The Onion comes out with a terribly unfunny article...

[George_Foreman]

I don't understand the negative reaction to this. Am I the only one who thought ESPN mentioned how great the upcoming football season was going to be for VT students/community a bit too often as they were "covering" that tragedy? It certainly wasn't a hilarious piece, but I thought it accomplished what it wanted to do. I didn't think it was in bad taste at all.

caveat: if this was in reference to an actual shooting (which I didn't get the impression it was), then ignore the above.

[cordscords]

I probably would have laughed if 5 girls in a town close by didnt die in a car accident, while the community tries to recover in any way they can, including local sports.

[Cornbread Maxwell]

The fact of the matter is that sports is a way of taking your mind off of terrible situations for some people. You also have a large segment of society who do not watch sports of any kind and simply choose not to understand it or see its importance in our world. I guess I saw this as an article written by someone who is "anti-sport" as a social satire, and that irked me because I dont think he/she "gets it".

[brewcrew4you]

The fact of the matter is that sports is a way of taking your mind off of terrible situations for some people. You also have a large segment of society who do not watch sports of any kind and simply choose not to understand it or see its importance in our world. I guess I saw this as an article written by someone who is "anti-sport" as a social satire, and that irked me because I dont think he/she "gets it".

A way of taking your mind of a situation? Yes.

A way to heal a town/school/nation? No. No

I believe that is what the article is satirizing, the idea that people think that sports can heal those sort of wounds. Sports may provide a forum where a community can unite behind something positive after a tragedy, but they have no miraculous healing powers, as some sportscasters would have you believe.

[sportsaddict]

The fact of the matter is that sports is a way of taking your mind off of terrible situations for some people. You also have a large segment of society who do not watch sports of any kind and simply choose not to understand it or see its importance in our world. I guess I saw this as an article written by someone who is "anti-sport" as a social satire, and that irked me because I dont think he/she "gets it".

A way of taking your mind of a situation? Yes.

A way to heal a town/school/nation? No. No

I believe that is what the article is satirizing, the idea that people think that sports can heal those sort of wounds. Sports may provide a forum where a community can unite behind something positive after a tragedy, but they have no miraculous healing powers, as some sportscasters would have you believe.

I just thought the article went way overboard. I don't know if people really do think that they can be healed through sports- it's just a way for people to focus on something else and maybe make them happy for just the few hours that they watch a sporting event. Obviously watching a baseball game doesn't make anything better but maybe it's an outlet for someone going through a bad situation. I don't get what's so horrible about trying to use sports as an outlet.

[brewcrew4you]

I just thought the article went way overboard. I don't know if people really do think that they can be healed through sports- it's just a way for people to focus on something else and maybe make them happy for just the few hours that they watch a sporting event. Obviously watching a baseball game doesn't make anything better but maybe it's an outlet for someone going through a bad situation. I don't get what's so horrible about trying to use sports as an outlet.

I agree that sports can be an outlet, but it is mocking the oft expressed opinion among writers and broadcasters that the sports will heal the town/school/country.

[knapplc]

I just thought the article went way overboard. I don't know if people really do think that they can be healed through sports- it's just a way for people to focus on something else and maybe make them happy for just the few hours that they watch a sporting event. Obviously watching a baseball game doesn't make anything better but maybe it's an outlet for someone going through a bad situation. I don't get what's so horrible about trying to use sports as an outlet.

I agree that sports can be an outlet, but it is mocking the oft expressed opinion among writers and broadcasters that the sports will heal the town/school/country.

Probably not in the best taste, but it's certainly nothing to get upset about.