From the Sidelines: It s not all about sports, but it s a lot about sports
Sports reporter
Sometimes we all get a little carried away.
We paint our faces, take our shirts off in below freezing temperatures, and hoop and holler like young children.
We wait in line for hours, and sometimes through the night, just to get a glimpse of our favorite teams, all the while missing a chemistry lecture that could make or break our grade.
We sometimes even cry when our team or favorite player loses, even though they don't know the first thing about us or the millions of other fans across the world.
We do this because we invest our lives in sports.
Not everyone does. The casual fan checks on his or her team now and then, wondering how it is doing. The anti-sports crowd couldn't care less about the Super Bowl or the World Series.
But the true fans do. It's because sports are more than just games.
Competitiveness is a human character trait that can be great and tragic at the same time.
It drives us to be the best we can, and it makes us do crazy, and sometimes dangerous, things as well.
The point is, sports grab a hold of us and reach our souls. It's OK to love sports and let them be a big part of our lives. It's not OK to let them run our lives.
There are more important aspects of life, and they need to be recognized. But the passion, competitive nature, and entertainment value of sports is too much to ignore.
The way a team of 15 completely different individuals come together because they share one common goal is somewhat magical.
The fire that burns inside us as we try to defeat the opposition is like no other.
Not everyone has to feel this way. And like everything else in the world, not everyone does.
Those who do not, should not be chastised. Just as those of us who do, should not let it rule our lives.
But it's there and at some level always will be. As long as we don't get carried away too much, too often, it's OK.
We just have to know where and when to draw the line.
Marion-Florence FFA places fourth at district entomology contest
Members of Marion-Florence FFA chapter placed fourth in the A-team division at the South Central District FFA entomology contest held Feb. 15 at Marion High School.
Marion also had two teams place second and third in the freshman division.
Individually, Jayme Linder placed fourth, Gabe Moore, seventh, Alan Overton, ninth, and Derek Riggs, 10th, in the freshmen division.
Contestants were required to take a comprehensive written test about insect control, habitat, growth cycles, characteristics, and effects on humans and agriculture.
They also had to identify 50 samples of common insects.
Other Marion team members included Roxann Ross, Seth Banning, Levi Carpenter, Brad Klenda, Mark Kukuk, Frankie Clark, and Brian Anderson.
