By DEVIN TUCKER Dev's Corner
Never underestimate the heart of a champion. And never underestimate the power of the media. Both are things to consider when thinking about the recent Wrestling World Championship in Las Vegas.
The victor, Kyle Snyder, a 19-year-old from Maryland, defeated Russian opponent Abdulrashid Sadulaev to secure his spot as the youngest world champion in the history of the United States.
I can’t think of much that is more American or more pertinent in the framework of the traditional society of the U.S. Yet I’m willing to bet the majority of the people who read this article will have no idea who he is. Instead, our society remains obsessed with things that in reality mean nothing. Kylie Jenner. Miley Cyrus. “Deflate-gate.” People were too distracted by Roger Goodell’s idiotic indecisiveness and Miley Cyrus’s VMA “performance” to even pay attention to the hard work and dedication of the beast that is Kyle Snyder.
Instead of celebrating an essential cog in the American machine, the media tends to pour all of its attention towards drama, political correctness and scandal.
Today, however, we celebrate the success of an American hero and avoid all the jargon that floods our phones and televisions with utter nonsense.
Kyle Snyder is an absolute animal. He went a whopping 179-0 in his first three years of high school. If that’s not domination then I don’t know what is. After becoming the first American to win an International Federation of Associated Wrestling (FILA) Junior World championship, he continued his streak of greatness by becoming the youngest World Champion in U.S. Wrestling History.
Not to mention, he won on Sept. 11. I literally can’t think of anything more patriotic than to honor those who lost their lives on that tragic day with such a performance. In his honor, I will proceed to list a handful of momentous occasions that helped steer our country in the right direction and that allowed us to take a moment out of our busy days to reflect on our pride in being Americans.
1. George W. Bush’s ceremonial first pitch at Yankee Stadium in Game 3 of the 2001 World Series following the horrific events of 9/11. You can literally hear the decibel count in the stadium drastically increase after Bush throws a heater right in the batter’s box.
He really hummed that thing right down the middle. This moment could be argued to be one of the most powerful moments in sport, if not in U.S. history.
2. T.J. Oshie absolutely dicing the Russian goalie in the 2014 Winter Olympic games. Oshie scored on four out of six shots to defeat Russia almost single-handedly. If you haven’t watched the video, I suggest watching it as soon as possible. His mastery and composure makes you think back to the Miracle on Ice of 1980 (when the US beat the Soviets in the Winter Olympics) and recounts the values that made our country so great.
3. Outside the world of sports, American men thwarting a potential terrorist attack on a train traveling from Amsterdam to Paris. What an incredible story.
In short, a Moroccan man entered the train with an AK-47 and a handgun and Spencer Stone, Anthony Sadler and Alex Skarlatos all charged and disarmed him, potentially saving countless lives.
4. The New England Patriots absolutely destroying the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 1 of the 2015 regular season. The game was not nearly as close as the score shows. Although I really do not enjoy either of these teams, you gotta love what the Patriots mascot represents: freedom from oppression and tyranny and all that good stuff.
See, there are other things with which we can concern ourselves that hold more meaning than brain-numbing fiascoes solely formulated to grasp attention. Kyle Snyder and various other hardworking individuals are the people we should strive to become.
We don’t have to follow all of their personal decisions or beliefs, but we can at least benefit in our own lives by focusing on their noble, honorable and courageous endeavors.
No, we should not care about Kylie Jenner’s newest toy or whatever other direction Kanye and Kim want to name their next child. God bless America and all the best values traditionally ascribed to it.
