We like to pretend that sports represent the best of life or a person. However, while it’s probably true that sports represent life, it’s the “best of” part you can leave off that statement.
Sports, at this point, are an exact microcosm of the world. It is a near perfect match to the real world and all that goes with it. Yes, there are some extraordinary conquests, personal and team-oriented. There are fabulous events and times of courage and determination in which people overcome overwhelming odds to achieve their goal, just like in “the real world.”
All that being said, what goes up must come down. Sports, possibly even with a sharper glaring spotlight, are now highlighting all that is wrong with the world. As an avid fan of nearly all things sports, it pains me to see some of these qualities come to light.
Greed, inequality, selfishness, corruption and entitlement all are terms that can easily be associated with the sports world today. While they more than hold their own in the sleazy part of the sports world, owners, management and governing bodies take all of those to new levels.
What do sports show us?
They show us that the rich get richer (see: the New York Yankees). Do I really need to say anything further? In a nutshell, the Yankees show us that the rules simply do not apply when you have more money than you know what to do with.
The Yankees twist rules, loopholes and legal terms to suit their needs. Call them the hedge fund/Wall Street bankers of the sports world.
And what do they do when times get tough? Just like the banks/Wall Street guys, they beg for a bailout. The Yankees couldn’t resist giving Alex Rodriguez a quarter of a billion dollars and now, when things are not exactly working out? They beg for higher intervention in an attempt to void his contract.
Like I said, Wall Street.
Sports also give us teams like the Miami Marlins. The Marlins are like the sleazy bar owner that owns the hottest, biggest nightclub in town, but every so often burn it down to save some money only to start over under a different name.
We are shown that no matter how hard you try or how much solid work you put in, it will lose to the Walmarts of the world. The Kansas City Royals, Pittsburgh Pirates and Oklahoma City Thunder are perfect examples of this. All the hard work and “family atmosphere” in the world do not hold water when money comes calling.
These small market franchises are, year after year, forced to make hard decisions based solely on money and end up standing idly by as talent walks out of the door for “greener” pastures.
Sports show us that a group of good ole boys behind closed doors still run the show. The NCAA with its outdated policies, corrupt governing body and millions upon millions of dollars best exemplifies Congress (or nearly every other legislative body these days). The NCAA refuses to have a level playing field and continue to funnel millions of dollars to people that have nothing to actually do with sports or what’s happening on the field.
Sounds like Congress to me.
I think more than anything else, sports shows us that all things being equal, loyalty, hard work and “love of the game,” are trumped by money and talent — just like the real world. As much as I loved basketball and worked insistently at it, I had the bad luck to be born a 5-foot-7, chubby guy instead of a physically gifted 7-footer. Sometimes things just don’t work out like you want.
And make no mistake with all this griping, I will be right there watching like I always am. For as warped as she may be, I still love her — my world of sports.
Richard Clark is the consolidated desk chief for Halifax ENC. You can reach him at 910-219-8452 or at Richard.Clark@jdnews.com. Follow him on Twitter at @kpaws22.