Sports Are America's Favorite Pastime

“Sports are America 's favorite pastime,” is a saying you will frequently hear. As Americans sports are a way for us to spend our free time. Students spend their afternoons at long, grueling practices. Professional players spend their weekdays and nights in huge stadiums playing for crowds of thousands. As fans, we will always show up to those games, because they are unmissable in our minds. Sunday isn 't just the holy day anymore, Sundays are game days. We waited all week for the big game and all eyes are on the quarterback. This is our favorite time of the week. As a result of this Americans are spending a striking amount of their time either participating or watching sports. This leads me to wonder, why are sports are such an important aspect …show more content…
Jordan Baker, a widely known character in F. Scott Fitzgerald 's novel The Great Gatsby, clearly shows this. When she attends Gatsby’s parties she is a famous guest. People know her as the “golf champion.” Nick Carraway, the main character of the book, describes the way being with Jordan made him feel, “At first I was flattered to go places with her, because she was a golf champion and everyone knew her name” (Fitzgerald 57). This quote shows that golf has made Jordan well known by many people. Jordan was viewed as a successful woman in the book because of what golf has done for her, and the women she had become because she played golf. It’s not clear in the book if Jordan plays golf because she loves it, or for the fame it gives her. Some people play sports because they enjoy it, while others love the recognition and applause they gain from it. Sports are a huge part of American culture. This connects to the American dream because players gain success through wealth and fame. Gaining those two things is truly the American dream at its best. Nick describes his decision he made, “So I decided to go East and learn the bond business” (Fitzgerald 3). Just as Jordan sought success through her sport, Nick wanted to be a successful bond man. This shows that people gain success through obtaining money. Nick wants to achieve his American dream, that is much like many young athletes wanting to gain …show more content…
People define themselves through the sports they play. I 've seen this first hand with my brother, he was a “wrestler” in high school. Ever since he was five years old, he has wrestled. This is who he is and who he always has been. My brother said he participates in sports because, “It 's something to do and participate with your friends. Also you get to be involved with your school or club. But mostly because It 's something that I 've always loved and that 's why I 've been involved in sports” (Callahan). Most of my brothers friends are involved in sports with him, which shows once again, that many people participate in sports because of the close relationships that are formed. Not only our friendships gained, but even bigger impacts on your life occur. One of these big impacts would be the lessons and morals you acquire through playing sports. My brother stated that, “[sports] have had a major impact on my life. I have met tons of teammates and coaches that will be friends with me forever. Not only the relationships that I made, but also the lessons and discipline that I learned through my coaches and teammates” (Callahan). This clearly shows that athletes learn morals through sports. Wrestling has shaped my brother into who he is today. Working hard, respecting others, and being a strong person, are all things my brother has learned along his journey of playing