Pro Sports and Triathlon

Last night as I watched the Indianapolis Colts overtake the Patriots to advance to the Super Bowl, I couldn't help but to feel good for Peyton Manning who has taken so much criticism for not being able to get his team to the big one. But at the same time it reminded me why I have become so disenchanted with big time professional sports thus increasing my appreciation for sports like triathlon and those that compete in triathlon. As I watched the game come to an end it occurred to me that somebody was missing. Yes, that would be the former running back for the Colts, Edgerrin James. A very talented back, that is now sitting at home, after playing for a losing team, watching his former team play in the Super Bowl because he went for the big time paycheck. Its attitudes like this that are killing pro sports and actually make me marvel at a team like the Patriots who have managed to hold the talent together for so many years.

But you don't really see this in a sport like Triathlon. This is not to say that triathlon doesn't have its own troubles. We cant forget some have been caught doping and that can put a black eye on the sport. But ultimately most people in the sport are there for the pure enjoyment and accomplishment that comes from working hard to achieve a goal. Even if you take the top elites in the sport, they are not signing multi-million dollar contracts and then whining because they deserve more money. You don't see the second string athletes in Triathlon making league minimums of 6 figures just because they are on the team.

In the sport of Triathlon I can stand on the same starting line as the elites, I can walk through an expo and stop and say hello to a world champion. I can even pass a former world champion in a race, yeah that happened. Oh yeah actually she (Karen Smyers) was finishing the run as I was starting,,,,,but I still passed her,,,just going in opposite directions :) The bottom line is sports like triathlon are still for the rest of us and not put out of reach. Although I watch pro sports sometimes on TV I am just not a fan anymore.

I really could have cared less who won last night. And to be honest I couldn't have told you who was even in the playoffs except for hearing about it in the news. Thats how much I keep up with big time pro sports anymore. And you wont catch me paying their ticket prices to attend.

But if you ask, I can tell you the last 5 Ironman World Champions.