If you aren't cheating, you aren't trying...

I heard this old cliché again the other day, and it just now hit me as a flash of insight.  I was talking with one of my best friends tonight and he reminded me of the significant difference between little kids playing sports and when sports become more competitive.  We were talking about how professionals often have to psych themselves up by comparing their upcoming games with epic battles, the other teams as enemies to be hated and hurt and punished, while younger kids are just trying to have fun (usually), learning fundamentals (hopefully), and being cheered (and not booed) by the fans/parents.  When these things are cast as life and death struggles, it's no wonder that athletes are pushed toward eye-gouging in scrums, performance-enhancing drugs, and trying to circumvent the rules in general.  Furthermore, does it not explain why in the week before a rivalry game even the fan bases become violent toward each other?

Still, I must be healing or changing in some way.  I was discussing an opportunity to work with another college to develop some advanced high school geology programs similar to the one I administrate here at Oneonta State.  I asked him which other colleges were interested, and one was a campus of the Ohio State system.  That I didn't immediately scowl, spit, and/or vomit in my mouth felt like a victory of sorts.

On a personal note, it's been a trying couple of weeks.  I've had setbacks with my emotional health related to my surgery and some increased job responsibilities, my wife has had some professional setbacks that still look to be wholly unfair, and I'm so far behind in grading that it's approaching the level of cruelty to my students.  In my despair, I actually tried to cave and watch some basketball last weekend, only to find that, for whatever reason, our local CBS affiliate was off the air - so I'm still 99.44% sports pure (I may have looked at some games passing by a bar or two more slowly than usual).  I do miss the mindlessness that can come with enjoying a neutral game, it could have been comforting this week.