Boston and Sports

I go to school in North Carolina but I’m from Boston. After this week, with the Boston Marathon bombings on Monday and the showdown at Watertown on Friday, I’ve gotten a lot of questions from people in NC about why it matters that other city’s sports teams show support for Boston teams. Especially since what happened had nothing to do with sports and the teams weren’t anywhere near the Boston Marathon. Since I’ve gotten so many questions, I figured I’d write a little something here incase other people are wondering the same thing. Personally I feel like sports are a catalyst for hope. I can’t explain it but to have the New York Yankees say “hey, we got your back” feels truly amazing. It helps me deal with what’s going on in a way that seems almost normal. What happened in Boston is a big thing for anyone to wrap their head around. Sports are a way to heal from that. Another thing is that Boston sports teams are a huge part of the Boston community. We think of the Red Sox, the Bruins, the Celtics, and the Patriots as our boys. We stand behind them 100%, and in return the athletes have a huge space in their hearts for the people of Boston. So even though they’re from all around the country and the world, they’re all Bostonians. And when someone attacks our home, everyone is affected. To see other teams show support for our’s feels really great. We know they’re being taken care of. Here are some examples of support from this week. These are only a handful out of many. Ballparks across the country also played Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond before, during, or after games. Sweet Caroline is a Fenway favorite.

Chicago Tribune’s sports page on Tuesday

Phillies Outfielder Ben Revere

Phoenix Coyotes defenseman Keith Yandle wears a warm up jersey with the name Martin Richard, an 8 year old boy killed in the blast at the finish line

Hats worn by Mississippi State’s baseball team

Pittsburg Penguins’ helmets

National Anthem tribute by the New Jersey Devils

Heralded as the biggest rivalry in sports, the New York Yankees stand with Boston

A 7 year old Cleveland boy gave Red Sox’s 2nd baseman, Dustin Pedroia, this note before the Boston Red Sox played the Cleveland Indians on Tuesday night. Dustin hung it in the dugout.

Boston

The tweet above was posted by a Batman parody account yesterday and I can’t express how true it is. By now everyone has heard about what happened in Boston on Monday. I’m currently going to school in North Carolina so I was thankfully a thousand miles away. But my family and friends were there. My Dad was at his office three blocks away. My friend crossed the finish line 3 minutes before. Another friend was standing about 500 yards away. I’ve been experiencing a lot of emotions over the past two days and I’m not really sure how I feel. There is one thing I do know. I have NEVER been prouder of my city (even after the 2004 World Series). I’ve always known Boston to be a community that stands united and displays extreme resilience and perseverance. And now the whole world will know the same.

7-Year-Old Cancer Patient Scores Touchdown

I love sports, like many people. I believe sports are a great way to learn teamwork, sportsmanship, and humility, and of course have some fun while you’re at it. But the biggest reason I love sports is that it has the ability to transcend past just one player, one team, and one game; it has the ability to reach out and paint a bigger picture, to touch humanity and remind the world of what’s really important. Yesterday during Nebraska’s Spring Game they sent out a player who fights for a greater cause, 7-year-old Jack Hoffman who is currently fighting brain cancer. With 60,174 people watching from the stands, Jack took the field.

Check out the full story at ESPN by clicking here.

MLB 2013 Predictions

With the first game of the season taking place tomorrow, I’ve decided it’s time to make my 2013 MLB predictions official.

American League:

MVP: Mike Trout

Cy Young Award: Clayton Kershaw or Justin Verlander

ALCS: Angels over Rays

National League:

MVP: Matt Kemp

Cy Young Award: Stephen Strasburg

NLCS: Dodgers over Reds

World Series: Dodgers over Angels

I’m not even going to bother trying to predict Rookie of the Year. There will be stars that will bust and underdogs that will shine, as it is every year in baseball. However I suggest looking out for Bryce Harper (NL: Nationals), Jedd Gyorko (NL: Padres), Matt Moore (AL: Rays), and Aaron Hicks (AL: Twins).

To This Day – Shane Koyczan

A friend shared this video with me, and it was so powerful that I want to share it with you. This is a poem by Shane Koyczan based from his real life experience with being bullied as a kid. I think everyone can find something they relate to in this poem, whether you were bullied, the bully, or have had no interaction with bullying at all. Enjoy. If this video impacts you in any way, please share it. Help Shane get his message out.

Red Sox Nation: Four Days in October

In honor of pitchers and catchers officially reporting in on Monday, I’ve decided it’s time for a baseball post. I grew up in Massachusetts, meaning I was born a Boston Red Sox fan. It’s in my blood. I was raised on bed time stories of greats like Ted Williams, Carl Yastremski, and Bobby Doer.  No Red Sox fan (or Yankees fan) can forget the 2004 American League Championship Series. Down 3-0 in the series to the New York Yankees, the Sox rallied to clinch the 2004 ALCS and would go on to win the the World Series. There’s a magic in baseball, and it was shown in abundance at Fenway Park that night the Sox won game 4 of the ALCS. I was 12 years old at the time and remember being allowed to stay up late to watch to the game. The momentum that carried Boston to come back and take the series all stemmed from one play. Check it out here in ESPN’s Four Days in October:

8 Year Old Batman Fan With Leukemia Receives Call from Christian Bale

Another reason to add to the list of why Christian Bale is one of my favorite actors. Zach Guillot is an 8 year old boy with leukemia, and is probably the happiest Batman fan in the world. He received the surprise of his life when he received an unexpected phone call from Christian Bale, his favorite actor. His mother recorded the conversation and posted it on YouTube. Bale stayed on the phone for ten minutes to discuss Zach’s favorite super hero. One of the most heartwarming things I’ve heard about in awhile.

“Anyone can be Batman, anyone can be as strong as him.”

– Christian Bale

Pass On – Michael Lee

Be prepared to be emotionally moved. This poem deals with accepting the lose of loved ones and the concept of passing on. I have no experience in poetry whatsoever. Who am I to judge whether a poem is good or not? I stumbled upon this video while doing an assignment for school last semester and I was so incredibly touched by this poem. Michael Lee is a poet in his mid-twenties from Minneapolis, who has turned a lot of pain and hardship into creative expression. This poem specifically references the death of Michael’s best friend Stephen while they were in middle school. Stephen was murdered by his schizophrenic mother. That is just a glimpse of the kind of emotional resonance this poem yields. I hope you enjoy, or at least come to some sort of personal realization.

Want to hear other poems or  learn more about Michael? Check out his blog by clicking here.