FanNation - The Republic of Sport

(Author's note: This article was originally published by Aaron at http://www.aarontorres-sports.com/)

I'm only 24-years-old, so I don't quite have the historical perspective that many of my elders do.  But even in my short life, there have been some unequivocal changes that even me, no more than a moderately smart guy, couldn't miss. 

I've seen technology improve 5000 fold since my youth.  I don't consider myself old, but still remember when it was cool to compare your latest mix cassette tape with friends in elementary school.  And if you don't think Will Be There by Michael Jackson was on my favorite mix cassette, well you're sadly mistaken.

In my lifetime I've seen health changes like eating habits improve, smoking decrease and illegal drug use become more frowned upon.

But more than anything, the biggest change I've seen, is that here in 2009, we live in much more of a "what's next kind of world."  And what I mean is, we're so busy getting excited for the next big thing, we seem to always take what we've got in the present for granted. 

We wish away our weeks one at a time, when on Monday we're already thinking about plans for Friday.  We do the same thing in the winters waiting for the warmth of summer.    

Every day someone tells me "they can't wait for," the next movie premiere, new pair of Air Jordan's or latest model of the iPhone, practically disregarding the newest version the day it comes out.    

Heck in our current world, fast food isn't fast enough, we need a drive thru.  And having every piece of information we could ever want at our fingertips on the internet isn't even acceptable in 2009.  Because lets be honest, who among us can live without high speed?

Sports is no different. 

We knew LeBron James as a superstar sophomore at St. Vincent-St. Mary's High School, and Tiger Woods was the world's most famous active golfer before he even turned professional.  This past spring Washington Nationals fans followed Stephen Strasburg's junior year of college more ferociously than their own team's early struggles, patiently waiting for the San Diego State pitcher to ride across country on his white horse and save the franchise. 

All the hype and hoopla surrounding those three will eventually be outdone though.  And it will likely come courtesy of the sporting world's newest phenomenon and latest next big thing, Las Vegas baseball superstar Bryce Harper

If you're not already on the Bryce Harper bandwagon, the only question is, where've you been?  His face glossed the cover of Sports Illustrated three weeks ago, practically when dinosaurs roamed the earth in the modern technological world we live in.  Of course to veterans of amateur baseball, Harper's name has been house hold for several years now. 

The cover story on Harper was a mind-boggling portrayal of the 16-year-old baseball prodigy.  It claimed the left handed swinging, right handed throwing Harper to be about as can't miss as any high school player ever, and bigger in Las Vegas than even Carrot Top's nightly performance at the Luxor. 

As just a high school sophomore this spring, Harper was compared favorably to Alex Rodriguez and Justin Upton- former No. 1 overall picks- when they were seniors, or two years older than Harper currently is now.  

At bat, his 500 foot moon shots are already the stuff of legend, his most famous a 502 foot record blast at Tropicana Field (home of the Tampa Bay Rays) that might still be traveling if not for a pesky concrete wall getting in the way. 

Behind the plate at his natural position of catcher, Harper throws out runners with such ease he rarely gets off his knees to do so, and features a 96 mph fastball when he takes the mound.  He runs fast enough to have scored six times on wild pitches this past season...from second base!   

Harper is also a 3.5 student, attends religious services daily and is currently negotiating a reconciliation between Jon, Kate and their brood of eight.  Ok I may have embellished the last part, but with the way the SI piece was written, it doesn't seem out of the question. 

Despite his utterly-impressive resume, Harper flew under my and most others radar until the Sports Illustrated cover.  But since then, the pomp and circumstance surrounding the 16-year-old has taken on even more mythic proportions.  Right behind the economy and the season finale of Lost, Harper seems to be the most talked about topic anywhere. 

(To read the remainder of this article, please click here or visit Aaron at www.aarontorres-sports.com)