From my most recent article at WorldMag.com:
The sports announcer gushes into the microphone, “What a courageous performance!” He and his colleague in the TV booth then proceed to extol the athlete for his gritty performance in the face of so much pressure, how he played through pain and illness, and in the midst of such personal turmoil, too. Truly this athlete is a hero.
If you are a sports fan like me, such a description brings back memories. You might think of Michael Jordan’s flu game in the 1997 NBA Finals or Willis Reed limping out onto the Madison Square Garden court to lead the New York Knicks to the NBA title in 1970. Maybe you remember Brett Favre’s emotional game after the loss of his father in 2003 or, just recently, Rory McIlroy winning the European Tour’s BMW PGA Championship mere days after he abruptly ended his engagement to tennis star Caroline Wozniacki. Others may think of athletes like Tim Tebow or Jason Collins, who competed under the scrutiny of a nation because of their personal convictions or lifestyle. At one time or another such feats have been described as “courageous.”
Does anything in sports truly qualify as “courageous”? Each of the above examples falls at a different place on the scale, and none of them compare to the courage of firefighters, police officers, or military personnel. The courage of anyone who risks his or her life stands alone, and many believe it is a dishonor to them to call something as trite as a last-second goal or a game played on a bum knee “courageous.” I don’t agree.
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