For those of you who might have not heard
Barry Bonds broke the home run record last night. He broke the great
Hank Aaron's record of 755 home runs. As I was thinking about the record I kept remembering when I first starting liking, rather, loving sports and I couldn't help thinking about Harrison and how he will view sports stars of his day, and if he will get the chance to experience sports like I experienced them.
I remember it was about fourth grade when I discovered the beauty of sports. That was the year I read
In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson and
I Had a Hammer, learning about the greats and appreciating the history of sports and sports figures. That was also about the time when I started watching the NBA. I remember sitting in our kitchen in front of our little gray TV watching the Lakers and Show Time! Magic running the show. I remember the Lakers and Pistons going back and forth and I remember heading out to the driveway to emulate Magic as best I could. I still remember sitting in my dorm room, crying, yes crying as Gretzky took his last skate around the Garden, his 99 painted in his office, behind the net, where he made so many great plays that always made me sit with my mouth open. My childhood idols will always loom large in my mind, heck I still tuck the right side of my jersey just like
The Great One used to do. They will forever be ingrained in my head, somewhere between idols and heroes.
So as I sat there thinking about Bonds and his record I wondered if Harrison will get to experience his idols. Will sports still be a pure endeavor where a child can watch on TV and still go outside and play in fascination and amazement at what they just saw on TV. Will he still get goosebumps when he is at his first hockey game and the lights go black and the spotlights come on at center ice right before the line ups are announced? Or have the likes of Bonds, Vick, and $250 million dollar contracts ruined the mystique? I for one will encourage Harrison to dream and see the beauty in sports, to be mystified at what sports can do and what dreams can be. But part of me will also (when he is old enough) help him understand that true hero's aren't the ones who put on uniforms and hit home runs, but the ones who put on regular clothes everyday and do things seemingly ordinary that truly do make a difference...but I will still be standing next to him as we watch the "next" Gretzky make an amazing play, hopefully our mouths open and goosebumps running down our arms.
So what do you think? Will children like Harrison get to experience sports like we did?
