Clinton City Blaze complete season, recognize players
Monday, Feb.1, Gov. Bill Lee’s Executive Order 74 was rescinded.
In doing so, the governor gave credit to the people of Tennessee for stepping up to the plate in the face of a pandemic and taking responsibility for their actions, for wearing protective masks in public, and for adhering to CDC guidelines.
The number of COVID-19 infections has dropped — Tennessee is one of a handful of states that has shown a downward trend in that area — and we, as citizens, have shown that we can do such things with good ol’ common
sense and without mandates.
One of the feel-good byproducts of Executive Order 74 being rescinded is that our athletes — your athletes — can once again play before a packed house.
You may not think that’s big deal, but if you’ve played sports, you know it is.
An athlete can say, after a game, something cliché like, “I didn’t notice the crowd,” but that’s not true.
If you’ve played the game, any game, then you know you can feed off the energy of the crowd.
Among the important aspects of “the crowd” are athletes who had been denied their moments on the court and/or field due to Executive Order 74: cheerleaders.
Those ladies and gentlemen work as hard at their sport as any other athlete. They train, they go to camps, they enter competitions against other squads, and because of a pandemic it seemed that effort was for naught.
Remember that next time you go see the Dragons, or the Mavs, or the Bobcats, or the Wildcats. Take a minute to appreciate the cheering section and the time and effort they put in it to be a part of that sporting event.
Yes, athletes play games.
Games.
But these young men and women work their tails off to be able to play those games. And that includes cheerleaders. Because it’s more than pom poms and back flips.