The Best and Worst of Sports

Our Psychiatry & Society video series is taking a short break. For now, enjoy this rerun with additional new commentary.

Last February 9th, 2022, we did a Psychiatry and Society video on “Remembering the Love of Sports.” In the United States we are in that “sweet spot” of February when all the major sports of football, basketball, hockey, and baseball are either starting, continuing, or ending. This year the World Soccer Cup tournament also took place not long ago.

Given the nature of competition, and how sports can be used by governments for other purposes, we have been seeing the best and worse of sports. For best, I would nominate the response to the life-threatening cardiac event that the professional American football play Damar Hamlin suffered. He has recovered so well that the league’s physician says he can for sure return to play football again. In that regard, there is also an educational lesson for the public to know how to provide cardiac resuscitation. That can save lives. From an expeditious medical response to cancelling the game, to the outpouring of support, and his walking out of the hospital, we saw the best of humanity.

The worst? How the host country treated the LGBQT+ individuals at the World Soccer tournament with discrimination.

For mixed, I would say the re-retirement of football star Tom Brady, who was able to star to the almost unimaginable age of 45, yet could not complete his announced retirement the first time and went through a divorce before retiring once again. For more on that, also view my video from February 8th titled “A Tale of 3 Retirements: Football Star Tom Brady, Black Psychiatrist James Amos, and Me.”

Dr Moffic is an award-winning psychiatrist who has specialized in the cultural and ethical aspects of psychiatry. A prolific writer and speaker, he received the one-time designation of Hero of Public Psychiatry from the Assembly of the American Psychiatric Association in 2002. He is an advocate for mental health issues related to climate instability, burnout, Islamophobia, and anti-Semitism for a better world. He serves on the Editorial Board of Psychiatric Times™.