Welcome to Butterflies
Welcome to the Butterflies newsletter. Subscribe for free to uncover the numbers and narratives behind your favorite sports. To learn more about why I started this newsletter and why I named it Butterflies, keep reading.
A Love Letter to Sports
I love sports. The competition, fandom, work ethic, and inspirational stories—you can’t write the script of sports. It’s the best type of drama. It’s probably the one thing in our lives that has no bearing on our temporal or spiritual well-being, but still gives us those nervous butterflies. The moment when we feel a little leap in our stomach when turning on the TV or listening to the national anthem play, we wonder why we do it. Why do we invest so much of our time, energy, mood, debates, and money into a simple game?
It might be to relive some of our past glory days. It may be because we want to feel like we’re a part of something bigger than ourselves. For many of us, it was ingrained into our being ever since we can remember—the late nights, the disappointments, the anxiety-ridden hours, and the seldom peaks of joy.
Sports doesn’t feel like it has no bearing on us. In fact, we view sports as having everything to do with our well-being. They are a microcosm of our lives. We can see ourselves in the athletes—the pain, triumph, and everything in between.
It reminds us of our own lives and our own journeys. It reminds us of the people who mean the most to us—our dads, grandparents, sisters, best friends, and even our biggest rivals. It reminds us of the communities we grew up in and the strangers that bonded over championship aspirations. It reminds us of the moments that matter in our lives—the memories that have long faded and the memories that have yet to be made. It reminds us of our own journey.
In sports, the destination is always the goal. It’s not too dissimilar to the goal of your next promotion, college graduation, or raising a child to leave the nest. Once we get there though, we find that the joy was in the journey all along. Sports are a journey of improvement, self-mastery, and team building, just as our lives are.
That’s why I am writing this newsletter—to look at the backstories and numbers of iconic teams, athletes, and sports moments. I’ll explore topics such as the origin story of the underdog, how legends were molded before they ever stepped inside the lines, how a new owner turned around a losing club, what the numbers really say about building a championship contender, and how the business side of sports impacts play on the field. I want to use this newsletter to explore different journeys around the game because that’s what makes sports so special.
We are all on our own journey and sports is where all our journeys meet. The next time you feel the butterflies fluttering around in your stomach, remember; the journey is why we care so much. It's not just about the game, but it’s about your own life. Subscribe for free and enjoy those butterflies.
