A record year

I thought my outfit for my first Bruins game was really cute. The yellow in the lining of my boots matched the yellow in the Bruins logo. My first game was in September 2013. 

It's been a record year. For me. And the number of sporting events I attended.

Obviously, the New England Patriots won the Super Bowl and the Red Sox are off to a great season,  the Boston Marathon is a tradition while the Bruins and Celtics were recently crushed but it's more than that. I learned a lot about sports this year but not necessarily from having a sports blog or beat. I have taken a closer interest in the Boston community this year and really know why sports matter.

I went to a Super Bowl party in Boston this year and the excitement the city had after the win was the most surreal thing I had ever experienced in Boston. Everyone was walking around the city at midnight high-fiving and hugging strangers. I felt the excitement and the natural high that the Patriots fans were having. I felt like I was part of their community.

I went to my first Red Sox game this month and will be going to another on Monday. It is not so much about the game then it is about being there. I feel like Fenway and its people are there on a different level of life. The Red Sox are notorious for either being a great team or terrible but there are still people there to defend the team's honor and the pride of the city.

I went to my first Bruins game a few weeks into my freshman year and at that point in my life I probably would have never expected myself to have a sports blog. I was overwhelmed and kind of scared of Bruins fans. They were loud and cheered the players on when they beat each other up. Now I see the appeal.

After a great portion of my life not caring about sports, I truly know what it is like to be a part of something bigger than yourself. One of my all-time favorite movies is Fever Pitch and one of my favorite lines is, "I like being part of something that's bigger than me, than I. It's good for your soul to invest in something you can't control."

Sports brings people together through the common love of the team and its members. Whether you are making fun of Tom Brady's UGG advertisements or the fact that Big Papi can't run to save his life, it brings people together to care about something that is bigger than their lives.