I had the distinct pleasure of attending the Orange Bowl this year. It was the first time I have attended a major college bowl game during my lifetime. But like any typical male, I have watched many events from the comfort of my living room. And some live too.
Being there gives you a very unique viewpoint of the passion that is present with both the teams as well as the fans. For a moment let's just forget about the teams and their passion. When you play the game you must have the passion. When you cheer on your team, that passion is a little different.
I realized this a few years ago when I was told fans had been killed at a soccer (fotball) match in Rome Italy when the two teams of Rome played each other. AS Roma v Lazio brings out the passion in both their fans. So much Italian passion in fact, there are 12 foot high Plexiglas barriers separating the two fan sections from each other. Keep the passion in one section please. Of course, getting to your seats could be an issue, as some fans found out one year.
At the Orange Bowl, when watching the replay of a botched pass play, there became a heated "discussion" between a Clemson Fan and a West Virginia Fan close to my seats. No flag on the play was discussed face to face, no doubt with some saliva spraying. Wow, I thought, what an important point. Of course, this was early in the game - by halftime nothing really mattered. But at the time these two individuals really felt strongly about their individual points. Do they do this all the time, even outside of football games?
However, I have given much thought to the ideal that sports create a passion that is not found anywhere else. Rarely do you see this passion in the workplace. At home, we all forgo arguments just to keep the peace. But is this really a good use of our passion? Does the intensity that we see during sports events need to be exhibited in other places in our life? Would we have a more exciting workplace if we showed the same passion in our jobs? Would our world be better as a result?
I am not sure - but when it comes down to it, using that much energy and passion on a sporting event is kind of a waste. I think we can use it towards making our lives and our worlds better places.
