I mentioned before on how my grandmother and close uncle both were affected by cancer. My uncle lost his life and my grandmother is one that can be label as a survivor. Someone people don't know the toll cancer has on not only the person suffering, but the families around them. My uncle suffered day after day. I remember him saying things like " I just want to wake up and breathe without my body aching," or "I just want to see my son's get married." A few phrases such as those were constant reminders of his suffering. My grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer. She had to remove her left breast and has never been the same since. " I used to be a woman, and now I don't even know," is what she would say to me as I would help her up. It is so hard to see your loved ones suffer. But it's even more hard to see them helpless. 
The American Cancer Society researchers estimate that there will be 1,529,560 new cancer cases and 569,490 deaths from cancer in 2011. That is a high amount of people affected. Now times that number by at least 4. That should give you an estimate of how many people suffer due to cancer or a loved one affected by cancer. This Mastercard commercial used its' "Stand Up To/ Thank You campaign to pass on cancer awareness. Athlete and World Series champion Brian Wilson of the Giants, joined that campaign. I was proud to see him apart of commercial since he was a representative of California and better yet San Francisco. I hope athletes understand there power and how they can really make a difference in the world. I only hope to see more sports and sports athletes promoting good causes and teaming up to present positive attitudes.

NOT ONLY A LOSS FOR THE TEAM BUT A LOSS FOR THE FANS

 

As we all know, the Philles lost there place in the World Series and that was a big blow to Philadelphia fans. This loss was more heart wrenching not because the Phillies were performing poorly, but because they were performing well throughout the season.

The Phillies just got eliminated by a St. Louis Cardinals team that appeared to be eliminated itself six weeks ago. The Phillies were supposed to breeze through the playoffs thanks to the best starting rotation in history. Instead they lost in the first round, and even worse, their lead ace got out-aced. Roy Halladay was great, but Chris Carpenter was just a little bit greater in a 1-0 Game 5 victory last Friday.

 

This was hard for Phillies fans to stomach. The only team that is safe to cheer for in Philly now is the 76ers. Last year, everybody figured the Sixers would be awful. Instead, they made the playoffs. Then, before they could disappoint people, they started canceling games. And now with this NBA lockout who knows what is expected from the basketball industry.

Rosenberg in the article link above goes to say how fans basically let their emotions get the best of them. He states that we can watch lousy teams and enjoy the loss because we don’t expect it.

“We dramatize losing a lot in the sports world. When a team goes through a championship drought, a city is "tortured" and filled with "heartache" at all the lost "clichés" that plague their "writers."

“But losing isn't the worst thing for a sports fan. Cubs fans usually have a blast. Clippers fans rarely get truly angry at their team, because if winning mattered that much to them they would be Lakers fans.(I wasn’t a fan of this comment) Cleveland fans suffer, of course, but the suffering is a badge of honor. They can say it makes them the best fans, the truest fans, the only fans who have stood by their teams for a half-century of lousy winters without winning a title.
Watching lousy teams can be fun, in a twisted sort of way. Watching teams that are supposed to win and flop instead is painful. The problem, again, is not that Philly's teams stink. It's that Philly fans allowed themselves to believe. They are supposed to be the toughest fans in America, inured to failure, hardened by years of losing. They finally thought this was their time.
Now they are left answering one of life's biggest questions: "What the ----?"”

The Difference One Person Make Coming Forward

ESCAPISM

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/michael_rosenberg/09/07/importance.of.games.after.september.11/index.html

I read this article about how sports have now become routes of escape in our world today. The author Michael Rosenberg, goes on about the tragedy of 9/11 and the events of that day have led to an explosiveness in sports.

"After 9/11, it was easy to wonder if sports would ever matter as much. With terrorists killing thousands of innocent Americans, who could possibly hate the Lakers?"

Amazingly sports have gotten exponentially bigger! In the article Rosenberg goes on to say that with all the stress in the world and all the questions we ask, sports is an escape from all of that. Politics, the economy, and terrorists are only a few of the problems we face, however in sports we take comfort in those heated debates because no one is going to die because of it. 

I personally do believe that sports are a source of an escape. We have so much hate and hurt in this world and sports provides us to root for a team and engage positive events. 

"We're used to arguing about everything now. We are used to screaming without listening. And I think when it comes to sports, we now take comfort in the bickering, knowing that in this artificial world we can argue and nobody will die because of it. With so much at stake everywhere else, we have elevated the importance of games where we have so little to lose."

I know sports events allow me to scream at the top of my lungs and be heard, I get the opportunity to talk smack all in good fun, and I get to watch hundreds of people come together for one cause. So is sports an escape? ABSOLUTELY!

BREAST CANCER AWARENESS WEEK!!!!!!!

I was stuck watching football all day yesterday (Sunday 09, 2011) as my boyfriend guzzled down his beer and grubbed on some chips. I wasn't trying to watch the Packers beat the Falcons but had no choice since the remote control was dominated by my boyfriend. As I watched the game I saw many of the players on both teams wearing various pieces of PINK. Pink flags, pink headbands, pink cleats, and even pink water bottles flashed on the t.v. screen. I wondered by and then the announcer mention Breast Cancer Awareness Week and my heart felt a little tug. My grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006 and had to have her breast removed. It was a scary experience in my life and something I never expected. I also had my uncle past away for cancer as well. The cause was very important to me and when I saw the players wearing pink, I couldn't help but feel proud. These players don't have to support the cause nor do they have to represent the colors, but they did, and they did with pride. I felt more of a connection and pride watching this game, than I did watching any other. I felt like my Grandmother was being commended for her bravery and those that are fighting were being told that they weren't alone. It was a thought provoking experience because the cause was something that has affected my life tremendously. I wanted to say thanks for the support to all those athletes and tell them how their actions have not only given strength to many but made so many aware of this disease. In light of all the pink on my t.v. screen I told my boyfriend about my grandmother and uncle for the first time. He never knew cancer had affected my family and family members. It gave me a chance to tell him my story and make him aware of the cause. At the end of the day, I passed the message along, the only difference, I told one person, while those amazing athletes told the world.

Sports Play a Pivotal Role Against Anti- Bullying

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/michael_rosenberg/10/06/bullying/index.html

We always here about athletes contributing to charities and donating to foundations, but sometimes athletes take an active role on the problems that affect our every day lives. Bullying is one of those problems. I was a kid who was constantly bullied in elementary and in junior high, and to know that Eagles, DeSean Jackson, is fighting against bullying in school really touches a soft spot.

"athletes are uniquely suited to fight bullying. From elementary school to pick-up games at the Y, they command respect from their peers. They epitomize cool. And if they say bullying is not cool, that resonates."

                 

I couldn't agree more! Bullying is one of those things that kids feel is "cool" or the thing to do. But it hurts and leads to many unfortunate circumstances. Every time I hear of a suicide of a teenager because he/she was bullied or bullying that resulted in physical assault, I always think "Why doesn't anyone do anything?" "Why doesn't anyone say this is wrong?" The questions bottle my mind, but to see someone fighting against the cause bring some hope to this horrible problem. Athletes know their power to influence and being strong, competitive, and having support of fellow fans are attributes I feel kids can relate with. Its always inspiring to see how the words of an athlete can change the lives of so many.