Really? A Parade?

Today the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania threw a parade for the Pittsburgh Steelers who, this past Sunday, won the Super Bowl.

Why?

I’ve never understood the logic behind throwing a parade for teams that win a championship—or for that matter, any athlete who wins any athletic competition.

I get that it’s an accomplishment. I get that it’s difficult. I get that it can be a wonderful distraction for the thousands, even millions, of fans who toil though the difficulties of everyday life.

But, a parade? Really?

Maybe I’m old fashioned, but I tend to think that parades in honor of people should be reserved for particularly noteworthy accomplishments. Firemen, police and military are probably the only professions where I would think a parade is warranted for people who are simply doing their job.

Can we please get over the notion that athletes are heroes? I recognize that there are life lessons to be learned from the hard work that it takes to become a top-caliber athlete. But I’d much rather throw a parade for the kid who grew up in a poor, crime-ridden neighborhood who paid his own way through college, or the twelve-year old who kept his head enough to call 911 when his parent had a heart attack.

I don’t even have a problem with the team deciding to throw a big tail-gate party at their own stadium to celebrate a championship.

But the last thing these egotists need is the city to shut down and bow at their feet.