Professional sports are something they can't control.

Hear the words of Troy Vincent, once a warrior of the gridiron, who declared: “Professional sports are something they can’t control.” At first these words may strike as simple, but beneath them is the thunder of an eternal truth: there are realms of life that stand apart from the hands of kings, from the decrees of governments, from the machinations of those who crave dominion. The contests of professional sports, like the great games of old, belong not to rulers but to the spirit of the people, to the sweat of the athletes, and to the passion of the crowd.

The meaning is profound. In a world where so much is dictated—laws, taxes, politics, and even the rhythms of daily life—there remains a sanctuary that eludes full mastery by outside powers. Sports are born of competition, courage, and human will; they cannot be engineered by decree or tamed by politics. Though organizations may set rules, and men in high places may try to bend outcomes, the truth of the game is decided on the field, by strength, by skill, by heart. This is what Vincent reveals: that in sports there is a wild freedom, an untamable force that resists control.

The origin of this freedom lies in the very roots of athletic competition. In ancient Olympia, men gathered not under the shadow of kings, but under the open sky, to honor the gods through contests of strength and speed. No monarch could decree the outcome of the race; no council could command who leapt farthest or wrestled best. Victory belonged to the one who had trained hardest, who bore the fiercest spirit. In this way, the games themselves stood apart from worldly dominion. So too today, professional sports are a realm where human effort and spirit triumph over the designs of the powerful.

Consider the story of Jesse Owens, who in 1936 journeyed to Berlin to compete in the Olympic Games. The ruler of that land sought to use the games as a showcase for his ideology, as proof of supremacy. Yet Owens, through his talent, his speed, and his will, shattered that illusion by winning four gold medals. In that moment, the truth of Vincent’s words was made manifest: no tyrant, no propaganda, no machinery of control could silence the power of sport. The contest itself revealed a deeper truth than politics could ever command.

The lesson for us is clear: there are domains in life where freedom breathes unbroken, where effort and integrity cannot be manufactured by authority. We must cherish these spaces, for they are rare. In sports, in art, in the pursuit of truth, there lies a fire that no outside hand can fully control. This is why the world is drawn to games: because they remind us of the ungoverned spirit within the human heart.

Practical actions must follow. Whatever your field, seek to cultivate those things that cannot be taken or dictated. Build your strength, your skill, your integrity, for these are beyond the reach of rulers. Do not despair when the world seems dominated by powers greater than yourself; remember that on the field of competition—whether literal or symbolic—the outcome rests with the courage of those who step forward. Control may bind many things, but it cannot bind the human will when it is aflame with purpose.

And so, child of tomorrow, remember Vincent’s counsel. Professional sports, like the eternal contests of old, are a mirror of freedom. They remind us that though rulers may reign and laws may bind, there will always be places where the human spirit leaps beyond chains. Guard such places. Participate in them. Celebrate them. For they are the living proof that not all things can be controlled, and that within you burns a fire no hand can extinguish.