After a victorious Super Bowl, World Series, Stanley Cup, etc, we ask our sports stars questions about what it takes to get to the pinnacle of their profession. Then we listen as they talk about being “gladiators” or “warriors” or say that a “field general” took charge. Maybe they say it was a “fight to the death” but we won in the “trenches” or it’s a real “war” out there. And of course every winning team has a “hero”. We even hear it after regular season games. A pitcher will say he “battled” through a tough spot, a running back describing his touchdown as running through a “mine field” and on and on.
I’m not usually bothered by this. Let me repeat, I’m not usually bothered by this. But today I am. We celebrate Memorial Day to honor and remember those who gave their lives for us. They made the ultimate sacrifice for us all. When I think of heroes, it’s those who slogged through mud, and disease carrying mosquitos, or sand and searing heat, or bone-numbing cold and wind all the while not knowing what lay waiting for them. Some saved others at the expense of their safety, while some were victims of long range artillery as they ate their c-rations, or shot were down in a plane, or torpedoed on an ocean thousands of miles from home. Many were gung-ho to enlist, while others drafted into the the service of the country. They came from farms, big cities, the rich, the poor and in between. Some were brash, some were quiet, but all did what was necessary at the time.
Let’s face it, our language was hijacked a long time ago in every big city neighborhood, and common usage becomes the meaning for most of us. But for a little while can we lay off comparing sporting events to life and death situations? Stop calling ball players warriors, gladiators and heroes? It is a disservice to those we honor on Memorial Day.