In another blog entry, I said I felt like my laptop is in some way a form of art because of the creative engineering that went into producing and designing it. Are there, though, other forms of art? At the moment I'm watching the beginning of the NFL draft and it got me thinking about sports. After a few moments of thought, I realized I find much beauty in sport, specifically football.
Imagine a field of 22 men, each facing off with a man of the opposite team. That means eleven different little battles being fought or one purpose: to move the ball downfield. A play, for example, that calls for a deep pass down the field is something that requires a massive amount of coordination and determination. The quarterback snaps the ball and the linemen each block their man and provide a pocket for the quarterback to stand in. The receivers sprint downfield, executing cuts and dodges in order to run their rout to perfection. Just when the quarterback sees an open man, a defensive end comes barreling through the offensive line at the QB's blindside like a freight train through a tunnel on track for a collision. Just in time, the running back picks up the block and gives the QB another two tenths of a second... just long enough to launch the ball 40 yards down field where he thinks the receiver is going to be. The receiver has to find a way to break from his defender and make his way to the ball flying through mid air. Using all the energy he has at his disposal, he churns his legs just a little faster and leaves the defender behind. He snatches the ball from the air with outstretched hands and falls into the endzone...
Or, maybe the quarterback gets laid out at the start of the play. Such is football, such is sports, and such is the reason (in my view) that a completed deep pass in football is one of the most beautiful things in sports. It is perfect coordination and adaptive ability between eleven men doing their part to achieve the same goal.
No comments:
Post a Comment