No need to go any further in trying to figure out why we Americans don't get more involved in our own politics. Because sports both amateur and professional keep us from focusing on the bigger picture. We can get 100,000 people into a stadium every Saturday or Sunday but not to protest and march for our own rights. We would rather root on a team to victory than to protect our rights and the rights of our children. Is that messed up or what? Especially since our teams charge us ungodly amounts to even see them play. Do we get any benefit from our teams winning? No, but somehow we are gratified.
The owners and the players do pretty well although the owners do much much better than the players. Just to keep it honest here our cities are actually paying these teams to play in them as an added benefit. Sure there are residual revenues that come in because of the successful teams but the cost to our society is much more than just thumping our chests like cavemen. Now let me be clear here also, I am a sports fan and follow all the major sports leagues both amateur and professional and having this conversation is a bit like kicking my own behind. But the fact is that we the sports fans are giving sports too much of our allegiance while sacrificing our democracy to a bunch of crooks.
So how do we keep both our joys of sports competition and our democracy? We find a balance that gives both the attention they deserve. I know it is hard since our American sports are spaced out to being year round but we cannot afford to lose our democracy which is also a year round endeavor. Remember also that sports is used to divide us as a society and that isn't within the spirit of competition. We should be united despite our sports preferences and teams. There is only one highest priority in our society whether we want to admit it or not and that is our democracy. Everything else is attributable to having a free and egalitarian structure to allow us the choices we like and need to make.
The owners and the players do pretty well although the owners do much much better than the players. Just to keep it honest here our cities are actually paying these teams to play in them as an added benefit. Sure there are residual revenues that come in because of the successful teams but the cost to our society is much more than just thumping our chests like cavemen. Now let me be clear here also, I am a sports fan and follow all the major sports leagues both amateur and professional and having this conversation is a bit like kicking my own behind. But the fact is that we the sports fans are giving sports too much of our allegiance while sacrificing our democracy to a bunch of crooks.
So how do we keep both our joys of sports competition and our democracy? We find a balance that gives both the attention they deserve. I know it is hard since our American sports are spaced out to being year round but we cannot afford to lose our democracy which is also a year round endeavor. Remember also that sports is used to divide us as a society and that isn't within the spirit of competition. We should be united despite our sports preferences and teams. There is only one highest priority in our society whether we want to admit it or not and that is our democracy. Everything else is attributable to having a free and egalitarian structure to allow us the choices we like and need to make.
No comments:
Post a Comment