Okay...We Can All Breathe Now

Sports are funny things. In a world of "fairness," the same cannot be said of sports. Fair would be the strongest, fastest, smartest, most prepared person or team will always win. Their hard work would be rewarded.

That's not how things happen, though.

Many times, the one who works the hardest is not rewarded with the blue ribbon, the gold medal, the championship ring. It's what makes sports fascinating, infuriating, even poetic and beautiful. I'm glad I haven't been cursed with a desire to gamble on the outcomes of sporting events. I'd lose my shirt.

In my years of blogging, occasionally, I blog about sports and certain games. Unfortunately, I've never been able to blog about one of my teams winning to blue ribbon, the gold medal, or the championship ring. I think our professional soccer franchise, Réal Salt Lake, came the closest when they lost to Sporting Kansas City. Heartbreaking.

But, even when a team doesn't win "the big one," there are smaller battles along the way. Today, the team I root for the most and have spent good money on shirts, sweatshirts, and hats advertising their logo, had one of those games.

Today the University of Utah Utes football team traveled to Seattle to take on the University of Washington Huskies. And even though the Utes have a better record, have one of the best defenses in the entire country, I was still nervous...so, so nervous. 

You can read about the game on the internet, or watch local and national sports clips on TV, and I hope I'm not spoiling anything for anyone (if so, I apologize...), but Utah beat one of their Goliaths, and thus removing one of the monkeys on their backs. Utah left the stadium victorious. 

I've been around long enough and watched enough games to know the final score was never guaranteed. A bad bounce here, a fumble there, an injury, another turnover, and the result could have been much different, no matter how hard anyone worked, or what the stats on paper say. Today, it worked out for my team. Next week, it might not go that way, but for tonight, I can let out a huge exhale--I can breathe again. 

* Photos and videos were used without permission from the U of U, U of Washington, Pac12 or Fox Sports