Man V. Wild

This week on SportsNight it seems as if we are talking to Anytown, USA. First i talked about what it meant to be a fan and how to properly show your colors. Then yesterday Michael talked about High School football, and it does not get much more American than that. Today I want to reach even further into America, the wilderness. In the second and final part to my vacation wrap up I wanted to shine light on sports that aren't necessarily always on the 11AM Sportscenter. Yep that's right, for the first and probably only time I am going to talk about hunting and fishing.

I am not exactly the biggest hunting fan in the world. I mean I never understood why a hunter needed to have all of the fancy equipment to out smart a deer that is too stupid to not be hit by a car. And in every case in which a hunter kills the animal they are killing an animal's father, mother or child. I always figured that every creature big and small, human and not should be entitled to respect.

But then i went out west to spend some time with my Uncle who is a big time hunter and helped me better understand the sport that i was so quick to judge. Hunting is not a sport that has a time limit and certainly is not a nine inning game. There are no ties and "get-em next times" it is a simple game of win or go home. Every time a hunter goes into the field they enter a contest in which they catch their dinner OR the animal lives. Someone is going to win and it all depends on how much the other one wants it.

Many of the people who condemn hunting go fishing. Which is the same thing except those who hunt aim to end the animals suffering quickly while fishing ends up toruring the fish. But i guess since they are fish and not cute and cuddily people do not mind it as much.

So i guess i came back east, still a city slicker but with a new respect for the sport that takes a lot more toughness, skill and determination than some might think.

If for some reason you want to talk about hunting, shoot me an email at nicholas.esposito@villanova.edu