Numerous topics come to the opinionated sports mind this week: two baseball managers pitching fits at the media, a football player fined $100,000 for wearing the wrong hat, a no-hitter, a referee getting tossed, a ban on text-message recruitment and playoff pushes.
And they all have an element in common—every last one is meaningless in consideration of the events that befell Virginia Tech this week.
Still, a sports column has to go to print, and I'm thinking about a subject that won't minimize the heart-rending episode Monday. Then it hits me—like the ball hit the crosse for Michael Steven Pohle, Jr.
First and foremost, the families of the 32 wrong-place-at-the-wrong-time victims are the ones at the greatest loss in the aftermath of this unspeakable horror. Then it's society at large. Experts of their fields and personable students—individuals who gave the Hokies a good name—were killed in cold blood.
And then, somewhere way farther down on the list of those who lost, is the sports world. In addition to pursuing a degree in biological sciences, Pohle was a member of the club lacrosse team at Virginia Tech.
There was Brian Bluhm, set to defend a thesis this summer and presumably follow his favorite sports team, the Detroit Tigers. Bluhm was a frequent contributor to motownsports.com, where a thread titled ""A proper tribute to Brian"" has by far scored the most hits on the website. The man with the handle ""estrepe1"" made his last post very early Monday morning.
Ryan Clark was a member of the Marching Virginians marching band and played a role in making Lane Stadium one of the most difficult venues to play at in the country. Clark was one of the first victims Monday.
Austin Cloyd was a basketball and volleyball player. Jeremy Herbstritt was a devoted long-distance runner. Caitlin Hammaren was an avid tennis player. Emily Hilscher was a member of the equestrian club. Dan O'Neil excelled in cross country.
Virtually all of the victims were involved in sports in some way, shape or form. And it's clear that if one wasn't, he or she took an interest in some activity to the same extent that many of us participate in or follow sports.
The results of the largest-scale shooting in American history had other effects on athletics, in Blacksburg and elsewhere. Although, it was surprising to this sports fan the low degree to which the tragedy was observed in competition around the country.
On campus at Virginia Tech, various athletic events were canceled, including the spring football game that would have taken place Saturday.
The Washington Nationals did about the only thing they've done right so far this season, wearing various hats bearing the maroon and gold logo of the university. This was a practice I thought there would be more of, considering the magnitude of the events.
""It just kind of blows your mind,"" Badger offensive tackle Jake Bscherer told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Yes, it does, to the point that you put sports in just a little different perspective.
E-mail Jon your comments at bortin@wisc.edu.
