Get well soon Phil, sport just doesn't matter right now

There barely seems like anything appropriate you can say after the tragic accident that led to Phil Hughes being admitted to hospital and having surgery on Tuesday.

UPDATE: Phillip Hughes has tragically passed away.

I can’t imagine how Hughes’ family and friends are feeling, let alone Sean Abbott, the man who delivered the ball that struck Hughes, and saw him fall to the turf.

Those that know him best speak of his tough, gritty character. He is a determined soul, and won’t give up, no matter how great the challenge. Watching Phil Hughes, the cricketer, battle away in India last year to make a fighting 69 in the third Test at Mohali is the best evidence I have on hand to believe that’s true.

On sports sites, forums and pages, people love to debate the various intricacies of sport. We love to make arguments about why this player should be included in that squad above another one. We’ll advocate for one while dismissing another; judging minor aspects of performance very harshly in some instances, glossing over gaping flaws where it suits the argument.

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» LEMON: Cricket’s lottery sees Phil Hughes knocked into morality
» MITCHELL: A time of introspection for cricket

Phil Hughes, the cricketer, has long been talked about, discussed and debated on sites like The Roar. Hundreds of articles have been dedicated to discussing him as a cricketer.

Phil Hughes, the man, barely rates a mention in all of these discussions.

When Phil Hughes, the man, needs to be mentioned, like he was on Tuesday, and will be in coming days, people’s true feelings are revealed.

People actually care about Phil Hughes, the man. He’s a man that every single one of us wish the best for, and would get on our haunches and help if we were on the spot. Because whatever arguments we have about him as a cricketer are simply forgotten when another human being is in trouble.

Everyone loves Phil Hughes, the man.

Sport is meaningless. People give it meaning by talking about it, debating it, discussing it and participating in it. But when one of those who plays the sport is in trouble, or needs our help, or is hurt, sport instantly becomes meaningless again.

Phil Hughes, the cricketer, might provide us with on-screen and live entertainment, as well as something to talk about in our spare time, but the man is all that really matters when it comes to our true emotions.

Phil Hughes, the cricketer, is no longer relevant to us as human beings when Phil Hughes, the man, is seriously hurt. The overwhelming support from every corner of the cricketing globe speaks to that.

One of the questions often posed to a sports fan is why. Why watch sport? What’s the point? Isn’t it essentially meaningless? Simply a ball hitting a bat, a man tackling another man, a woman running faster than another woman. There’s nothing of substance, or intrinsic value in any of those things.

People performing on a stage is also essentially meaningless without a script or story.

Sport is a type of theatre; one in which the script hasn’t been written yet. There are stories to be told, arguments to be had, and victories to be won. The players themselves are actors playing roles. There are heroes and dullards, villainous characters, supporting roles and bit parts. All form an essential part of the plot of any game.

It’s the plot, the characters, the twists, the story lines and the history between the combatants that informs the essential meaning of the contest.

The meaning of the contest between South Australia and New South Wales on Tuesday was a storied state rivalry in an old competition. There was an overarching narrative, with personal stories being told in the midst.

Phil Hughes was pushing for higher honours – a place in the national team. It’s the greatest honour you can bestow on a cricketer in Australia, aside from the captaincy. That privilege is as rare in sport as playing King Lear on the grandest stage; it’s reserved for a few special people.

Those stories all went out the window, because the only thing that means anything at all right now is that Phil Hughes, the man, recovers. That he is healthy. That he is safe. That he comes out the other side.

All of that comes first, second and third. Whether or not he ever plays cricket again comes a distant placing.

On The Roar, we thrive on turning sportspeople into characters. We debate about them. We put them on pedestals. Turn some into Homeric-style heroes. Attach epithets worthy of the Iliad to those who play our greatest heroes, and do the opposite to those who play the underhanded or unworthy villains.

When and if he gets back on his feet and is able to take up the cricket bat, then we can talk about Phil Hughes, the cricketer, again. We can call him godlike, or lament his overzealous use of the cut shot.

But for the moment I am just hoping, wishing and praying that Phil Hughes, the man, makes a full recovery from an awful injury.

Get well soon Phil.