Sports: The Great Unifier

I took one of my sons to see the Dallas Cowboys play the Carolina Panthers this past Sunday in Charlotte.

And I was struck by the fan solidarity before, during, and after the game. 

Walking from the hotel to the stadium I noticed Cowboys fans and Panther fans alike tailgating side by side in the various parking lots grilling steaks, chicken, and burgers and drinking beer – together. 

As I walked through the various setups, there was a buzz in the air – sort of like at a circus or just before a concert begins.

I saw people laughing and having a great time.  Shaking hands.  Slapping backs. Smiles everywhere!

Around the food stands, corporate executives rubbed elbows with people who could have been homeless.  Nobody cared.  In this place, at this time, at this moment, we were all there for same reason – to root for our respective teams.

There were young people, old people, people of all colors, religions, and races hanging out together.  I’m also sure there were Republicans, Democrats, Right-Wingers, Left-Wingers and everyone else in between having a good time.    

Everyone was just happy to be there. 

At one point, I stopped to take everything in. 

I listened. 

I watched. 

I absorbed. 

I observed my son doing the same.  It was a magical moment.  I gave him a spontaneous hug.  He said I was a great father.  Sports.

I felt so grateful and appreciative that I live in a society where we can all be part of something bigger than ourselves.  Sports.

Why does sports unite us?

My take:

Sports naturally breaks down barriers because it is a true meritocracy – it’s a beautiful thing to watch. If you want to witness pure joy, watch a soccer player score a goal in the World Cup.

Both team and individual sports are microcosms of real life.  They are packed with pure emotion.

Back when I was a kid, “The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat” was the intro audio tagline from ABC’s Wide World of Sports.  How true.

There are the improbable comebacks with everyone quietly thinking to themselves, ‘Hey, maybe I can do that in my job or at home…’

When I lived in Kenya, I played soccer with the locals.  When I worked in Indonesia, I played ping pong with the locals.  I made life-long friends across political and religious barriers in all these places.  Many of these friends are still in contact with me today.

Crazy story: Shortly after my arrival in a certain third world country many years ago, I found myself in a run-down taxi cab, lost, not really knowing where I was going.  It was in the middle of the night.  I was scared. Out of desperation, I struck up a conversation with the cab driver (he was a big dude) about the European Premier Soccer league.  We instantly bonded over his favorite team, Manchester United.  We became instant friends and I was ultimately deposited safely at my destination – which is no small feat if you have ever taken a cab in this particular country.  Sports saved the day.

Establishing common ground is easy to establish around sports.  It is critical for a sales professional to establish even before getting to the rapport-building stage.  Find out what sport and what team your customer roots for and you’ll have instant rapport and a good chance to close that deal. 

When doing a Zoom or Teams call with someone, I always notice what is on the wall behind the person.  If it is sports-related, I will always use that to establish common ground.  It works.

In the current divisive and polarized world that we all live in today, sports IS one of the few things remaining that can truly unify everyone.  And as we become increasingly stressed in the work place and society, this unique ability of sports to bring people together will become even more important.

Sports.  The Great Unifier.