During the time of Lent, Christians across the world give up something of their choosing from Ash Wednesday until the celebration of Easter. Some give up eating the chocolatey goodness of an Applebee’s melted lava cake, others decide not to watch a favorite show. This is done to remember the 40 days and 40 nights Jesus was alone in the desert, where he was tempted by the devil to give into his vile words and denounce the power of God. 

  The Christ was without food, water, and social interaction. The only constant during this time was good-old Satin popping on his shoulder to tell him of the wonders Jesus could achieve with his help. 

In Matthew 4:5-8 it is written in spectacular fashion how, “Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, ‘If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down For it is written:

‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone’ ”. 

To which Jesus replied, “It is written again, ‘You shall not [a]tempt the Lord your God’”. 

  The all-powerful Lord was vexed with pangs of hunger and thirst, yet he never gave in. However I’d argue that if he was without the purifying effect of witnessing a Lebron James slam night after night, or the awe-inspiring presence of Cristiano Ronaldo’s man bun bobbing across the pitch in between his elklike strides, or the blasphemous statements from Steven A. Smith screaming through the television like so many desperate sports fans are right now, he would have jumped off the temple right then and there. 

  A life without sports is a life without joy. Sports are the glue that hold relationships together, the bond that holds lives together, and now without its blessing, we are reaping rotten fruit. Men, who relied on games for social interactions with co-workers, friends, and even strangers, now awkwardly twiddle their thumbs whilst shamefully conversing in ice breaker conversations like about how the weather has been “so crazy” lately. 

  The true colors of men are being shown. The once boisterous bandwagon fan we all loved to hate has become a subdued mute. The human lockbox of a supporter who could rally out stats like a Gatling gun is now spending his hours going on and on about the contestants from the Bachelorette and how Hannah should’ve chosen Brad instead of Chad. 

  Already some have descended into madness. Rewatching games from seasons ago, they wake up at night in cold sweats wondering how their team could’ve passed up on that one player in the 2012 draft. Other men have gone AWOL, watching Hallmark movies with their wives, swapping jerseys for ugly sweaters. 

  And think about the players! Liverpool are 25 points ahead in the Premier League and must wait patiently before Bobby, Salah, and Mane can group hug the trophy with Klopp. Countless college athletes were foaming at the mouth to play in March Madness instead must live in the madness of remote schooling. The MLS and MLB were just getting started when they had to suspend play. The Cleveland Browns… actually, maybe some time away is good for Baker and Ohio, but for everyone else it is dreadful. 

  How do we cope? This unwanted detox of sports is worse than the weeks of limbo in the summer where the only live sports on ESPN are darts and competitive corn hole. For men across the globe, all we can do is stay strong and pray that we don’t fall off the pinnacle of the temple like some of our brothers already have. Oh God give us strength.