A Great Investment
While it may not be possible to figure out exactly how many people watched the tiebreaker game between the San Diego Padres and Colorado Rockies last night, I’m sure the number was very large. The game was a great one, and will be talked about for many years to come.
While I have no idea how much tickets to that game cost, I’m sure they were not free! Many people took time away from their families to go watch that ball game, and enjoyed the atmosphere of a great moment in baseball. Others may have gone with their family and enjoyed sharing that great moment.
After the game was over, though…what was left?
At virtually the same time, millions were tuned in to Monday Night Football to watch the undefeated New England Patriots take on the Cincinnati Bengals. The ratings for Monday Night Football are always high, and the game, while not all that close, was basically well played.
Many paid hundreds in tickets, parking, food and other costs to watch that game. Some paid that a few times over because they went with their family.
After the game was over, though…what was left?
A little earlier, my family sat outside the fence of a Dixie Youth fall baseball field and watched two teams play. We sat with members of the church whose strapping little boy was playing a sharp third base (and hitting a solid single!). We talked about baseball, Friends and Family Day, our children, sportsmanship and other topics over the course of the hour-long “instructional” game (fall baseball has special rules meant to teach the game for the next “real” season).
We clapped for both teams and enjoyed the cool weather. Mary Carol ate some peanut butter crackers and Turner got some fresh air. While the game wasn’t that exciting (the score isn’t even put on the board in this league, but it was about 13-2), the atmosphere was.
It was a great investment! After the game was over, we talked about how much fun the game was, and got to meet one of the stars of the game–in person! Try doing that in professional sports! We didn’t even have to wait in a long line of traffic to leave the stadium.
What a great use of our time. While we have not been as good to do things like this in the past as we should, we are trying to improve. We were able to encourage some young people from the youth group, spend some time in friendly conversation, let our children play and get fresh air, and enjoy the sporting event and the weather at the same time. The cost? About .50 in gas!
While there is nothing wrong with enjoying a sporting event in television (I hope!), I enjoyed this evening much more. What could have been better than an evening with Christian people?
