A Much Needed Classic

Tonight’s Carrier Classic served as a representation of everything that’s still good in sports.  In the midst of an unthinkable scandal defaming one of our most beloved figures and the prolonged NBA lockout, we needed an event like the Carrier Classic to remind us why we love sports.  With the game played outdoors on an aircraft carrier, both teams wearing camo jerseys, and frequent interviews with military personnel, including the Commander in Chief himself, the game was a great celebration of Veterans Day.  Although there were questions about whether or not having the game outdoors would affect playing conditions, both teams’ players and coaches did not even consider moving the game to the lower deck of the ship.  While there were a few slips here and there, the outdoor conditions did not cause any real problems.  The game itself was not particularly exciting, we were treated to our first look at UNC, the pre-season number one.  In the midst of one of the most depressing sports periods in recent memory, it was a refreshing change to see two teams of amateurs putting it on the line to make history, playing the first outdoor game in college basketball history, and more importantly, to put on a display for the troops.  While most of us will probably sleep in tomorrow morning and have a relaxing weekend, the sailors on the USS Carl Vinson will be up before six performing their regular duties, and soon enough, will be deployed.  They will carry the memory of tonight’s game with them through long days and nights overseas, and if that isn’t enough, at least for one night, for any sports fans out there, I’m not sure what is.