Greg Norman, after failing to clinch the 1996 US Masters title from a seemingly unloseable position, said “the sun will come up tomorrow.” While disappointed, Norman reflected on his performance by adding a little perspective to the game of golf and sport in general.
How prophetic is that after the week we have had in sport? This week has been traumatic for sports lovers around the globe, and has reminded us that in the end, it’s just a game.
On Saturday morning, young Bolton midfielder Fabrice Muamba collapsed from suspected heart attack during an FA Cup Quarter Final against Tottenham. While he is recovering in hospital now, there was serious fear for his life (rumour has it his heart stopped beating on its own for two hours). After fleeing war-torn Congo at a young age to the high-flying world of professional football, this incident really provided us with some perspective.
24 hours later in Scotland, Kilmarnock midfielder Liam Kelly was celebrating minutes after an upset win over Celtic in the League Cup final when he was told his Dad had died from a heart attack.
Kilmarnock players were told only minutes after Kilmarnock lifted the trophy on what was supposed to be the club’s happiest day in years.
Closer to home, all would have heard news recently of the death of AFL great Jim Stynes, who had succumbed to cancer after a courageous three year battle.
So what do these incidents teach us?
It teaches us the irrelevance sport really has in life compared to everything else.
Sport brings joy and sport brings sadness but in honesty, in the scheme of life and death, it is an artificial feeling.
If you watch your team lose a preliminary final or a grand final by a point you feel devastated. You may not feel better on the Sunday or even the Monday but you eventually realise there is too much in life that is more important.
Too often in sports (for example, St Kilda’s three consecutive grand finals without a win), we feel obliged to call something ‘devastating’ or ‘tragic’. Nick Riewolt not winning a premiership is disappointing and sad but in no way is it tragic.
You only have to look at the three people I mentioned at the start to realise what is tragedy.
Tragedy is when you realise that Fabrice Muamba may never play football again after his heart attack despite having a promising career ahead of him.
Tragedy is when Liam Kelly is told on the best day of his career that his dad is gone and he will never have the chance to say goodbye.
And tragedy is the realisation that Jim Stynes’ young kids will never see their father again despite him having so much in life yet to accomplish.
At the end of the day, sport is just a game. Nothing more and nothing less. You may have a bad day on the field, but you know that there will be a chance to make amends.
Legendary football coach Bill Shankly was famous for the quote: “Football isn’t a matter of life or death; I can tell you it is much more important than that.”
If he was here today, he would realise how wrong that really is.
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