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Sunday, July 15 2001 -

I'm all teary-eyed.

As some of you know, a lot of my friends simply aren't 'sports people'. They'll suffer through the occasional game, especially if its live, but they just don't follow sports. Some of them understand, but quite of few of them just don't understand why I watch sports.

Calvin Edwin Ripken Junior (This is why I'm teary-eyed, the Florida Marlins just finished their ceremony celebrating Cal's accomplishments).

Now everybody loves Cal. But having followed him for as long as I've watched baseball, I can point to things he does as to why I watch sports. It's all about the moment. Homeruns, goals, checks, diving catches, pitchbacks and tackles are all great, but the ones that count are the ones you remember.

2130, Cal Ripken hit's a home run in the game that he ties the all-time MLB record for consecutive games played.

2131, Cal Ripken hits a home run in the game that he breaks teh all-time MLB record for consecutive games played.

3001, the first home game after he hit's his 3000th hit, Cal Ripken hits his 3001 hit. A home run in the 9th inning to win the ball game.

2001 All Star Game, Cal Ripken, in his last All-Star game hits a home run on the first pitch he sees.

These are macroscopic examples of what makes sports great: The Moment (tm). The trick is that The Moment (tm) happens every day, on every playing field across the world. It's that spark of brilliance, the seizing of the opportunity. It happens on little league fields, rugby fields, sumo rings and cricket pitches. The brilliance of executing what you need to, when you need to. It even happens on the rapier field.

SportsCenter. God Bless is, Moment (tm) after Moment (tm) after Moment (tm) (OK, I'm done) captured in a quick one hour sports love fest. But like a good movie, you can't fully appreciate The Moment without context. The Moment is surrounded by little failures, little opportunities where IT didn't happen. Then all of a sudden, sometimes from no where, some times a crescendo of brilliance IT happens. The triumph drives you from your seat in a primal celebration.

Sometimes it takes years of preparation (watch the Chicago Cubs...) and sometimes it's rookie brilliance (watch Jay Gibbons, the rookie Oriole). Sometimes you just pull it out of your ass (watch me fight rapier). But the important point is that it happens all the time. And I'm addicted to it.

So next time I'm not listening to you because I'm watching the hockey game (mmmm...hockey....mmmmmmm) or I instantly hit turn on ESPN when I get home, cut me some slack. I'm just jonesin' for a Moment.

BEWARE THE MOCs,

I'm out

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