Sports Can Be More Than Just Wins and Losses...So Much More

It is 1:30am and I am starting this blog. I am not sure why I can't sleep, maybe it was because I came crashing down from the high of a potential game 7 and came crashing down in just 17 seconds. Maybe it is because of the great conversation I had with my fiance after the game (and an episode of the West Wing) for about an hour. Maybe it is thinking about all of the things that are going on in my life right now. I already knew what this blog would be about and was going to wait until tomorrow to write it. I don't know if I will finish this tonight, but I had to get started...

Just a quick thought on this loss, as I don't want this to be just about the loss itself. This is the first time I have witnessed a loss by a Boston sports team and not come away either hating the team, a player, or the fans. This wasn't losing to the Giants (twice), this wasn't losing to the Heat, this wasn't losing to the Yankees, this was...different. I come away from this series with the utmost respect for the Chicago Blackhawks, their players and their fans. They are a great organization and played a great series. I would say this is the best Playoff series I have ever seen in my young life, even better than when we beat the Canucks two years ago (Yes, I still hate them and the Sedin Sisters). 13 more weeks until the season starts again.

The title gives away what this blog is (read: intended) to be about. On the outside, I joked with friends about not wanting to shave my playoff beard, not wanting to hear one of my staff members gloat about her hawks winning the series, telling my fiance that my heart racing as fast as it did when I proposed meant that I loved the Bruins just as much as I did her. This postseason was something more, and I think you know where this is going.

After the Marathon Bombings, so many people didn't know what to do. The next day came, but it was not the same and for good reason. The tragedy struck the city and the country very hard. I for one didn't know where to turn. Then all of a sudden...the support came. For the sake of this post being decent length, I will focus on the sports. Teams across the country played Sweet Caroline at points during their games to show their support for our city. Fans cheering when the song came on and and singing along...It was just amazing to see. For a time, the games became more than just about the score, but about helping people heal from these physical, mental and emotional wounds that were suffered that day. That's why these playoffs were different, you could just see it in the eyes of the players. They knew it was about something more.

The Boston Bruins were playing for Boston, for Newtown, and for every single person affected by those events. When the players said what they are playing for, you can see whether or not they were just saying that. Not this team...you saw it in their eyes, in their words and in their actions. For me on a personal level, I have always loved the Bruins, they will be my number one team for the rest of my life. Hockey will always be fun for me to watch, regardless of who is playing, and the NHL video game will always be my favorite. These playoffs meant more to me. They allowed me to build connections with residents and staff members in my building, allowing them to see a side of me they have never seen (Like me jumping for joy during quiet hours...oops). It brought together a new friendship for me. Finally it reminded me of the importance of family. My older sister was dealing with issues that I won't get into and when Johnny Boychuck scored the tying goal, I immediately texted her that he scored for her. She then called me on Sunday to chat and I decided to that my Fiance and I would watch the game at her house. The evening became more about spending time than the game. Yes we did all watch the game intently, cheered when they scored and swore when they gave up a goal. When they (heartbreakingly) lost, I was upset for about 30 seconds. Then I remembered that I was there because the game was an excuse to stay past the usual 8pm. It was a chance to stay with my family and show my support.

I would say that maybe it is just me, but sports as this great ability to help people heal, to move on, or to rally behind something if only to take their minds off the tragedy for a couple months. It brings together family, friends, and strangers.Yes it can bring out the worst in people, but more often than not it brings out the best. It doesn't always take a tragedy for sports to have that impact on people, because on a deeper level it has always brought me together with people.When I first met my best man, we just sat down and played NHL 08 on his XBox 360...and we've been going strong ever since.

Sports can be more than just wins and losses...so much more.