Stone Cold Sports

Da'Sean Butler is a senior Forward playing in what ends up being his last college game at West Virgina. Throughout the season he is known for being the leader of his team with tremendous basketball skills. West Virgina is down late in the game, and the winner advances to the national championship. The person who people count on to lead West Virginia back into the game and perhaps a victory is Da'Sean Butler. This player accepts the pressure and has all the confidence in the world in his ability but in one second, everything that has to do with basketball is stripped away.

While on the ground crying in pain, his coach Bob Huggins sits next to Da'Sean's side to comfort him. As soon as the coach does this, the commentators make a huge deal about it. One commentator goes as far to say he has never seen this in a live game in all of his years as a sports broadcaster. Later that evening the big highlight on Sportscenter and other news channels was the clip of the coach comforting the player. Why is that such a big deal? Is it not human nature to care when a person gets hurt, especially when he is close to you. I guess its not male make thing to do or at least displaying emotion does not belong in sports.
I find it humourous and a bit sad to hear social media react to this incedent the way they did. It makes me realize that situations such as this one is not a social norm. In sports, in this case basketball, society has a certain view of masculinity towrads males. They are depicted as rough, tough, unemotional objects, that are there just to entertain. As if they are not even human. Any human would have the urge to provide comfort when the person they care about needs comforting. Especially taking into consideration that this coach has worked with Da'Sean for a few years, developing a special bond. Furthermore, anyone that knows about collegiate sports understands that the coach becomes a parent while the plaer is away from home. When Da'Sean Butler went down and began to cry in pain, Coach Bob Huggins approached him as a father would to a son. It seems that society believes sports shouldn't have that much depth in feelings, or any feelings at all.

Carlos S