"When you lose, say little. When you win, say less. Everyone can see the score."
– Al Shaver, sportscaster
September – Ahhh, the month that marks the return of cooler weather and weekend football has finally arrived. Here in Texas, after a summer of heat-domed indoor confinement, both will be greatly welcomed. And hopefully, both will draw attention away from the Red vs. Blue game of partisan politics. Football is beautifully instructive and reminds us that, win or lose, we are all Americans.
Animal Spirits – Homo sapiens, being an emotional species, is wired for action, not always logical, and often quick to anger. I’m as guilty as the next person of cursing at the TV and other drivers – even though the people on television never respond, and fortunately, the other drivers don’t. The fact remains: animal spirits are a thing, and Americans are experts at making money on such things. ESPN was created in 1979, providing round-the-clock sports to address the demand for vicarious competition. Then in 1996, Fox News and MSNBC opportunistically copied this money-making playbook, thereby advancing the Red vs. Blue games to NFL equivalence. Throw in the internet, along with our ubiquitous mobile phones, and BOOM – these commercial creations have forever changed the game of politics. Partisan cheerleaders make millions from the safety of their sideline studios, while big and speedy Social Media runs a Lombardi power sweep (here) over everyone. The results: politicians now kowtow to party extremists … vitriol washes across the fruited plain … and deluded misfits are triggered into tearing things down and shooting things up. Sadly, there’s no referee to whistle time out.
Games of Impact – A funny thing … for all the time spent following sports and politics, the details and excitement of the day’s action quickly fade from memory. Both, however, do leave lasting impressions. Therefore, today’s partisan playbooks have one message: ALL the players on the other side are crazy, evil, or both … and deserving of a painful demise. By way of contrast, football showcases our better angels: character, competence, courage, teamwork, respect, adherence to rules, and grace in victory … as well as defeat. Weekend games are reminders of these qualities, and provide a needed reset … kind of like going to church on Sundays (eye-rolls from the wives).
Priorities – People will fight over anything, often forgetting that discretion is the better part of valor. Years ago, my mother and aunt, neither having experienced frontline combat, stumbled into the fray over who should have Grandmother’s old teacups. The miscalculation forever damaged their relationship, but the winner did gain the pleasure of dusting the teacups off once a year. On the other hand, my father (staunch Republican) and his best friend, Bill (hard-core Democrat), were both decorated World War II veterans. The experience of war had reordered their priorities and tempered their desire for conflict. Valuing their relationship, Dad and Bill simply agreed to never discuss politics, and thereby maintained a beautiful lifelong friendship. I often wonder what these quiet-spoken veterans of actual wars would think about today’s whining voices and culture wars. But I don’t doubt that they would be disgusted by self-interested politicians using their party and country for personal gain.
But hey, Americans are always looking for a game, even one involving tea cups. I suppose that ‘owning’ the other side provides bursts of satisfaction, but where’s the long-term payoff in trash-talking teammates? Especially when we have big games ahead, with formidable opponents (China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, terrorists, etc.) studying their playbooks and scouting us out. A better game plan might focus on these priorities: friendship over partisanship, country over party, democracy over dictators.
A Ghostly Reminder – Harold ‘Red’ Grange (click here for a terrific story and video) was a three-time All-American halfback with the University of Illinois and THE football star of his day. Just as cable TV elevated the game of politics, Grange’s signing with the Chicago Bears in 1925 helped legitimize the National Football League. In 2008, ESPN named Grange the best college football player of all time. And yet … few people today would recognize the name or face of the ‘Galloping Ghost’. His photo above captures the spirits of a bygone era, and serves as a reminder: all the people and passions of the present … like those of the past …will one day too be gone with the wind.
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