Spring Break
Walking with giants
Cory Smith
Issue date: 11/6/09 Section: Sports
"Rivera gets him out, and the Yankees win it!"
How many times have we heard Joe Buck call this phrase in the last decade? Well, we all heard it yet again Wednesday night as the New York Yankees/galactic empire wrapped up their record-setting 27th world championship, and I sat in my room with a frown and a sick stomach.
Obviously I am not a Yankees fan. However, I could not help but contemplate the tremendous feat Mariano Rivera had just accomplished. He won his fifth world title with the Yanks, and his performances were the lynchpins for all five of them. He is second all-time on the saves list, and he is the most feared closer, if not pitcher, in the game today. Most consider him to be the greatest postseason closer of all time, and some would call him the greatest closer of all time period.
My feelings of nausea were quickly replaced with those of respect. I felt honored to be watching history take place.
This immediately brought me back to my childhood when I sat for hours and listened to my father, grandfather and uncles sit around and talk about the sports giants of their days. I was told about how Hank Aaron broke a huge glass ceiling by simply breaking a home run record. I was captivated by stories of football heroes such as Joe Namath, Vince Lombardi and Gale Sayers.
I was told about the greatness of basketball players such as Kareem, Bill Russell and Wilt the Stilt. I even heard about the famed Olympic performances of Mary Lou Rhetton and Mark Spitz and the charismatic and tactical knockouts delivered by Muhammad Ali. The conversations always ended with the same phrase, "Too bad our kids will never see heroes like those."
I always assumed they were correct.
Mariano Rivera's historic final out Wednesday made me start thinking differently. It made me start thinking perhaps our generation has heroes that could rival if not match the heroes of their days. Brett Favre is the only quarterback to defeat every NFL team, and he has made 10 pro bowls, won three MVPs and the Super Bowl. Albert Pujols has won two MVP awards, made 10 all-star games and won the World Series.
How many times have we heard Joe Buck call this phrase in the last decade? Well, we all heard it yet again Wednesday night as the New York Yankees/galactic empire wrapped up their record-setting 27th world championship, and I sat in my room with a frown and a sick stomach.
Obviously I am not a Yankees fan. However, I could not help but contemplate the tremendous feat Mariano Rivera had just accomplished. He won his fifth world title with the Yanks, and his performances were the lynchpins for all five of them. He is second all-time on the saves list, and he is the most feared closer, if not pitcher, in the game today. Most consider him to be the greatest postseason closer of all time, and some would call him the greatest closer of all time period.
My feelings of nausea were quickly replaced with those of respect. I felt honored to be watching history take place.
This immediately brought me back to my childhood when I sat for hours and listened to my father, grandfather and uncles sit around and talk about the sports giants of their days. I was told about how Hank Aaron broke a huge glass ceiling by simply breaking a home run record. I was captivated by stories of football heroes such as Joe Namath, Vince Lombardi and Gale Sayers.
I was told about the greatness of basketball players such as Kareem, Bill Russell and Wilt the Stilt. I even heard about the famed Olympic performances of Mary Lou Rhetton and Mark Spitz and the charismatic and tactical knockouts delivered by Muhammad Ali. The conversations always ended with the same phrase, "Too bad our kids will never see heroes like those."
I always assumed they were correct.
Mariano Rivera's historic final out Wednesday made me start thinking differently. It made me start thinking perhaps our generation has heroes that could rival if not match the heroes of their days. Brett Favre is the only quarterback to defeat every NFL team, and he has made 10 pro bowls, won three MVPs and the Super Bowl. Albert Pujols has won two MVP awards, made 10 all-star games and won the World Series.
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