The FIFA World Cup is over. You’d figure that all the devotees of big-time international sport would finally get a rest. Maybe they’d seize the chance to kick back and read a book or go for a swim in the lake or, at the very least, take a walk in the park.
No such luck. The field of human athletic endeavour is vast and without limits. Where there’s a game to play, a ball to strike or an opponent to overcome, sport continues to dominate the human conversation.
It’s because the language of competition is universal. The sights and sounds of it arouse the senses like few other things.
So it is that the Calgary Stampede, complete with calf ropers and bull riders, appeals to those who love the rough and tumble carnival-like aspect of a cowboy against beast scenario.
At cycling’s big daddy, the Tour de France, it’s man against mountain and heck, there’s even a Canadian named Ryder Hesjedal challenging for the lead. Not to mention the constant obsession with the drama of Lance Armstrong.
Over in St. Andrews, Scotland, the 139th Open Championship beckons the world’s best golfers to the birthplace of the game. Here wind and rain are ubiquitous and the rough is as high as an elephant’s eye. Tiger Woods is in his element and his side story adds a twist to this year’s edition.
Closer to home, automobiles will race through downtown streets at the Toronto Indy. These are men and women at the command of powerful machines who draw attention because of the noise and speed and most probably the potential for disaster. It can be thrilling even to the casual observer.
And in Moncton, N.B., youth rises — potential is about to be revealed. More than 2000 athletes from all over the globe are gathering for the IAAF World Junior Track and Field Championships. This is the meet that spawned the likes of Usain Bolt and Perdita Felicien. These are the future Olympic stars running and jumping in our own backyard.
The television never gets turned off. The worldwide web continues to stream it “live.” There is always the score to keep. We are never lacking a spectacle to behold. If you’re a fan you know that sport never sleeps — and neither do you.
