Sports: The Great Equalizer

I love sports, the passion, excitement, the winners, losers sometimes in heartbreaking fashion. Sports is the great equalizer. It unites cities, countries, it has created wars and led people to do extraordinary things to do whatever it takes to win.

I have favorite teams, favorite players and teams I always cheer for and teams I always cheer against.
I have favorite sports, sporting events and sports I will only care about (baseball playoff time) or Olympics for national pride. I vehemtly root for the underdog. I cheer for upsets.

My favorite teams are Liverpool, Australia, Canada, LA Chargers, Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Kentucky Wildcats, University of Manitoba Bisns and the original Winnipeg Jets. I cheer for anyone Manchester United, New Zealand and the University of Winnipeg are playing.

I love March Madness, NCAA college basketball tournament every March. I love the World Cup of soccer. Going to a cultural establishment to watch the games is an experience in its own right. The passion, national pride really come to the form. It is said that every time Brazil doesn't win the World Cup for a few weeks the suicide rate in Brazil goes up.

I have been in England for soccer games, Australia for rugby games and throughout North America for hockey, soccer, basketball, baseball and football games. I have seen major and minor league games plus college games. Each time the passion and support is intense. As a young teenager one of my greatest experiences was attending the Montreal Olympics. Saw outstanding events and atheletes. To this day I still get chills rewatching some of the highlights of this time.

I have met many famous athletes such as Pele, Wilt Chamberlin, Edwin Moses, Gerry Cheevers, Jonathon Toews, Cindy Klassen, Bobby Orr and Bobby Hull.

When my team wins I feel on cloud nine, when my team loses I feel sad, yet not depressed and either way I can't wait for the next game to start the same routine over. I wish life could be the same way.

Bruce Dern in the movie the Driver said all you need to know about life is read the sports pages. It tells you who won, who lost and how the game was played. Sports is the great equalizer in life.