Sports. Its universal. It does not matter if it is futbol or football, ice hockey, or field hockey, badmitton or volleyball, basketball or baseball, there is one common thread that all of these sports have in common. The ability to transcend all racial, ethnic, socioeconomics, sexist slants and allow us to escape our narrow minded world and become one melting pot of a team. I would like this thread o be a forum about how sports, any sport has affected your life. I'll start first. Sports gave me an opportunity to get a free college education. It has given me a livelihood as a coach. It has allowed me to mold boys into men and get them college educations. Sports to me is an allegory for life. It has taught me how to deal with adversity, stay humble in victory, and keep dignity in defeat. It has allowed me to root for my teams that I follow with all of my heart! Much like I could never fathom a world without music, I could never fathom a world without sports. I love lifting weights and going out on a run just as much as I love coaching or playing a pickup basketball game. Sports has helped define my life and allowed me to become the man I am today. Tell me about the power of sports in your life.

getting told constantly that i should play volleyball or basketball is about as much effect they've had on my life

evenstar3 said:

and thats cool, how did that make you feel, even if it sucked, it had to have stirred some emotion!

karmatornado said:

it annoys the fuck out of me, so i guess that's emotion

evenstar3 said:

Right on, but what is it that annoys the fuck out of you, is it the nature of the game or the fact that you were expected to play?

karmatornado said:

i used to like watching basketball actually, when the lakers didn't suck quite so much

evenstar3 said:

When they had shaq they were quite balanced. See i knew you had it in ya! Thanks for your contribution to most heartfelt thread I have ever made. Feel free to add anytime!

karmatornado said:

growing up a gay kid with no interest in sports -- playing or watching -- was a tough road. i actively hated all sports until i was a young adult, because my disinterest and lack of skill was a constant source of embarrassment and ridicule.

while i appreciate and applaud the positivity that can come from sports, it is also important to acknowledge the culture of privelege, violence and intimidation that is bred when sports are overemphasized, and very often, they are.

I think I was born with a passion of sports in my blood. As far back as I can remember, my palms would get sweaty and my heart would race at the fate of my favorite team. Throughout the years, sports have provided me with great entertainment, heartbreak, and release. Basketball was and is my first love. I became enamored with the sport in about 1986 with the local Detroit Pistons as my favorite team, particularly because of their star forward Adrian Dantley. In this thread, I detailed his enormous impact on my life. In short, I tried to emulate my own game after him, staying outside for hours at a time regardless of the weather or circumstance. The conversion from watching basketball to playing it was a natural one, and to this day I get a great amount of stress relief and enjoyment from playing basketball, in both informal and formal settings. More to come...

madartista said:

I appreciate the viewpoint you bring to the table and I think a lot of the time in the culture of machoism, your point is very valid. But I also think that a lot of it is bred by parents and coaches. If you make it through hell week, you make it on my team and your just as important to me as the star QB. I teach my kids that everyone counts, and a lot of the time the "weak" kids on my team are protected by intimidation from campus bullies cause someone has their back. But then again I may be the only football coach who digs rufus wainright and Prince! lol

Moonbeam said:

This makes me happy... someone on the same wavelength. So tell me, do you find sports to be all encompassing or divisive,, I feel there are elements of divisivness, but overall the boundaries that are broken through sports are universal. I can go anywhere in the world and talks sport with anyone and have an interesting conversation and dialogue.

karmatornado said:

thanks for your comment and for being a voice of positivity.

karmatornado said:

It can be both, or neither. The way people rally around their teams, countries or athletes can bring together people of completely different backgrounds, as you say. However, I also have sadly witnessed people bullied and disparaged because of their level of skill or interest in sports, or even their choice of team.

Moonbeam said:

I find this to be an amazing phenomenon. I think a lot of it has to do with the people, look at the NBA playoff thread. It could have gotten ugly but is somewhat civil. Worst case I've seen of divisive sports parents fighting in stands or Soccer Hooligans. Best case 1980 U.S. Ice Hockey Team, The original Dream Team, and this past World Cup. Brought people together like no other

One of the great study case about the power of sports is look at how many threads we have about it on G.D. all the time! Right now we have the NBA and NHL thread and we've even had threads about cricket. We always have the org football pick em!

I really wear my heart on my sleeve when it comes to my sports teams. My teams seem to be cursed with the ability to advance far in postseason play only to never win the ultimate championship, and my heart breaks every time.

Seriously, look at the Finals results of my favorite teams.

NBA:

1990: Portland loses to Detroit
1992: Portland loses to Chicago
1993: Phoenix loses to Chicago
1996: Seattle loses to Chicago
1997: Utah loses to Chicago
1998: Utah loses to Chicago

This doesn't include the 2000 debacle where Portland blew a 15-point 4th quarter lead to the HATED Lakers in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals.

NFL:

1991: Buffalo loses a heartbreaker to the New York Giants
1992: Buffalo loses to Washington
1993: Buffalo loses to my least favorite team, Dallas
1994: Buffalo loses again to Dallas
2000: Tennessee loses a heartbreaker to St. Louis
2006: Seattle loses to Pittsburgh

NHL:

2004: Calgary loses to Tampa Bay in 7 after a controversial Game 6 loss.

Even after all of that heartbreak, I still get excited for the beginning of each season hoping that it will finally be the year for one of my teams to reach the ultimate glory! I wore a Utah Jazz sweatshirt I got for my birthday for every one of their playoff games this season, win or lose.

Moonbeam said:

Oh believe me So I have felt this pain

The past two years with the UCLA Basketball team
The 1990 NCAA final that my fathers Alma Matter Seton Hall lost to Duke on a last second Christian Laetner Shot

All the years my Broncos lost the superbowl in the 80's and early 90's!
I however personally went to the SuperBowl in San Diego to see the my beloved John Elway and the broncos win their first superbowl.

My celtics don't get me started. We are cursed. The Death of Reggie Lewis and LEN BIas who would have taken over for Bird. Trading Joe Johnson and Chauncy Billups and Tony Parker. Releasing Ben Wallace. And the most hurtful of all, losing out on Tim Duncan when we had a 40% chance of gettting him!

karmatornado said:

My favorite college basketball team, Utah blew the largest lead in the Championship game ever to Kentucky in 1998.

None of my favorite teams have ever won a championship while I have been a fan! Portland and Seattle won titles back in the 70s before I was born. And Calgary won the Stanley Cup in 1989 before I paid attention to hockey!

karmatornado said:

How do you feel about the Draft Lottery?

Moonbeam said:

But herein lies the beauty, hope springs eternal, and it is so much more rewarding do to the long suffering ties! Watch this and see what we lost in Len Bias. He would have been Jordan before Jordan. I have a Bias jersey
http://www.youtube.com/wa...qHB7TAoUUc

karmatornado said:

Yeah, the Celtics have had a hard time since '86. With Danny Ainge calling the shots, I don't think the future bodes too well for you at the moment. But perhaps the number 5 pick will turn out to be a steal!

Moonbeam said:

I actually think he's drafted some Great pieces in Al Jefferson who I see as being the next Barkley (just look at his stats the last half of the year 20 and 12) for the season he averaged 16 and 10. I also love Delonte West and Gerald Green. And he got a steal in Ryan Gomes and Rajon Rando. I think what they need to do is package Tony Allen, Kendrick Perkins,Theo Ratliff, and their #5 for Jermaine O Neal! Then the starting 5 would be Pierce, Jefferson, O Neal, Green, and West with Gomes, Allen Ray, and Rajon Rando and Sczerbiack coming off the bench. I would love our chances!

Moonbeam said:

Right now, I hate it, we lost tim duncan and oden and durant, but I think its good cause it keeps teams from doing tank jobs to get the best draft pick

karmatornado said:

I agree. Portland lost out at number 1 last year despite having the best chance, but managed to secure LaMarcus Aldridge and Brandon Roy anyway. I think Portland has a real chance to emerge as a playoff contender next year.

karmatornado said:

In the East, particularly in the Atlantic, they could compete with that lineup for sure. This offseason will be interesting for a lot of teams!

Yes I think portland will have a legit squad. I do hope Ainge get a veteran! We need one to help poor Paul Pierce. So whats you first memories of sports, both playing and watching. I have 3 distinct watching memories. Kirk Gibson's home run to win the series,,, Larry Bird stealing the inbound pass and passing it to D.J. to seal a victory over the spurs,, and The Drive by John Elway. As a young kid my first sports memory was my first homerun over the fence as a 12 year old. Mark it it was only a 210 foot fence but I felt like a star. The next memory as a 13 year old kid on my Junior High team hitting a wide open teamate on an alley oop pass for a dunk which is unheard of in Jr High basketball as a sophmore starting my first varsity football game and scoring on a kick return! and as a freshman getting moved up to varsity basketball and hitting a 3 at the end of a blowout game. Sure I have many more but those stand out!

karmatornado said:

The Celtics steal actually came against the Pistons. I know because I watched and cried! Other early memories for me are when Adrian Dantley and Vinnie Johnson collided resulting in injury, Jordan's death blow to Cleveland, and apparently wanting to be a gymnast after the 1984 Olympics! As for playing, some of my first memories really tie to playing in my back yard when I was about 5 or 6, trying to emulate AD, including his free throw routine. Actual team sport memories come in much later.

Going to a basketball game is SO MUCH FUN I wish I could go more often... & I still like playing tennis when I get the chance

I can't say it's super powerful in MY life, but I can appreciate how important it is to others Though I still hated it when my ex bf would have the tv on Sports Center ALL NIGHT LONG

Moonbeam said:

Yes I know I'm just tired! lol Bird steals the ball! Well yo I gotta go to bed! I gotta wake up for my little boogers tommorow and go to spring football practice! But feel free to add anything fellow orgers!