpaid men and women who play children's games for a living, but let us not the value that professional sports brings to us. These people are, after all, entertainers. We as a society come home from our 9 to 5 office jobs, grab a cold drink and just want to relax, and what is always there to meet us? Sports-the game of the week allows us a chance to leave our stresses behind, if only for a minute, and get caught up in the spirit of competition at the highest level that many of us longed for in our backyards as children. It's true that any sport is just a game, but every once in a while, there is a moment that transcends that very game and becomes more than that, bigger somehow.
Less than 24 hours ago, one of the greatest basketball players of all time stepped off of the court for the final time. Kobe Bryant will go down as one of the best to ever play the sport, and I am lucky enough to say that I tuned in to see every point he scored in the final game of his 20-year NBA career-all 60 of them. For one final time, the man known simply as Kobe laced up his sneakers, ran out of the tunnel, and stood on the floor at Staples Center, and for the 42 minutes that he was on the floor, all eyes were on him. That's right, there are certain moments that transcend sports.
By the end of 2016, the three major American sports will have said goodbye to one of their most iconic members. In football, Peyton Manning threw his final pass in February, in basketball, the man who is third all time in the NBA is scoring took his final shot one night ago, and in baseball, Vin Scully, the man who has been the voice of the Los Angeles Dodgers since 1949, will sign off of his broadcast and close his score book one last time, but thankfully that won't happen until October.
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| Vin Scully has been Dodgers broadcaster since 1949 |
These three men are icons who rose above their sports, become role models for those who only wish they could fill the same shoes. Vin Scully may never have hit a home run, but for 67 years, he continually raised the bar for sports broadcasting. Even today, he fuses baseball and storytelling in a way that seems so overwhelmingly American, that you can't help but listen. Whether he is talking about Greek mythology, stories from the road, or trying to explain what the term G.O.A.T means, what's actually happening in the baseball game takes a back seat, not in the eyes of Scully, but with those who recognize that his voice is forever intertwined with America's pastime. I can truthfully say that I am writing this piece because of Vin Scully. When I first heard him call a game as a little kid, I knew that I wanted a career in sports. So, watch as many Los Angeles Dodgers games as you can this year, listen to his stories. When Vin Scully hangs up the mic in October, the game of baseball will lose one of its greatest legends on or off the field.
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Kobe Bryant: 3rd all-time in scoring and oldest player
ever to score 60+ points (37) |
At 37 years old Kobe Bryant scored 60 points in his final game, playing 42 of the 48 minutes. Anyone who has watched basketball at any level in the past 20 years has undoubtedly seen a kid who's game was directly influence by Kobe. He is a giant in the game of basketball. Kobe was only expected to play 32-36 minutes in that final game, but he knew the weight it carried. At 16-65, the Lakers were far removed from the postseason well before last night's opening tip. That entire season had been about celebrating Kobe and the final game was no different. At a price tag in the thousands for a nosebleed seat, the weight of the moment stretched far beyond Game 82 of 82 in a miserable season for Lakers fans. It was their last chance to see their hero, their champion play the game he loved so loyally for their city for two decades. Knowing the moment, Kobe muscled through the pain and fatigue when his 37-year old body said no, and kept shooting when he didn't know if he could. The man who was told for years that he shot the ball too much, had finally seen the day when his teammates refused to shoot in his moment. Kobe Bryant, in his final game, shot the ball 50 times, making 22 of them and finishing with a total of 60 points. One last Kobe show. As the final buzzer sounded, Bryant took a look around, grabbed a microphone and said goodbye to his fans, his city, and his game. As he took a right turn into that Lakers locker room, sat at the press conference, and thanked the media one last time, it was clearer than ever in that moment that there would never be another Kobe Bryant. Yes, there are moments that transcend sports.
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| Manning: 539 career passing touchdowns (most all-time) |
Peyton Manning will go down as arguably the greatest quarterback in the history of the NFL. He owns every individual passing record, and is the only quarterback in NFL history to lead two different teams to Super Bowl victories. This season, due to his age and a multitude of nagging injuries, Manning had his worst statistical season of his career, prompting many to say it was time for "The Sheriff" to move on. Peyton fought through the injuries and the criticism to get back on the field for the Denver Broncos heading into the playoffs. As a fan of his, I wanted to believe he would be back for another year, but with each passing week towards the end of the season, it became more and more clear that this was Peyton's last run. I cherished every minute of the playoffs, and when they made it to the Super Bowl, I knew this was it. It's a special feeling to see your favorite player play his final game on the biggest stage, and to the surprise of many, Peyton Manning went out a champion. There are moments that transcend sports.
There's something to be said for calling it a career ahead of time. I like to think that when a player announces his pending retirement before the season begins, that it's his way of getting back to the reasons he, and the reasons we all, fall in love with sports in the first place: for the love of the game. To cherish every moment as it comes, knowing it won't come again is a luxury we don't often get in life. We don't get retirement ceremonies, giant send-offs in front of stadiums full of people, or retired jersey numbers. It is a reminder to us all to cherish the moments we do have, because after the last game is played, after, the locker is cleaned out, and after the lights go out in the arena, all that's left are memories, same as all of us. There are moments in sports that are bigger than the games themselves. The moments when you recognize when something special is happening and the world stops to take notice. Sometimes, sports are just sports.... and sometimes they're not.
