Ever since I was in the fifth grade — when we finally got a television set in our home — I have enjoyed watching the Olympics.
Since our daughter was a competitive figure skater for many years (and I am still a member of the Figure Skating Club of Madison), I have especially looked forward to the Winter Olympics to watch figure skating. I also watch some of the other events.
I believe the Olympics continue to be important in our world today.
After he returned from World Youth Day held in Poland, Pope Francis said at his general audience at the Vatican that in a world traumatized by war, young people gathered for World Youth Day gave strong signs of hope and brotherhood.
World Youth Day was a “prophetic sign for Poland and Europe” and took on a “global dimension” in a world threatened by war, Pope Francis said.
Many children and adults in Wisconsin (myself included) have admired Ryan Braun during his years playing with the Milwaukee Brewers.
Whenever I went to a Brewers’ game, I saw plenty of fans wearing T-shirts with Braun’s name and the number eight. The fans applauded when Braun came up to bat, knowing that he would do his best to get a hit (his career batting average through July was .312).
Braun also seemed to be a nice guy. He accepted his many baseball awards modestly, including the National League’s Most Valuable Player award for the 2011 season.
It was therefore painful for me and other Brewers’ fans to accept the news that Braun might have taken performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs). At first we thought it must be a mistake. However, this summer Major League Baseball suspended Braun for the rest of the season and the postseason due to his involvement with the Biogenesis clinic in Florida.
Now we know that Braun lied to us. We wonder why he and other successful athletes took PEDs. Were they greedy for more money and fame? Were they worried about sustaining their athletic prowess? Did they think they would never get caught?
Another season of high school, grade school, college, and professional sports has begun. These can invite us to reflect upon ways that we participate in sports as players or watch as spectators.
In Colossians 3:17, it says “Whatever we do in word or deed, do all in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks to God, the Father though him.”
When Pope John II became pope, he installed a swimming pool at Castel Gandolfo, his summer residence. He responded to those who criticized its cost by saying that it was cheaper than paying for a new conclave. He also skied. Doctors think that he recovered from an assassin’s wounds quickly because of vibrant health nourished by sports. Through sports and exercise, he showed us ways to care for our bodies, which God created. If he is canonized, he could join St. Sebastian as patron saint of athletes.
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Too often in the news and rumored around the world, we hear about incidents of bad sportsmanship to the point of people physically fighting with other parents, players, and coaches. When did giving it your best and playing as a team become not enough? Has winning become that important?
When I was younger, I played at the highest-level possible of soccer, and I can’t remember a time when sportsmanship and effort were not number one. Yes, you won’t find a more competitive person but not at all cost.
Recently it seems like we’ve had an increasing number of celebrities and public figures apologizing for bad behavior.
When politicians, athletes, and entertainers are caught doing something wrong, they say, “I’m sorry.” We get the feeling that these people aren’t really very sorry about what they did — only that they got caught!
