While I’ve only gotten to
watch rugby for a few months, I have to admit that I thoroughly enjoy the
sport. Unlike American sports, it’s
fast-paced and brutality is at an all time high. Another striking difference is that the
players compete for the benefit of the team, not the well being of themselves.
In the states, 99% of
athletes care about how much money they’re making rather than how many games
their team wins each season. Despite all
the selfish pigs out there, there are still a few class acts; most notably,
Peyton Manning. It’s funny, too. He’s the one athlete that never complains
about money (he simply plays for the love of football), yet he is one of the
highest paid players in history. When I
think of a rugby player comparable as a person to Peyton, Brian O’Driscoll is
the first that comes to mind.
Again, with only a few months
worth of viewing, my radar could be off for who I think has the best
personality. But from what I’ve seen, O’Driscoll
is the man. He’s a hard competitor, but
never bad mouths anyone and always takes the time out to sign his autograph for
a fan.
Due to all the negativity in
sport back home, it’s nice to be reminded that sport is supposed to be about brotherhood. It’s a place where people can come regardless
of their color, background, current location, etc. to cheer on their favorite
team. Athletes like Manning and O’Driscoll
are the knights in shining armor that remind us of this. The following two clips are evidence of what
sport should be.
The first is O’Driscoll
walking off the Aviva for the final time and the crowd’s response to his
unparalleled career with the Irish. The
second is when Peyton Manning returned to play Indianapolis as a Denver Bronco
(he played his entire career in Indianapolis until he had neck surgery). Both videos give me goosebumps and send
chills down my spine.
I can only hope that there
are more athletes like these two in the future. They have certainly left a legacy that will
never be tarnished.
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