Dubs Dread: Survivor

Remember when Survivor was the greatest thing on the planet? The white collars would huddle around some water-cooler and students would sit at lunch tables talking about how much of a bitch Jerri was or if Richard should have been voted off. It seemed to be what everybody was talking about. The only thing on everybody's mind. Survivor was IT. The only thing that mattered every Thursday night and especially every Friday morning. It was everything.


However, in the years to follow, Survivor became less important to the masses. It started to be just another show on TV. People forgot, but the show continued. It still exists for those who, for whatever reason, still care about a group of individuals in some random corner of the world attempting to cope with isolation and lack of modern luxuries. But, try as it might, Survivor, or any TV show for that matter, will never regain that glory it once had. It will never have that luster or "next day relevance" again. And that is the truly unique thing about sports that separates it from all other forms of entertainment....

If you win, you are relevant.

It's that simple. There is no substitute. Do it and your team will regain that mystique, pride and general importance in your local community. We are seeing it with the Blackhawks now. We saw it with the Royals in 2003 and even in Tampa and the Rays in 2008. You win and they will come. There is nothing like it in any other medium. Professional sports is the ever forgiving, ever repentant industry that we need.

This doesn't just live in our teams but with individuals within sports as well. We forgave Kobe for all that sexual assault stuff. Michael Phelps for getting high as a kite. A-Rod for 'roids. And most recently Mike Vick for fighting dogs. They all fell, but came back to win. And we forgave them.


It's what we do as sports fans. You give us the thrill of winning and we will give you a free pass on immorality. Is it good or bad? I don't know. That is for you to decide. It just is what it is. And, if this theory should hold true, the next on the list... Tiger Woods.