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| source: benchwarmerblues |
After the game ended, Lewis and Foster autographed and exchanged their game jerseys. The radio talking head expounded on "sense of history of the game, two warriors, good friends, blah, blah, blah...". I guess it's hard to kill 6 hours on radio when you don't take phone calls.
I have nothing against Ray Lewis (except he doesn't play for the Bears) or Arian Foster (except he doesn't play for the Bears). Both men are well skilled and well compensated. Both men are amongst the best at there position. Their exchange of jerseys is a nice gesture but nothing more. Their jersey exchange is the same as two mid-level managers (as common as pro athletes these days) trading pencil cups at a trade show. If Lewis and Foster exchanged autographed jerseys for a charity auction, now that's something great.
I am an avid fan of pro sports. It's time pro sports be placed in proper perspective, even on networks that cover athletics.
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How much are these "middle managers" paid? Their "celebrity" is proportional to the value our society places on males, brawn, and the often-times brutal sport of football. I would love to see football and other exalted male sports programs having to hold bake sales and book sales to try to fund their programs, and child care and special needs “middle managers” be paid millions of dollars for the challenging work of caring for and educating the youngest members of our society. Ya think?
ReplyDeletePro athletes are paid as entertainers. Unfortunately entertainers and pro athletes are given way too much adoration for what some of them contribute to society. It's not the fault of entertainers or athletes that they make boatloads of money: I wouldn't turn down the paycheck if someone offered me that kind of dough. I hope I wouldn't gain the sense of entitlement that many of the fore mentioned wealthy have.
ReplyDeleteI would like to see teachers get a pay bump, but how many citizens are willing to take the tax hit to raise teacher pay? It's easier to make your grandkids pay more taxes to build prisons.
Two final notes: The exalted male sports programs in college (as dirty as all of them are) subsidize many other non-revenue sports including most women's athletics programs. I wouldn't throw out the baby with the bath water. Finally, Good to see your handle again, Vena. Hope you had a Happy New Year and things are well for your family.