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.

Home Again

Late last week Dear Diane and I returned home from an almost month-long trip to visit children and grandchildren. The trip was precipitated by two events: one grandson's Confirmation in Massachusetts, and another's First Communion in California. Unfortunately, both events were scheduled for the same day, and the need for grand-parental attendance at each demanded some creative scheduling. We drove from Florida to Massachusetts, spent some time with one son and his family in New Bedford, then visited with one daughter and her family in Hyannis. After several days Diane flew to San Jose, California for the First Communion, while I remained on Cape Cod for the Confirmation. She then returned so we could spend a weekend with our other son and his family on Nantucket Island. Miraculously, we actually managed to spend some time with each of our children, their spouses, and our grandchildren. I suppose that makes it a successful trip.

Adding to the success was the opportunity to swap houses with another deacon and his wife. Deacon Joe, who was ordained about 30 seconds before me back on May 24, 1997, and his wife, Ann, wanted to spend a few weeks in The Villages and we wanted to do the same on Cape Cod. He and Ann have a lovely, old Cape Cod home in South Chatham, just about three miles from where Dear Diane and I lived for 25 years. It's also just a short drive to our elder daughter's home in Hyannis, which she shares with her husband and five of our grandchildren. And so the exchange was made.

I think we got the better deal. Despite the weather -- 40s, 50s, and too much rain -- every morning Maddie (our little Bichon Frise) and I would get up early and take a long walk down to the beach. I think she enjoyed the change of pace from our usual strolls around The Villages. I know I did. After our walk I'd feed the dog, then sit by the bay window, pray Morning Prayer, and sip my coffee while enjoying the songs and flights of the local bird population. What a wonderful way to begin the day.

Taking a few weeks off from a busy retirement in sunny Florida was exactly what I needed. Our temporary home turned out to be the perfect refuge from worldly cares and the pressures of multiple ministries. The only downside was Dear Diane's absence which put Maddie and me into a five-day funk. And to top it off, Dear Diane had to suffer the consequences of my cost-saving  travel arrangements which resulted in plane changes going and coming. She's a real trooper, though, and despite some tight connections, made it to San Jose and back to Providence on time, along with her baggage. I had blessed her and her luggage during check-in and had full confidence that all would go well. God is good!

One evening during her absence, and more tired than usual, I turned on the TV and stumbled onto the NFL draft. I did something I had never done before: I actually watched it. It was the first night of the draft, which included round one and part of round two. Why I watched this I cannot say. I'm not a big fan of professional sports. The huge amounts of money involved only create a breeding ground for corruption and distorted values, just one more effect of original sin. I also believe our professional athletes, like most of today's celebrities, are generally poor role models for young people. Yeah, I know...I've turned into a curmudgeon.

Anyway, watching the draft was mesmerizing. Just observing these future professional athletes -- their over-the-top clothing and jewelry, their attitudes and comments -- was both fascinating and more than a little depressing. Many of these young men, barely out of childhood, seemed completely wrapped up in themselves, convinced that they actually deserve the millions that will be thrown at them in the weeks to come. Sadly, if experience is any guide, despite the millions, many will be flat broke ten years from now.

As one young man said, "Football is my life!" I suspect he is not alone in believing this, even though many NFL draftees will never play in a regular season game. And among those who actually make the team and sign a rookie contract, most will play for only two or three years. And then what? Did they really get an education that will allow them to succeed in a world that places little value on their athletic prowess once they're off the field? They certainly possess some level of physical courage, but did they develop the moral courage needed to live good, productive lives? One can only hope they will come to an understanding of what is truly important in life, and do so sooner rather than later.

The trip up and down the East Coast also provided an opportunity to spend a few days with dear old friends in Virginia, the Lees, and in South Carolina, the Hathaways. Now that I think about it, our trip was characterized by what can only be called mooching. We exchanged houses with friends, visited other friends en route, and didn't spend a single night in a hotel. Ah well...at least all our friends know that they are welcome to do the same when they come to Florida to escape the cold and snows of winter.

We had a wonderful time, but as Dorothy said, "There's no place like home."

Olympics and other things

I must be getting old, turning into a kind of curmudgeon, because I find myself increasingly at odds with what our society offers up as good and worthy. No, that's not quite right. Society doesn't simply offer these things to us and tell us they're good; rather it throws them at us, rubs our noses in them, submerges us in their squalor, and then tells us to inhale deeply. It then attacks and intimidates any who might in the smallest way object to such treatment. Examples abound...

The reaction to the comments of Chick-fil-A President Dan Cathy are beyond belief. Well, they should be beyond belief, but in our increasingly decadent society, you can safely believe them. Mr. Cathy, speaking of his company, simply said:

"We are very much supportive of the family -- the biblical definition of the family unit. We are a family-owned business, a family-led business, and we are married to our first wives. We give God thanks for that. We intend to stay the course. We know that it might not be popular with everyone, but thank the Lord, we live in a country where we can share our values and operate on biblical principles." 

Omigosh! The man unwittingly pulled a half-dozen politically incorrect triggers and apparently exposed himself as an ignorant, intolerant, homophobic troglodyte. No doubt Eric Holder has already put together a team of prosecutors to investigate the criminal acts that obviously lie behind such comments. The reactions from across this once-great land were near instantaneous.

Mayor Menino "talking"

Mayor Tom Menino, perhaps the most inarticulate mayor in America, reacted with remarkable stupidity and declared that Chick-fil-A didn't belong in Boston, the city that boasted the Freedom Trail. It would seem Mr. Cathy, by exercising his freedom of speech in support of values held by the vast majority of Americans for over two centuries, is to be denied that freedom in a city that played such a major role in our nation's fight for freedom. The mayor only reinforces my decision almost a decade ago to leave Massachusetts for Florida. In Chicago too -- where else but corrupt, murderous Chicago? -- Chick-fil-A's despicable values were declared not to be "Chicago's values." Similar comments gushed forth from many of the nation's self-proclaimed smart people.

Personally, I'm with Mr. Cathy. Homosexual marriage is an abomination. The homosexual lifestyle is sinful, just as fornication and adultery and abortion and theft and murder are sinful. One cannot engage in any of these and lead the kind of holy life God wants for us.

I've also decided to visit our local Chick-fil-A on Monday and consume one of their salads (I'm on a diet) in support of Mr. Cathy and his family. I'd go tomorrow after Mass, but Chick-fil-A, in open defiance of market economics, has a "closed on Sunday" policy. Our local Chick-fil-A has also supported one of the ministries dear to my heart: the Wildwood Soup Kitchen, thus giving me another reason to support them in turn.

To read more on Chick-fil-A and its maniacal detractors, check out Mark Steyn's latest column.

Some still enjoy the Olympics

Then there are the Olympics. In truth, I really don't care about the Olympic Games. I don't care if the US athletes win or lose. I don't care about gold medal count or new world records. Why bother? The Olympics are no longer the global venue they once were for amateur athletes to compete worthily in a display of true sportsmanship. The games have simply become another arena for professional athletes to display their oversized egos on a grander scale. Gone is any pretense of gentlemanly competition among amateur athletes. The Olympics have been transformed into a series of in-your-face events, more similar to Roman gladiatorial bouts than real sport. The fact that all athletes must be tested for drugs, blood doping, and other performance enhancing techniques says much about the place of sportsmanship in the Olympics and our society at large. And have you noticed the almost religious nature of so many of the Olympic ceremonies? Watching them is like participating in some ancient pagan ritual -- all very bizarre. Most readers probably disagree with me, but, hey, we all have a right to waste our time in different ways. For me, I will find something else to occupy me during the next few weeks

Perhaps one of the best indicators of the direction of our society is how much we pay professional athletes and entertainers. Have you noticed how business people come under constant attack for the money they make, but we rarely hear a word about the compensation enjoyed by celebrities? And yet businesses create jobs for the rest of us and provide useful products and services rather than mere entertainment. I suspect, though, that celebrities and even many business people make far more money than they truly deserve, and I fear for their salvation because so many never seem satisfied with what they have. Don't they realize that their talents aren't self-generated but are gifts from God? Their praise and thanks should be directed toward Him and not toward themselves. And their energies should be directed not toward the pursuit of more money, but toward the pursuit of good. How did St. Paul put it?

"For the love of money is the root of all evils, and some people in their desire for it have strayed from the faith and have pierced themselves with many pains." [1 Tim 6:10]

Excess is never attractive, nor is it good for the soul. (All you celebrity junkies might want to read this article on celebrity excess -- both sad and funny.)  I certainly don't envy the rich, whether they are business people or athletes or rock stars or actors or corrupt politicians. Money has never been a particularly strong motivator for me and certainly no sane person can possibly enjoy being envious. (I am far more susceptible to other of the deadly sins.) The trouble is, the extravagant lifestyles fueled by all this money can be very attractive to young people. This becomes evident when one observes the more talented college athletes as they enter the ranks of professionals. They seem to be afflicted with a sense of entitlement, an attitude nourished and encouraged by parents, coaches, and school administrators from the time their talent first manifested itself. At some colleges, and Penn State is just one obvious recent example, the standing of the school's athletic programs trumps most other considerations, even basic morality. Many of our society's newly discovered "values" have apparently migrated from the world of professional sports and entertainment to the rest of society. Of course, many of these values originated in the academic halls, so it is only fitting that they should ultimately infect the field house and the stadium.

Focusing only on the health of the college and university, I offer a most radical solution: the complete elimination of intercollegiate sports and their replacement with intramural athletic programs. This, of course, will never happen, not because of a love for sport, but because of a love for money. These programs are simply too profitable. And, as always, St. Paul is proven correct.

Lest I sound too pessimistic about our society, let me conclude with a more positive observation. It relates to one of the good things that came out of the tragedy in that Aurora, Colorado movie theater. The manly virtue of sacrifice above self is still alive within many Americans. A number of the men who lost their lives did so by intentionally placing their own bodies in the line of fire to protect the women they were with. God bless them and keep them. You see, it's the good people of this country, the hard-working folks we know and see every day, who live and keep the values we hold dear, who truly set this nation's standards. It's not the politicians or the baseball players or the movie actors. It is the people who give me hope, not the president.