We truly are living in depressing times. Gas prices are rising daily if not hourly. Foreclosures are not just hitting those who barely could afford that suburban home; but now some of the so called rich and famous. The stock market is going wild, people are retrenching on vacations, and soon unemployment will dramatically rise.
When things were going awful in the midst of the real "Great Depression" of the 1930's, at least there was someone or something to look towards as a source of inspiration. Legendary heroes such as Babe Ruth, Joe Dimaggio, Jesse Owens, "Cinderella Man" James Braddock, and Joe Louis were just some of the great sportsmen who allowed the millions who were suffering just enough time to lift their spirits and take a few moments off of their own problems.
Perhaps the greatest of these sports heroes was the great horse, Seabiscuit. Seabiscuit was emblematic of the times in that he, his owner, his trainer, and his main jockey were all once down and outers who came together to overcome their own shortcomings and produce victory and ultimate redemption in their lives. A champion who overcomes tough odds is always an object of wonderment and amazement to those who are having a tough time.
So here we are in 2008. Perhaps we are not in a "Great Depression" but things have sure gone south and in a quick way. We seem to have a president who is totally out of touch with what is going on. We have friends, neighbors, and loved ones stuck thousands of miles away in a war without end. And as mentioned above, economic hard times are upon many. With this as a backdrop, people once again are looking for that special someone who can give their spirits a bit of a boost.
We began looking for that person a few years back when we marvelled at baseball sluggers Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa. But possible steroid use has soured our view of these former players (as well as future Hall of Famers Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens). Many saw greatness in the New England Patriots and their cover boy quarterback, Tom Brady. But this team of destiny lost their perfect season in the midst of cheating allegations and Brady's preoccupation with things not football related.
So today, on a warm New York June Saturday, all eyes were looking once again towards a magnificent four legged creature to bring hope to a world that has begun to look quite hopeless. His name is Big Brown and after easily winning the first two legs of the Triple Crown, Brown was poised to capture our imagination in a depleted field of nine horses in the long one and a half mile Belmont Stakes.
Everything seemed to be in place. A bit of drama crept into the story as a cracked hoof plagued the big horse over the last few weeks. Brown went off as the odds on favorite and there he was around the far turn in a perfect outside third place ready for his signature gallop home. But things did not go as planned as Brown ran out of energy and shockingly was pulled up to finish dead last.
Our prayers go out that the horse will be healthy and will be able to run in the future. But until then a bit of a dagger has been put into us as we saw defeat and despair overcome joy and winning. Big Brown was our ticket out of this spiraling mess that our country is in and he could not deliver. Oh that we hope that someone or something out there will be our new champion. As for today, there is no joy for the mighty Big Brown has struck out!
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