Who believes in karma?
I didn't until about five minutes ago, when my original draft of this article disappeared. The whole thing was a tongue-in-cheek homage to me, since the entire sports world seems to be one big exercise in self-promotion these days.
Well, consider me warned. Talking about myself will get me deleted. If I'm lucky, just from this website, not from Earth in general.
Unfortunately, that same revelation hasn't dawned upon most of our athletes. Sure, there'll always be the humble utility infielder who's just happy to have a job; the Jack Haleys of the world, cheering from the end of the bench. Although, if you think about it, Jack Haley was the poster child for "Look at me!"-ism, so perhaps that's a bad example.
The point is, for every Greg Maddux who efficiently throws ten different kinds of changeups, there's a Manny Ramirez who can be counted on to stare at a home run, even longer if the Sox happen to be losing. For every Jason Kidd threading the needle with a perfect bounce pass and running back down the court, we get to see Stephon Marbury beating his chest after hitting a jumper with the Knicks down by thirty (on the rare occasions he decides to show up, anyway).
At the end of the day, it makes sense. These guys are paid to be entertainers, and if nothing else, they certainly entertain. If not, there wouldn't be websites like this to recount their exploits and render our opinions. ESPN would lose half of its daily programming, and the blogosphere would shrivel up and die.
But wouldn't it be nice to appreciate just the act itself, whether it's that changeup, bounce pass, or perfect spiral, and not have to worry that the athlete who engineered the play is going to jump into the crowd demanding hugs and accolades? Chad Johnson is amusing with his antics, but most fans are more appreciative of the touchdown he just scored, or at least I hope that's the case.
So what are we left with? In an era demanding the instant highlight, the quick soundbite, or the witty one-liner, there's no room for consistency, overall performance, and behind-the-scenes production. No one shows up on SportsCenter for setting a legal screen, after all. Although, one could argue that's because there hasn't been a legal screen since SportsCenter debuted, but I digress.
In spite of it all, though, we ARE entertained, and we do write about it, and talk about it at bars and in living rooms across the country. As long as the games are played, there will always be the asthetic beauty and the awe-inspiring talent to override any of the "me first" drama associated with sports, and THAT is why we love sports.
Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to find an end zone full of fans to jump into. What would my first column be without that, right?
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6 months ago
If the Ryan Smyths of the world battle on, and we pay no attention, it's okay. We have Sean Avery to discuss.
Excellent article.
from 5 months ago
Thank you for the comment = ) And if I recall, Ryan Smyth was the guy who bawled when he was traded away from Edmonton, right? His hometown team?
6 months ago
Frankly, I am tiring of the "Watch Me" attitude of athletes from the Pros on down to the Recreation League 9 year old who bows to the crowd when he gets a WALK in baseball! I find myself watching the History Channel instead of sports programming - just for that reason. The Chicago Bulls scored 150 points the other night and you would have thought they won the NBA title - they are 32 and 49 and are probably going to lose 50 this year. I am actually going to their final game this season against Toronto and I plan on boing the first Bull who displays the "Watch Me" act!
I did watch golf this weekend and the subdued winner from "South Africa" was refreshing. But then again he wasn't from the US so what does that tell us?
This was a good article and it appears that you are still a sports fanatic but maybe as you get older, the rare moments may not be enough to get you to continue to watch.
5 months ago
A great article on the "super star sports era". Arrogance and conceit rule the airwaves. As much as I hate to say it, image sells over substance. It sells tickets, newspapers, air time, shoes, apparel, stickers, posters, sports drinks, and even razors.
As a society, we have idolized athletes (and other public performers) into making them "our own". Hence, the terms "my boy" or "my girl".
So when our claimed idol does something notable on the field or in their theater of trade, we feel better about ourselves. It has lowered the depth of character and personal responsibility in our media-driven society. Such idolatry is enormous power handed to an individual; from there, power corrupts and few people can handle it. It can be addictive, like a drug. It can lead to pressure-pack stress because who wants to lose that kind of power and influence? Whether or not it is an athlete, a singer, an actor, or a daytime talkshow host, American society has made these people their role model for more than just their plied trade instead of seeking their own way.
Athletes (and others) have cashed in on it and they know that drawing attention to themselves is only giving themselves more money as a bankable star and giving their fans more of what they crave by association- personal success. Just my opinion.
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