Why I Love My Job Essay

Harrelson and Ostrom 1
Eric Harrelson and Matt Ostrom
Mr. O’Connor
English 3 AP
October 21, 2014
The Oprah For Guys
In Rick Reilly’s ESPN article “Why I Love My Job”(2009), Reilly claims that sports are much bigger than what meets the eye. Developing his opinions by giving different descriptions of sports at the beginning of every paragraph, Reilly correlates sports and human life by using personification, which someone who knows nothing about sports can identify and visualize. He attempts to convey opinions for the reader to consider by giving real life examples of sports having more prevalence and meaning in our culture than previously thought. Reilly does this in order to explain why sports mean so much to him as a person, and how they have value in our lives that the price of a ticket or jersey could never amount to.
Reilly uses several short stories and experiences involving professional and amateur sports to support his argument. In this piece, he tries to show that sports are more than just a game. He includes stories that demonstrate the emotions and meaning sports can have for people.
For instance, Reilly says, “I knew a Boston dad and son who hadn’t spoken in five years… But when the Red Sox won it all in 2004, the son came home” (par. 4) Besides the emotional bonds that sports helps us form, Reilly argues that sports can inspire us to act in altruistic ways. For instance, he describes the story of a Downers Grove South kick returner who steps out of bounds at the 1­yard line to let an autistic teammate experience the joy and triumph of scoring the only touchdown of his life. These examples establish credibility for Reilly’s column because they are

Harrelson and Ostrom 2 anecdotes that most people can identify with, whether or not they like sports. His audience can relate to Reilly’s anecdotes because his examples describe average people’s experiences and feelings, such as joy, anger, and disappointment.
Reilly also begins almost every paragraph with a “Sports is…” or “Sports has…” phrase.
This repetition gives his essay a distinct structure which he builds off of in these paragraphs.
Reilly ends these phrases by describing certain characteristics of sports, some of which are human traits. For instance, he says, “Sports is real…Sports fans can be buried in a coffin that is painted in their favorite team’s colors and logo… Sports has honor.” (par. 3,5,11) These characteristics are followed by the anecdotes and experiences that Reilly shares with his readers.
His short, very direct phrases put an emphasis on Reilly’s points and serve as an introduction for each paragraph.
Reilly utilizes the rhetorical technique of pathos by stirring up emotions of nostalgia and passion for sports in his audience. He argues that sports are more “pure” than other endeavors such as politics and entertainment. Reilly alternates between sentiment and humor for each of these anecdotes. For instance, Reilly praises the Texas girls’ volleyball team that would not allow its opponents to forfeit the game because of a player’s injury, contrasting these girls’ honor with the humorous dishonor of the politician who ran for reelection despite being a convicted felon. Reilly also describes his personal connection to sports through his job and the feelings associated with sports journalism. Reilly argues that these emotions are fundamental to anybody’s experience of sports. As spectators, we do not experience pleasure and joy from actually playing sports but the emotions they generate in us, such as happiness, frustration, or bonding with family. He also demonstrates that we express these emotions constantly throughout

Harrelson and Ostrom 3 our lives, not just while playing or watching sports. For instance, Reilly tells the story of a man named Chris Pablo who finds “a golf ball stamped with the words BEAT LEUKEMIA.” (par.
14) Pablo had just learned he had leukemia. He shared his experience of finding the fateful ball, which inspired hundreds of people to donate bone marrow. Reilly recounts this story to show how hopeful and encouraging message such as “BEAT LEUKEMIA” can fit into the context of athletics. Reilly has a personal connection with sports, not only because he is around sports every day for his job, but because he has the ability to see their significance in our culture and those around the world. Sports bring people together for a common purpose, whether it be rooting on a favorite team or simply getting together with family every so often. As Reilly stated, “Sports is woven deeper into American life than you know.”