From the Sidelines: Professional sports have turned Evil
I've always defended professional sports.
When Major League Baseball had a strike in 1993, I remained a fan despite being deprived of a World Series.
When players started receiving salaries that were so high they really only existed on paper, I justified it by saying I would do the same.
Now that Johnny Damon has left Boston and signed with the Evil Empire, or as some call them, the New York Yankees, my love for professional sports is slowly starting to sink.
For as long as I can remember I have loved the Detroit Lions, Tigers, and Pistons, along with the Washington Redskins and Atlanta Braves. Since moving to Kansas the Royals and Chiefs have grown on me.
I have seen all of these teams in person except the Pistons. For every one of them I've read articles, watched televised games, and prayed for championships.
Since becoming a fan only the Pistons and Braves have hoisted their respective championship trophies.
Being disappointed almost every year in my favorite teams has not driven me from loving them. It never will.
But Damon might.
See, I can't stand the Evil Empire as much as I love all of my favorite teams combined.
So Damon's signing may have been the straw that broke this fan's back.
It's not even his fault. A lot of people who are calling him a back-stabber would do the same.
For instance, how many people wouldn't quit their job today for $13,000,000 per year, even if it was with a competitor?
None.
We tend to look at athletes in a different light because we love the teams they play for.
Damon was glad to win a World Series, and I'm sure he loved beating the Evils en route to his ring.
But he obviously doesn't care about the same thing we fans care about.
The teams themselves.
It used to be the players and teams, but with free agency the players change so much, the only thing fans have to hang on to is the team itself.
Damon isn't the first to jump ship for the money. But he is the most prominent player, although I feel he is a bit overrated, to switch directly from Boston to New York since free agency.
It just proved to me that professional sports are a true business, like anything else.
People who feel the same way could turn to the "pure" college game. However, the only thing pure about college athletics is a jump shot.
The NCAA itself has more scandals than the White House.
When it comes down to it, high school and Little League games are about the only ones that don't involve millions of dollars, and greedy, non-loyal players.
I will never give up on professional sports because they have been a huge part of my life since I was five years old. It's just they will probably never mean the same to me as they did when I was kid rooting for Cecil Fielder to crack a homerun every time he came to the plate.
With high school and Little League you have the love of the team and the love of the game.
That trumps talent any day.
