Very Brief and Unnecessary Post

So, if the football coach decides to “go for it” on 4th down, is he “contra-puntal?”  I guess no more than the quarterback who throws a “hail Mary” pass is “going for baroque.”  Okay: I clearly don’t know what the fugue I’m doing here, so just hand it to the half-Bach so he can complete the score, while remaining composed.

Upon Further Review

               I heard a radio program last weekend that talked about the officiating of National Basketball Association games.  It seems that fans have become ever more critical of the referees, and that it is a real issue for the league to manage.

               So, they built a $15 million building in New Jersey that houses all sorts of TV monitors and such, so that other referees can monitor each and every NBA game, with up to 12 cameras, to help rule on certain calls made at the game.

               They can zoom in and slow down the action to make determinations that would be impossible for a human to make at the game in real­-time.

               A person interviewed said that a typical NBA game might have two calls subject to review.  Of those two, one or both might be overturned; or not.  A lot of money goes into those two calls!

               Things have come a long way since I played basketball in high school, though I don’t know if it’s for the better.  Back then, the refs did their best, and what they called was final.  Of course, players and fans sometimes took exception, but everybody understood that someone had to decide, and the guy with the striped shirt was that someone.

               Now it seems like most sports have some kind of review process.  Football was the first, and while some mistaken calls have been corrected, it has slowed down the game, and any time a play is reviewed, half the fans are happy and the other half mad.

               I think it all has to do with the notion that life should always be fair.  Sadly, it isn’t.  It’s one thing if an official is taking bribes to throw a game, or if a referee just doesn’t like a certain player or team, but it’s all together different if that official is doing the best they can.

               People will talk about how a ref cost one team or another to lose a game, and that can sometimes be the case.  Most of the time, though, there are many variables at play, including missed free-throws, turnovers, or poor rebounding.

               I’m fine with the video reviews.  I cringe a little at the message they send, that absolute fairness is not only ideal, but to be expected.  Therefore, some may say that if a game has a hint of unfairness, the losing team is a victim. 

               Upon further review, there are already too many victims in society, and nothing good comes from being one.  In my view, a better approach is to accept life’s ups and downs, and focus on the things that we control, like hard work and a positive outlook.    

              

Who We Are

               I get to spend time people watching when I travel.  Airports are a great place to see what is trending in fashion, for example.

               Lately it seems that there are more and more little kids, in airports and elsewhere, who are in costume.  A lot of princesses, of course, and the occasional Marvel Comic character.  The other day I saw two young men – I’m guessing they were five and eight years old – dressed in pilot uniforms, complete with the hats.  Pretty cute, I have to say.

               We have to admire the folks at Disney and their ilk for marketing their characters so well.  The mouse ears of my childhood have given way to much more spectacular outfits.

               I have a granddaughter who loves to dress up as a ballerina, which is a pretty simply task.  She twirls repeatedly, to the point that, if I were doing it, I’d collapse into a dizzy pile on the floor.

               Kids feel special when they are in a costume.  That’s important, and looking back a few generations, making kids feel special wasn’t always on the task list for parents.  While I think we sometimes overdo it, (participation trophies, etc.) it’s a good thing.

               Now, when we start talking about adults dressing up I costumes, that’s another thing.  The NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB are among the sports industries that sell all sorts of costumes for grown-ups.  They don’t call them costumes, but if you’ve got the money, you can get very realistic copies of the actual uniforms players use.

               As a guy who played a number of sports in my youth, wearing a game jersey gives me, at some level, the thought that perhaps I’ll be needed to play in the big game.  That would, of course, require the incapacity of 80% of our country’s males.  But hey, it could happen…

               Of course, I know that wearing sports gear is a way of showing our support for our teams, just as wearing a Superman shirt is showing support for the Man of Steel.  I actually owned a Superman shirt, but when I wore it, it was with a deep sense of irony.  I’m less of a Superman type than a “hey, would you please call Superman for me?” type.

               I think that I, in my golden years, will be known as that man who wears a propeller beanie, a bow tie, and a stethoscope.  Let people decide if they think I’m a crazy genius doctor, or just crazy.

 

Huddle Muddle

            Last week I happened to be in Philadelphia when President Trump un-invited the Eagles’ players from what was to have been a White House photo op.  It was said that only 10 or so players were planning to go, so canceling was understandable.  It isn’t unusual.  In recent years it has become common for some players to decline a presidential visit.

            I’ve been giving some thought to the muddle of issues involved.  It’s my opinion that the kneelers are well-intentioned, hoping to draw attention to the important issue of bias in law enforcement.  They aren’t meaning to disrespect veterans, in my view, but in the eyes of many they do.

            So, attendance and viewership is down for the NFL.  Some players have lost endorsement deals, and others have been put in the position of supporting teammates’ actions, even though they don’t agree with them.

            The idea of Black Lives Matter is a good one, at its core.  Having one black kid shot by police is a tragedy, and the families and communities are quick to react with anger.  Sometimes the police can demonstrate justification for their actions, and sometimes they can’t.  If it were my son, no amount of explanation would be enough, and I understand the anger that results.

            Kneeling during the National Anthem might bring awareness but bringing police and communities together to learn ways to coexist would be more effective.  Such efforts are happening every day, and in fact I’d bet a nickel that there are NFL players who participate.

Stand up, Sit down…

(Fall 2017)

High school football fans have cheerleaders to help them cheer for the home team.  There are also some unauthorized cheers, and one of them ends with the phrase (and actions) “…stand up, sit down, fight, fight, fight!”  That cheer came to mind last weekend as the NFL National Anthem controversy continued.

People have strong opinions on players not standing for the National Anthem.  The same people have opinions on whether children should be required to say the Pledge of Allegiance.  And, I guess flag burning is probably mixed in as well.

I grew up in a time when respect for our country was assumed.  People put hands on hearts and took off hats for The Anthem and the flag.  My family also took it seriously.  I still do today.

The people protesting have the right to do it, as do the statue haters.  Kneeling before a game is surely a better avenue of protest than burning down buildings and throwing rocks at police.

A wise man once told me that with people there will always be an “us” and a “them.”  Just who the “us” and “them” are changes – sometimes in a heartbeat, like the morning of 9/11/2001.

You can have labor and management, men and women, brothers and sisters, Republicans and Democrats, Christians and Muslims, blacks and whites… it’s just a human tendency to want to be part of a group and identify another group that is in opposition.

Nothing good generally comes of it, of course.  Rather than working together, energy is expended on the battle between “us” and “them.”  And, sometimes there is a true “them” out there threatening us while we aren’t paying attention.

The funny thing is that football teams face the ultimate “us” and “them” fight every week.  I wonder how much that has changed now that the additional “us” and “them” of kneelers and standers have emerged. 

Of course, everybody has something loud to say about it, including the President and the President’s supporters and opponents and the opponents of the opponents.

It’s really a shame.  There are so many wonderful things about our country about which we should all be grateful.  And there is also a lot of work to do, including looking honestly at the issues the protesters are protesting. 

All the “us” and “them” stuff just divides us.  I’m not sure how that can possibly help us Americans accomplish anything positive.    

                

World Cup of Feet

(From June 2014)

One of my Facebook “friends” posted that she had World Cup fever a couple of weeks ago. I responded that I had World Cup sniffles. Translation: I have a mild interest in the soccer games that have consumed most of the world. I don’t hate soccer. In fact, I admire that athleticism of soccer players. It just isn’t my favorite game.

I think it was Jimmy Kimmel who did a bit that included video of some soccer players tapping the ball back and forth to each other while the crowd roared. Fifteen seconds of soccer action where nothing happened. It makes for a good joke, but while there are moments like that in soccer, the tying goal scored by Portugal against the U.S. team on Sunday was pretty spectacular, and not boring at all.

There are a number of sports that seem boring to people who don’t know them well. Many people think good old American baseball is boring. And, I guess it can be. But for someone who knows the subtleties of the game, a three ball/two strike count with runners on first and third and one out with a left-handed batter at the plate can be quite exciting. And, I’d say the infield fly rule of baseball is as esoteric as the off-sides rule in soccer.

And, in fairness, the World Cup really does include teams from all over the world, while the World Series excludes most of the world. Just us and Canada.

Professional bowling has an opposite issue to soccer and baseball. In the later two sports, there is hardly any scoring. In pro bowling, the average game involves the bowler knocking down 90+ percent of the possible pins. Strike after strike. Definitely boring to watch. Now, if you were to watch me bowl, there would be far fewer pins knocked down, and much more comedic value, as it is always possible that I might bounce the ball, let it go backwards, or fall down in the process of bowling. Many people would pay good money to watch that!

Some say that NASCAR is nothing but drivers turning left, which is a fair comment. What makes NASCAR fun to watch is the driver relationships, and the risks the drivers take.

Somehow, poker has become a sport. It has no appeal to me, but lots of people watch it. I’m holding out for the slot machine network.

Soon the World Cup will be over, and we can get back to life as we once knew it, by which I mean Futbol will be edged aside for Football.

Scandals Everywhere

It seems like there is a new scandal to wrestle our attention from other pressing issues almost every day.  Penn State’s athletic program seems to be in shambles, and now Syracuse has their own sex crime alleged in their basketball program.  Schools like Ohio State and USC are probably thankful that they were only found guilty of cheating, and not sexually charged scandals.

Then Monday morning I heard that a Green Bay Packer linebacker spent some time in the hooskow for some sort of physical assault.  Various Badger football and hockey players have been accused in the past, and I honestly didn’t follow those cases to their conclusions to see what was true and what was simply accusations.

Back during the years when the Packers weren’t winning championships, both James Lofton and Eddie Lee Ivory were accused of sexual assault.  Lofton is doing television for some network now, and I think he’s in the hall of fame.  Marv Albert, a famous sports announcer, got caught in his own sexual scandal years ago, but he’s still on the air.

We hear the news on these things, but not always the end of the story.  Scandals are usually on page one, but charges being dropped end up on page 24, if they’re printed at all.  That’s part of the problem with these things.  Did Justin Bieber father a child, or did someone accuse him of it for financial benefit?  How will we know?  And, is it any of our business?

Sadly, some scandals, true or not, take on a life of their own.  The infamous story of Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich asking his wife for a divorce on her death bed sounds pretty heartless.  But, in reality Mrs. Gingrich asked for the meeting to discuss their relationship, and not only that, she hasn’t been in her deathbed yet, since she has recovered from that sickness and is still alive and kicking.

Herman Cain has been the target of many accusations recently, and some or all of them may be real.  But what if they aren’t?  Black conservatives have pretty consistently been the subject of such accusations.  John Edwards, on the other hand, was given a pass on his indiscretion until after the primary was over.  And his wife really was dying.  Jessie Jackson not only had a child from an affair, but was paying off the woman with funds raised under the guise of helping those less fortunate.  Likewise Arnold Schwartzenager, who is off to star in movies now that he’s not governor any more, impregnated his housekeeper, and bought her her own little house.

President Clinton lied under oath about one of his scandals, but was given a pass on the others including an accusation of rape which many believe to be true to this day.  And yet we view him as a charming elder statesman now.  Justice Thomas was accused of transgressions that he denied, and 20 years later he still carries the burden with him.  Teddy and Jack Kennedy were both serial womanizers throughout their marriages, but they are revered.

I guess the truth of the matter is that nobody is perfect, and people who have the makeup to excel at sports or politics or business at a high level sometimes have the unsavory characteristics that lead them to scandalous behavior.

But in addition to that, people who are in the public eye might as well wear bulls eyes on their backs, because charges – true of false – can do a lot to slow down someone’s career.  A radio commentator once said that guilt or innocence are less important to some people than the seriousness of the charge.  And, there’s little risk to making those charges against a public figure, which is why I think I’ll live the rest of my life as a very non-public figure.