emidas 82 Posted August 24, 2014 Share Posted August 24, 2014 By Renee Young Every sports fan is a member of a cult. They may not realize it, but it’s the truth. We live in a world where to be a fanatic over sports is not only acceptable, but expected – and our favorite players and teams are our deities, our prophets, our idols. To not behave in this manner is strangely frowned upon, but we do not question it – largely because it is so easy to fall prey to this cult. Yet, the cult does have its benefits – brotherhood among men, the euphoric feeling of watching your favorite player or team win a big game, the awe of watching a once in a lifetime feat being achieved. For something that has such a negative connotation, these all sound like solid reasons to join the cult known as sports fanaticism. As with any cult, there are also downsides. The crushing blow that accompanies losing a big game, the heated rivalries that can erupt between you and your fellow brethren over something as simple as the name on the front of your jersey, and the terrifying conclusion that your favorite superstar can indeed be mortal. We all know this in the back of our minds to be true – nobody lives forever, nobody plays forever. But we always expect our superstars to be perfect, to always succeed and to never show weakness. When we finally accept this as fact, the illusion presented before us unravels ever so slightly and shows us something important: even when we know about the illusion, we would rather believe in its absolute truth than to question it. Why would we rather knowingly accept the illusion than to acknowledge the truth? We would rather think of our athletes as immortal and capable of anything than to feel the fear that accompanies losing an idol. To potentially have our deity, our prophet thrown to the wolves and devalued in our eyes would be sacrilegious, a sin above all sins. For someone who has believed in the message for most of their lives, this is unacceptable and does not even cross the mind. Yet, somewhere deep down, we know this to be true. It is why the fanaticism behind sports has lasted as long as it has, and will withstand the test of time. When one prophet falls, another will rise to take his place. Yet, not all prophets are created equal. If there is one thing to take away from this piece, let it be this – the same superstar you bled for a decade ago is a different man than the one you bleed for today. Let them know that you recognize their individual contributions to your fanaticism – that will mean more to them than you will ever know. Renee Young is the editor-in-chief of the VHL Weekly, and will be working tirelessly to bring you a new edition every week during the VHL season Link to comment https://vhlforum.com/topic/11583-claimedthe-mortality-of-the-superstar/ Share on other sites More sharing options...
Da Trifecta 1,899 Posted August 25, 2014 Share Posted August 25, 2014 Content: 3/3 A little over the minimum. Try to write a little more over 500 words to make it look better. Grammar: 2/2 Appearance: 1/1 Add some color to this next time please. Final: 6/6 Link to comment https://vhlforum.com/topic/11583-claimedthe-mortality-of-the-superstar/#findComment-112536 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ball 453 Posted August 26, 2014 Share Posted August 26, 2014 Claimed Link to comment https://vhlforum.com/topic/11583-claimedthe-mortality-of-the-superstar/#findComment-113154 Share on other sites More sharing options...
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