The everchanging world of sport

Back before the rise of modern civilizations, sports were treated very differently in different cultures. Variations of soccer, for example, were created by the Vikings, only they would use the heads of their vanquished enemies as the ball. And I myself recently returned from Chichen Itza, the ruins of a great Mayan civilization that thrived on the scheduled playing of their own ball game, in which the losing team (and sometimes the winning team) were sacrificed to the gods after the game.

Not exactly my idea of a good time, but this goes to show that what we now consider sport has its roots in traditions and customs, and thus the definition of a "sport" is broader than just a game played with a ball. How exactly do humans define a "sport" and should this definition also include previously unknown competitions such as eSports?

Competitive video gaming, or eSports, as it's commonly known, is a rapidly expanding world that stretches between major countries on every continent. While not a "sport" in the traditionally thought of sense, eSports have many of the same characteristics. Team units, practices, strategies, teamwork, fan bases and problem solving are some of the major connections between the world of sport and the world of eSport.

Some of the world's largest computer games have international and regional tournament play, including World of Warcraft, League of Legends. Halo, Counterstrike and yes, even Call of Duty. These teams are run by non-playing individuals and just like any other sport, there are "free agent" gamers that are always willing (and able) to step in for a club at a moments notice.

Growing up, the debate of sport vs. non-sport was always about cheer leading, and had more to do with chauvinistic stubbornness than anything else. I wouldn't even care to hear that argument being shifted to eSports and whether they deserve to be called a sport. Frankly I see a lot of similarities between the hard work, team aspect and skill of these players at the game they've always enjoyed, and would support this growing sport as a fan. Just as long as it doesn't get onto Sportscenter.

Madder than Usual

Well, the NCAA tournament, otherwise known as "March Madness", has reached the Sweet 16 stage,with only that number of teams remaining out of the original 64. Along the way, there have been a rash of upsets, as top seeded teams have had extreme difficulty surviving up tot his point, and as such, we see a 15 seed, a 12 and 13 and a 9 seed in the Sweet 16. Florida Gulf ?Coast has without a doubt been the "Cinderella" of the tournament thus far, having beaten the 2 seed Georgetown and then overcoming San Diego State in the second round match up. No one would have projected their arrival to this point, and that is what the tournament is about.

Every year, thousands of fans rush to fill out a bracket in the days before the tournament, based on the inexact science of Bracketology. Using pre-assigned seed numbers, fans pick winners out of match ups and thus fill out in advance how far each team will get. Obviously, this is a nearly impossible task to do flawlessly, but in a year like this, especially, it can be guaranteed to throw off more than a few brackets.

While some fans might be very upset about their brackets, the truth remains, that tournaments like this are what makes the Big Dance special. The thrill of small schools triumphing over big schools, of programs winning their first tournament game, that is the stuff of legend. Upsets ensure that fans will see new faces and programs in the big games, instead of the same teams year in and year out. As the next slate of games begins to determine the new champion of college basketball, maybe a few more fans have the option of cheering for the FGCU's of the world.

NFL Free Agency manages to peak interest

Just a few short days ago, the National Football League opened one of the more exciting periods for fans that isn't named the regular season. NFL Free Agency allows players to switch around teams and accept deals to be higher paid or made a starter with a different team.

The vast majority of these trades do little for me. I'm more or less ambivalent to the signings of Percy Harvin and Steven Jackson and I definitely couldn't care less which poor sap is about to be the Jet's starting QB. Despite noting how I think a trade may or may not help a team, I'm most excited for the shake up that this period is known for. Any NFL fan should welcome change and equal competition instead of a few stacked teams contending for the super bowl every year.

Notable exceptions to my indifference are signings by the Chicago Bears, because they are of course my favorite team, and special intrigue for the signing of major players on perennial powerhouses leaving to go to a different team. This year's shining example is Wes Welker, a longtime New England Patriot who has decided to leave the team and play for none other than Peyton Manning, longtime rival of Welker's QB Tom Brady. Now THAT is television you can't script people.

The NFL administration just sits back and smiles through all of this, because when players move, fans get excited for the new season, and the NFL barely has to work to play up how exciting games between Brady and Manning will be, or tell everyone how good the Seahawks are going to be.

As with any sort of competition, there are always going to be winners and losers. Teams such as the Lions, Seahawks and Bears have done very well with their free agency, while teams like the Ravens and 49er's have been treading water and losing players to other teams the entire time. In addition to being infuriating to their fan base, this sort of passive attitude could land the Ravens devoid of talent around their mid level QB who they just let bully them into a big money contract. We'll take a moment to hear the massive smack to the face of the collective Raven Nation.

Alright and we're back. Whichever team you support, or if you are just a general fan of football, this free agency period is something that can excite fans and create good stories leading into the summer and eventually, take us into next season. All that's left is to cross our fingers and hope that all of these moves are worth the hassle and that we can all see some great football next season.