It's why as I child I read a ton of books. My imagination could take my anywhere as I read. I was right there with "The Boxcar Children" as they solved mysteries. I was transported to the Land of Oz as I followed Dorothy in her quest to return to Kansas. I saw Frodo throw the ring into Mt. Doom.

There's something different about a sporting event though. While books can transport me to somewhere imaginary, sports transport you to somewhere real. Sports are entertainment that can capture you and let you forget your day-to-day life, but there is no script, anything can happen. The story is yet to be written, and we all see how it unfolds together.

While driving to the Creighton-Bradley game the song "Reality" by Kenny Chesney came on the radio. The lyrics go, "For some it's a fast car/ Moonshine in a mason jar/ And everybody has their way/ Somehow to escape/ Reality, yeah, sometimes life/ ain't all that it's cracked up to be".

It could not have been more fitting. It was quite clear in my mind that the game was going to be that escape for me. I looked forward to the brief respite from the worrying about bills and jobs and life. Those would be problems to deal with tomorrow, tonight was about watching the game and getting lost in it.

The game between Creighton and Bradley was Creighton's annual pink-out. Creighton Coach Greg McDermott's wife is a breast cancer survivor and Creighton has had a pink-out the last two years to try and raise money for breast cancer research. Creighton goes all-out for this promotion. Creighton wears pink uniforms, the advertisements and promotional videos are modified for the evening to add to the atmosphere. Creighton even gave out thousands of free t-shirts to help make sure the crowd was wearing pink.

I've never had cancer, so I have no ability to come close to relating to those who do. What I do know is that from those I've seen who have it is that you can't stop living your life. You might have to change things depending on your treatment and health, but life must go on. Kids must be raised. Families must be maintained. Work must be completed. Friends and family come around you and help however they can.

Additionally, I have to imagine, you occasionally need to escape reality. Sometimes you just need to imagine that you are somewhere else, not fighting cancer. That life isn't being torn apart at the seams. I know that if I were fighting cancer I would want to keep watching my favorite teams. A simple game would hopefully help me enjoy a few minutes focusing on their play and getting excited about them. Hopefully for some fighting cancer the Creighton-Bradley game was a chance to both escape reality and see how many people are trying to come alongside them and support them in their battle.

And yes, the Jays won. It was a great escape from reality with 18,000 others for a couple hours.

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