Summary Of Why I Love My Job By Rick Reilly

Why I Love My Job

Rick Reilly, born in Boulder Colorado, in 1958 was a longtime columnist for sports illustrated, later on in 2007 he joined ESPN The Magazine where his essay Why I Love My Job appeared in the December 14, 2009 edition for the 100-years-in-review issue. In his essay Reilly brings up his writing days in college and how his journalism professor told him “ You’re better than sports.” Reilly disagrees with his professor and lists all the reasons why he will never be better than sports. Why I Love My Job is an essay that touches the hearts of many sport fans showing them how beautiful the thing they love is because sports has no grey areas, sports is something that is raw, sports brings multitudes together.
At the beginning of his essay Reilly quickly starts of by listing the reasons he disagrees with his professor in college about how he will never be better than sports. the first thing he starts off by saying is sports is the realest thing there is in our lives.
“ Sports is real. It can't be faked. If you’re Henry Fonda’s son and you want to act you get to act. If you’re Chelsea Clinton and you want to govern, you get to govern. But just because you’re Nolan Ryan’s son doesn’t mean you get to pitch in the show. Money, family, looks mean diddly in sports. If Tom Brady suddenly can’t throw

the 30-yard out, he’s benched, dimple or no dimple.” (para.3).
Reilly starts this paragraph by using two short sentences stating that sports is real and it can't be faked, there is no arguing it.he gives us examples on how money, power and looks play a huge role in our lives when deciding what we want to be or work as, but not in sports. In sports even if you are Neymars son and you decide you want to play for Brazil during the world cup, you can't if you don't have the skills for it. No matter how attractive you are or how much money you offer them they won't put you in if you don't give them a good chance in winning that cup. Later on Reilly goes back to the idea of sports being real. This time he compares sports with to president Obama's planned trips.
“ Sports is unscripted. president Obama just went to china, a trip choreographed from touchdown to take off. He knew exactly where he’d sit and eat and what he’d say. knew it before he left. And yet, in the PGA championships this year, a nobody named Y.E Yang came from behind to beat the god named Tiger Woods.” (para. 9).
Reilly show us how two things of equal importance to two different types of people are done very differently.

Sports is something raw, It needs no scripture, whatever happens happens and in sports anything could happen. Reilly backs that up with his comparison of Y.E Yang, “a nobody”, beating Tiger Woods, “The god”. In sports even the gods fall from time to time and obviously its not something that is planned. When players enter the court their mind is only in playing a good game and winning, sure they might have strategies and game plans but in no time there can be a 360 degree change in things. players can get injured or the other team suddenly have a

comeback.
Everyone has their own hobbies that help them relax and forget about the things going on in their lives. Some draw, others workout, and people like Reilly who watch sports. “ Everyone comes to my house for games. My oldest son is battling addiction, and he comes too. We shout and curse and eat green and gold food. Whatever the joy or drama in our lives, we live and die with the packers together.” (para. 7). Reilly tells the story of a mother who hosts small get togethers whenever there is a packers game, even her son who is battling addiction is welcomed to go. For this family as well as many others, find an escape when watching their favorite teams play. It doesnt matter what is going on in your life, battling addiction or cancer, not having a job or being too stressed about the job you have. The adrenaline you receive by just watching the game makes you forget, all you are worried about is the score and the team you are cheering for to win. Sports can bring families together, even the most broken ones can manage to stick some tape on their cracks to last the game night.
When people join together they can accomplish things that one person alone can’t. There are many ways people can approach something they want to change. Reilly gives us examples on movements that began with sports.
“ Sports has a heart the size of a knuckleball mitt. A man in oahu named Chris Pablo once found a golf ball stamped with the words BEAT LEUKEMIA. Weird, since he’d just learned he had leukemia… His story got out and, next thing you know, hundreds of people volunteered for bone marrow donation. Now there are purposely lost balls on courses all over the country that say BEAT LEUKEMIA. Golders find them and feel obligated to help. Sometimes they don't just save $3- they save a life.” (para.14.)
Sports isn't selfish. Its not all about who is better than who or just having eyes for your bias team. Reilly uses Chris Pablos story to appeal to pathos, knowing that someone has leukemia and got helped because of golf really is a touching story and is meant to show us how sport fans are also driven to help others in need. Sport fans can put aside their problems or their rivalry and look out for others that need help. Just like the story of Chris Pablo there are many others who have gotten help and motivation through a sports movement. In the last sentence Reilly says how people who donate don't just save 3 dollars, in doing so they save a life. Reilly is trying to tell us that sports and its fans can go as far as to save lives.
Reilly manages to give us various examples to back up his statement that he isn't and never will be as good as sports. He gives us examples on how sports is real and can't be faked as well as how sports can make you forget all the horrible things that are going on in your life, Reilly also shows us how sports can bring people together to do amazing things.