Just a game

This past week was baseball's opening week, yet there were painful reminders that it is just a game.
The one that received the most attention was the death of pitcher Nick Adenhart. Normally when you hear of an athlete out after midnight and an auto accident, we assume the worst of the athlete. In this case it appears to have been wrong place at the wrong time.
The other incident was the death of a fan at the Angeles home opener. This appears to have been the result of a fistfight. I am going to go out on a limb here and assume there was some alcohol involved.
In their own ways, both of these deaths remind us that it is just a game. Being a rising star cannot protect you from the cruel hand of fate. The results of Adenhart's pitching performance Thursday night are forever lost to the tragedy that followed. It was just a game, what happened later was painfully real for three families.
Every year we read stories of parents getting into fights at Little League games. In some cases there are charges filed, in some instances even worse results. It is just a game.
Fistfights in the stands have become a regular part of sports. In some ways they are even glorified. People dress up in team uniforms, paint their faces, have too much to drink and brawl. It is just a game.
Sports can be a great thing. It can bring families, communities and even countries together to watch an event. We see people do things physically that astound and amaze. We leave our troubles behind for a few hours.
In the end however, it is just a game.