It was a terrible day in sports. For sure I am unhappy that my beloved Pittsburgh Steelers lost their game badly today but that was nothing compared to the loss that the world took today. There are few times where the on field loss hurts less than usual. Today the losses were compounded by the death that cast it’s pall over sports.
The tragic death of Jose Fernandez of the Miami Marlins woke me up this morning when my phone exploded. The sites and emotion that came from South Florida were as gripping as it was surreal. He was a bright light amongst a group of self centred, egotistical baseball players. A great player, who by many accounts, was on a track for Hall of Fame accolades but also one who shed his positive and boyish outlook on what is essentially a kids game. The sports world lost a future great, in my eyes.
Then tonight, the world lost a true titan of not only golf but of the sports pantheon, Arnold Palmer. If I could pick my Mount Rushmore of all-time golf greats he would be right at the top of the mountain along with Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Bobby Jones. He was a great golfer and an even better person in society. He was a literal ambassador to golfers around the world and he would be on a short list of faces that people across the globe could pick out of a crowd. All of this because he was a genuine and positive leader amongst all men.
Where does this leave us today. The sports world continues to revolve. Baseball pennant races are on fire, NFL games continue to draw billions of eyes and the World Cup of Hockey has captivated all hockey enthusiasts. Tomorrow, the world will wake up and do it all over again and we will continue to be gripped by the drama. For tonight, take a moment and reflect on the great things about sport and remember that sport is only great because of great people. All professional athletes are all gifted and special in their own way but there are those that take things to another level, on and off the playing surface. Today, we are poorer for losing these greats and the world should thank them for the gifts they have brought us.
Marco