Football, Education, Congress, Money and Sin

For years now I have argued unsuccessfully for the cessation of intercollegiate sports, suggesting that they be replaced by intramural athletics and other forms of physical fitness training. Of course, here in the South banning college football would be akin to banning fried chicken. It ain't gonna happen. But I will continue to make my case that the stew of education, pampered and coddled athletes, and money -- lots and lots of money -- does not result in virtuous behavior.  

St. Paul reminds us, "the love of money is the root of all evils" [1 Tim 6:10]. And sports at every level, from middle school through the professionals, are increasingly driven by a love for the huge amounts of money that flow from suppliers, corporate sponsors, media, advertisers, alumni and boosters, and even the so-called "gaming" industry. Yes, indeed, those in the know estimate that upwards of $400 billion -- yes, that's billion, and it may well be an underestimate -- is wagered on professional and college sports each year. The high-growth sports apparel industry already generates worldwide revenues approaching $200 billion. TV advertising for sports coverage is now close to $10 billion annually, and that's just on the "big four" networks. And the various tv networks spend nearly $15 billion annually for the opportunity to broadcast professional and intercollegiate sports. Not surprisingly this flow of money increases every year. Anyone who believes that the businesses, leagues, schools, teams, officials, and individual athletes are somehow immune from the negative effects of all that cash obviously doesn't believe in original sin. 

And, trust me, very little of that money contributes to the actual education of those high school and college athletes caught up in this cash-fueled system run by large corporations and organizations that are ripe for corruption. Sadly, most "student athletes" manage to escape uneducated from the institutions for which they play. The most athletically talented among them, the few who make it to the pros, seem to believe they are entitled to the huge salaries this flow of money allows them to command. Apparently this idea of financial entitlement, that their salaries are a measure of their relative worth, has instilled in them an exaggerated sense of their importance. This was evident at Thursday evening's NFL game in Green Bay when the players, former college athletes who probably haven't had an original thought since the third grade, linked arms during the national anthem to show their solidarity for or against what? Social justice? Police brutality? White privilege? President Trump for calling their kneeling colleagues SOBs? I challenge any of them to explain clearly why they did not stand with hand over heart while the fans who pay their salaries showed contempt for the lack of patriotism evident on the field. Watching these self-absorbed millionaires take a stand against the nation that enabled them to achieve such success was remarkable. In their defense I can only suggest that, much like our Hollywood celebrities, they just aren't bright enough to recognize the irony of it all. (Full disclosure: I did not watch Thursday's game, but saw only the reports the following day. In fact I haven't watched a single professional sporting event on TV since the Super Bowl, and I watched only the final quarter of that game.)

I recall once hearing a professional athlete actually refer to himself as a "warrior" because he played in the NFL. His comment offers the near perfect argument for reinstating the universal military draft (among men) so every male citizen will come to understand that the work of the warrior is not a game. There is an existential difference between a block or hard tackle on the football field and having your body riddled by bullets, shrapnel, or an IED. It would be good if more citizens came to witness, if not experience, the difference first hand. This, of course, will never happen because career politicians are cowards, and reinstatement of the draft is an untouchable, a political hot potato. And so the vast majority of professional athletes will remain invincibly ignorant of the sacrifices true warriors have made so they can pursue their lucrative dreams in peace. And those warriors who make these sacrifices are paid about 1% of what many of these athletes are paid.

This leads me to another of my hopes: term limits. Our politicians are too often driven solely by reelection prospects. Reelection is driven largely by money. And money, especially in the amounts that flow in and out of Washington, leads only to corruption. Send politicians back home before they become career politicians, before they are contaminated by the infectious diseases of the swamp. I think a limit of two senatorial terms and five house terms would be reasonable. 

Opponents of term limits often say the real solution involves  the people simply exercising their right to vote. Until recently this hasn't been a very effective solution, but today dissatisfied voters seem to be making a difference. Perhaps voters will inflict their own version of term limits on our career politicians and clean house, so to speak.

The founding fathers didn't include term limits in the Constitution because none considered politics an occupation, much less a career. Most were true citizen legislators. They had businesses and farms to run and, anyway, federal legislators were paid only $6 per day when they were in session. That was the amount both senators and representatives earned from 1796 to 1815. (In 1789 the per diem rate was only fifty cents.)

Our Founders also had much more to lose than today's politicians. The final sentence of the Declaration of Independence is a promise made by the 56 signers to “mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our Sacred Honor.” Nine of them actually did lose their lives in the Revolutionary War and 19 others lost every cent and every piece of property they owned. But none of the 56 ever broke that promise. Would that today's politicians were that honorable. Most are unable to keep even the simplest campaign promise. And when was the last time you heard the expression, "Sacred Honor", uttered by a politician?

Signing of the Declaration of Independence

Today the members of our national political class happily find themselves in the top few percent of "earners." Not only do they pay themselves well, they also give themselves amazingly generous pensions along with a large array of unique perks, all as a self-proclaimed reward for their "public service." And isn't it remarkable how many enter Congress with very little, yet emerge years later as multi-millionaires? 

Perhaps, in conjunction with term limits, we should pay our members of Congress the median income of the average American. This year that's about $51,000. This might encourage them to enact legislation that actually supports economic growth. Then, as the American worker prospers, so too will they. We could also house our senators and representatives in Capitol Hill dormitories freeing them from the need to buy or rent second homes in those expensive D.C. suburbs. Another likely benefit would be shorter legislative sessions, thereby limiting the damage Congress inflicts on the nation. 

These, of course, are mere pipe dreams, but having expressed them I feel a lot better. Yes, indeed, men are not angels, so we shouldn't be surprised by non-angelic behavior. We are sinners and our sinfulness is evident everywhere, even on the football field and in the halls of Congress. I suppose the best thing we can do, other than pray for our nation, is to elect men and women whose fear of the Lord exceeds their love of self.