The
news out of South Bend yesterday was troubling. As a fan of sports, Notre Dame,
and the human race as a whole, I won’t even bother with the details. ESPN, Dead
Spin, Facebook, and Google would do you far more good if you want to know the
latest scoop on the Manti Te’o hoax.
Rather
than contribute to the circus of rampant speculation surrounding this bizarre
affair, I think it is appropriate to simply just take a deep breath and look at
the way we look at sports in our culture.
As
a fan of sports, it is no longer simply acceptable to have a deep passion for
your team, and root for them when you go to a game. Now, to be considered a
knowledgeable fan, you have to know everything from which high school sophomore
is making a verbal commitment to your alma mater to what the captain of your
team tweeted about his breakfast sandwich this morning. The “best” fans are
really just the best informed fans. And with this mass demand by legions of
fans for more information, it’s no surprise that things like this happen.
Players’ privacies become commodities that can be bought and sold. An athlete’s
net worth is dependent not only on his or her athletic abilities, but on the
ability to generate consumable information for the masses.
It
is important to understand that the main player in this whole media mess is a
22-year-old man. Do you remember when you were 22 years old? I was delivering
pizza and answering phones for a living, eking out a young life that enjoyed
the comforts of good friends, a simple apartment, good health, and relative
obscurity. Contrast that to a young man who has millions of fans that have
never even spoken to him, career prospects that include millions of dollars in yearly
earnings, and a personal life that is anything but personal. So before we
speculate about who is in the wrong, or who is behind this hoax, let’s just
keep this in perspective. Not only is Manti Te’o young, but he is under an extraordinary
amount of pressure. If we care about him, or even the sport as a whole, just
grant him some privacy. Stop going to different websites to get the latest
update. Turn off your TV. Watch something else. Let trained professionals get
to the bottom of this, and make your informed opinions then.
One
of the great things about sport is the humanity revealed in all of it. You see
people’s highest highs and lowest lows out on the field of play. In televised
sports we see people who are the best at their craft do what they love. Their
talent makes them seem super-human, but they most certainly are human. And as
humans we (and athletes!) make mistakes. We hurt and we get hurt. We lie and
are lied to. But some of the most distinguishing human characteristics are our
best traits. We forgive. We understand. We show compassion. So, however the
dust settles in this whole affair, let’s let our best selves show through.
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