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| Photo: Visit Philly |
There are so many reasons we love sports. Sports can give us the highest of highs, like what we all felt last Sunday night. It can also give us the lowest of lows, like the Super Bowl 2 years ago. One of the reasons I love sports, is that it brings us all together.
This week in the Delaware Valley, it's not just "Fly Eagles Fly". It's "Unify Eagles Unify". Have you noticed that our differences don't matter this week? It's such a beautiful thing. Let's face it, the country is divided and has been for a while. But this week, it doesn't matter what side of the political aisle you're on. Democrats and Republicans don't agree on much, but they can sure get together and do a great "E-A-G-L-E-S" cheer. By the way, kudos to Mayor Parker for owning her "E-L-G-S-E-S" cheer and having fun with it.
Sports is the great unifier. Doesn't matter what your race is...or religion...or sexual orientation. Doesn't matter if you're young or old. This week we are all one. That's the power of sports.
Only sports can make total strangers hug each other in celebration. Only sports can make more than a million people line Broad Street on a frigid Philly Friday. And why will so many people do that? It's not just to see the Birds. It's to be with one another. To be with so many other Eagles fans. Doesn't matter that you may be stuck there for hours and hours, or that it's cold and windy. That's exactly where so many people will want to be. Sports has the power to do that.
Sports can also make total strangers become friends, even just for a few moments. How many times have you held the door for someone at Wawa and instead of saying "thank you", they say "Go Birds". And then you say it back, of course.
I can remember vividly driving to Mystic, CT about 15 years ago, and once we got into Connecticut we stopped at a Dunkin for coffee. I had my Phillies jersey on. I was walking in with another guy, who held the door for me. He said, "I'll get the door, even if you ARE a Phillies fan". I laughed...and I asked where he was from. He said Toronto. I told him I'm still not over 1993 and the Joe Carter home run. We had a great conversation while waiting in line, all because of sports.
How great would it be if our attitudes this week didn't end with the parade? No petty arguments over politics or whatever other differences we may have. Our differences are still there, but this week our sheer joy over the Birds is what stands out. All of us have that in common. Sports helps us emphasize what makes us the same, and our differences get temporarily pushed aside. We ALL love the Eagles.
If you'll pardon the pun, sports seems to trump what separates us. Let's remember how we all feel this week. Not just about ourselves and our Eagles, but how we feel towards one another. How a common love that we all share is bringing us together.
That's the power of sports. The great unifier.