Earlier today on Reddit, I read an article on seven Denver Broncos players visiting hospitalized victims of the Aurora, Colorado movie theater shooting. Reading the article made me realize just how meaningless sports are in the grand scheme of things. To be more specific, how many times Tebow, ‘Tebowed’ last Sunday, or, who is winning the Yanks v. Sox series gets put into perspective when disaster or tragedy strikes. Honestly, the sports we love and follow are just games.

If they are so meaningless, why do we all watch? With the proper perspective, the people, players and fans involved in sports gives them all of their value, and can make sports mean everything to us at times.

Sports really mean nothing. Some fans may say crazy things like my friend recently did, “I would kill my sister for an AFC Championship this year”. Once this statement is put into perspective, it is ridiculous. The people who lost loved ones that night in Aurora would not recognize the humor in this hyperbole.

Enough of the obvious. Obviously, which team wins a sports game isn’t as important as friends or family getting shot and killed while peacefully watching a movie. Even so, sports are still important.

Sports mean everything, given the right circumstances. A nation coming together via countless sporting events such as baseball, football, and NASCAR helped to begin our healing process after the 9/11 attacks. Our unity showed that, although these games do not mean much past bragging rights, nobody can scare us out of doing our favorite things. It showed that people around the world would not let terrorism alter their plans, stubborn in the face of more potential attacks. The seven Broncos players showing their support for injured victims is just a small example of how sports can mean everything. I can only imagine the morale boost that meeting some players from my favorite team would give me.

Next time you watch a sporting event, live or on television, make sure you do so with the right perspective. There is, in all actuality, a lot of people who are allowing you to watch that you should be thankful for, or at least give them a millisecond of thought. You should be delighted to have the privilege of using your television, laptop, or smartphone to allow you to channel sports data or a live feed right into your cranium. You should be grateful that you have the freedom to support whichever team you’d like.

It is nice for your team to win, but is it really life or death? With some fans, you would think so. I recently had a commenter get offended when I posted a simple take: ‘”his” C’s wouldn’t beat the likes of the Heat, Thunder, or Lakers next season’. He got offended, and as it often times happens when people are behind a keyboard, he decided to attack me with verbal warfare, getting personal and rude. He asked me what I have been smoking, and even accused me of being a Heat fan (I like the Magic). If you are this type of fan, here’s some advice: enjoy sports for what they are, but if you feel your blood pressure rising too high, and you want to punch someone in the face, it may be time to chill out and remember, it’s just a game.