Tragedy puts sports into perspective
With the collapse of the I-35W highway bridge in Minneapolis Aug. 1, sports was once again put into perspective.
While Minnesota Twins officials decided to go on with that night's scheduled baseball game for fear of sending 20,000 people at once back in the direction of the bridge, Thursday's game against the Kansas City Royals was postponed.
Their weekend series against the Cleveland Indians went on as scheduled, as will the lives of everyone who was not involved in the tragedy.
The show must go on.
That's what we always say.
Lives are lost and others changed forever, but the games must be played.
It's funny how that works.
The town of most of the Twins' players has been affected in a way they have never seen, but after one day to reflect, it's back on the field.
We say games aren't that important, but players will be back to arguing balls and strikes, and slamming bats and helmets if things don't go their way - trivial compared to everything going on around them.
That's life.
Right after the announcement of the cancellation, my first thought was how it would affect my fantasy baseball team.
Of course I quickly threw that thought out of my head, realizing lost lives are infinitely more important than fantasy baseball leagues.
Still, it's the way our brains are wired. We think about how something effects us.
Watching the news or hearing about it from someone allows us for a moment to grieve for victims of any tragedy, but our everyday worries are still focused around ourselves.
For a while sporting events seem as important as a wool coat in August.
Then time will heal and games will be played.
Of course that doesn't mean we forget when something terrible happens.
So, as the fall sports season approaches, and emotions fly high from players to coaches to grandparents, just remember there are more important things in the world, no matter how good it feels to beat your arch-rival.
