A tribute to legends lost in sports this year

Count sports fans among the extremely long list of people who can’t wait for 2020 to be over, and not just because of on- again, off- again seasons and coronavirus- related scheduling snafus.

Don Larsen, Kobe Bryant, Don Shula, Joe Morgan and others accomplished great things in the face of adversity.

As if the pandemic- related misery weren’t bad enough, the sports world has experienced a spate of deaths involving some of itsmost legendary figures.

It started on the very first day of the year with the deaths of Don Larsen, who pitched a perfect game in the 1956 World Series, and former NBA Commissioner David Stern, an exceptionally influential figure in sports business involving basketball and beyond.

Later in January the world was shocked to learn of the plane crash that killed basketball legend Kobe Bryant, his young daughter and seven others. Though it was international headline news, it hit particularly hard here, as Bryant grew up in Montgomery County.

The overwhelming reaction to Bryant’s death served as a reminder of the importance of sports to so many people. Perhaps the subject shouldn’t get as much attention as it does, but the fact is that these games matter to people, and many of us develop a bond with the great coaches and players that we get to watch ply their trade.

Bryant’s death set the tone for this difficult year. Since then the news has been filled with one notable sports death after another.

Basketball this year lost legendary coaches John Thompson and Lute Olson and popular players Wes Unseld and Curly Neal.

Football lost Hall of Famers Don Shula, Gale Sayers, Willie Wood, Bobby Mitchell and Chris Doleman along with former Eagles kicker and longtime record- holder Tom Dempsey.

But the impact has been most devastating in the world of baseball. An astonishing list of Hall of Fame members passed away this calendar year: Detroit Tigers stalwart Al Kaline; overpowering pitcher Tom Seaver; great base stealer Lou Brock; fearsome pitcher Bob Gibson; New York Yankees champion hurler Whitey Ford; and legendary infielder and offensive sparkplug Joe Morgan, a former Phillie.

Any one of the aforementioned players could have been the subject of an entire tribute of their own.

Why do people react with such emotion to the loss of people they never had an opportunity to meet?

There’s no doubt nostalgia plays a big role. The heroes of our formative years often continue to play an outsized role in our lives long after we’ve grown up.

But there’s more to it than that. Athletic endeavors may be insignificant in the grand scheme of things. Yet there’s something inspiring about watching people do extraordinary things thanks to a combination of remarkable Godgiven talent and a willingness to put forth tremendous work and sacrifice to get the most out of it. And in may cases the se athletes had compelling personalities as well.

So many of us were impressed by Bryant’s sheer determination to win and seriousness of purpose, and by Thompson’s admirable efforts to bring out the best of his players on and off the court.

All these years later it’s still thrilling to watch film clips of Sayers breaking into the clear and racing down the field for the Chicago Bears.

The heartfelt tributes that poured in after Seaver’s death were enough to move people to tears. Fans and fellow players alike celebrated his great accomplishments on the mound and his feat of carrying the New York Mets franchise from laughingstock to champion in a matter of a few years.

As we anxiously await brighter times, let us learn fromthe examples of these great athletes and coaches, many of whom accomplished great things in spite of tremendous adversity in and away from the game. And let’s not be ashamed to take joy in sports, past and present, as an escape from today’s troubles. As long as games can be played safely, it’s a muchneeded diversion in a painful time.