Myths un/true....

One myth that is true in everyones life is the "coming of the messiah" myth.  This time I am not talking about Christ, although I hope everyone can come to a knowledge of the truth and accept Him in their lives.  In sports these days there are always athletes who single handedly rise to the occasion and lead their team to victory.  This can be a seasoned Veteran who is a background, clubhouse type of guy who gives advice to the youngsters and rookies, or it can be a rookie who mouths off in the press and holds true to his words during the game.  This myth gives organization to people that hear it, tell it, and believe in it because it allows a story to be told and re-told throughout history.  In the 1988 World Series Kirk Gibson came off the bench as the last possible reserve player for the Dodgers; he wasn't playing because of two knee injuries and could barely walk.  He was facing the best pitcher in the game at the time Dennis Eckersley.  The Dodgers were down by 1 with two outs and a runner on base.  Essentially, the Dodgers had no chance.  After battling in the at-bat, Gibson hit a two run home-run to win the game in the bottom of the 9th.  This story/event has gone down in sports history as one of the greatest stories of all time.  Anytime there is a vintage World Series reel run, this highlight is in it, usually with the original audio and the fans in the stadium going wild.  It also usually happens at the climax of the reel when the video stops, calling the viewers attention to the screen.  The re-telling and re-immortalization of Kirk Gibson as the savior of the Dodgers in the 1988 World Series is a classic example of how the myth, "the coming of the messiah," is properly portrayed in real life.

On the flip side, this myth can also be true in the same circumstances.  When?  When the media immortalizes a player before anything great happens.  As Dr. Rudd spoke about it in class, sporting event production crews are always compiling highlights and music to show how a team or player are greater than the situation at hand.  In the process, announcers talk about how a player is going to come around and lead his team to victory, and then flops by striking out four times or giving up a game winning home-run.  These people both announcers and floundering players alike can hurt this myth.