White=Surrender?

Tennis may be the pinnacle of athletics. The athletes hit the ball back and forth, not only trying to outwit and outperform the opponent but also trying to keep the ball out of the net and in the area of play, at speeds reaching and exceeding 100 mph. An athlete in his/her late 20's is thought to be old. The tension from point to point is tremendous. For over 5 hours I followed the happenings at the Gentlemen's Final at Wimbledon--Federer V. Nadal. Of course, as is tradition, the players wore at least 95% white. As I pondered the connection between sport and the color white, the first thing that came to mind was the white towel--a sign of surrender. But this match was void of surrender. It was, as wrestlers or boxers might be wont to exclaim, a war of attrition. So what other significance could white have? In Rome, candidates for a greater calling or office wore white. Many competed, but one became victor. To many people throughout history white has also been associated with the cardinal points, specifically East and West. As it corresponds to the West, white is associated with death or absence. As it corresponds to the East, white is symbolic of birth or rebirth and initiation--a rite of passage. So as one candidate--a great champion--is defeated and another one ascends, let us look forward to the rebirth of a like rivalry in a year's time.