For Love of the Game

What is the purpose of playing games? It seems rather likely that the first that will come to your mind in answering that question is the obvious: to win. Think about that though, do we play games with the sole purpose of winning? If that is the case then what is it about winning the we so desire? Is it the prideful feeling of victory? Is it relishing in the fact because your team won on Saturday you can rub it in your co-workers face on Monday? I mean there has to be a reason. What drives someone to use pine tar…err.. I mean have dirt on their pitching hand during the playoffs and World Series? Is it that winning is fun, prestigious, boastful, what? At times I’m sure I’ve fallen in to this mindset: why play if you’re not going to win? But that’s really not it at all. Playing a game is not and should not be about winning. We ought to play because we want to play because it’s fun! “Oh, but winning when you play is much more fun.” Well maybe, but then again maybe not for the team on the opposite side of the field. Playing the game is fun. Maybe I’m just a weird person but I like going into overtime because that is just more time to play the game. Even weirder, I don’t really like winning all the time; apparently I was dropped as a child a few too many times. Winning is good and all I mean don’t get me wrong I like to win, but if I’m playing against friends it’s cool when they win too. But I don’t necessarily play to win; I play to play. That’s probably why I like golf so much. In Golf one gets to play the entire round, whereas in team sports your either one the field or riding the pine or watching from the sidelines. I’d rather be on the field playing and lose a game than watch from the sidelines and win the game, but that’s just me.