Hail Caesar

The American coliseum brought to you every day of the week live in your hometown or in your very own home. Spectators to the games and the gladiators live and die by the mobs approval or disapproval. Think not; better look again perhaps you even attended in your local arena over the weekend. I know I did for my own brand of entertainment. Sport is an opiate for the masses and it keeps us from tearing down the wall of those in power. You don’t think about anything else while you watch your team do the what ever it is they do. Sport isn’t a bad thing, not really there are certainly beneficial things to sport; fitness, healthy competition, challenges to overcome, an emotional test and many more. However sport has become a business and it is corrupting. All of the good thing about sport can still be there but those things aren’t the focus anymore. Chemical enhancers have replaced fitness, win at all costs thinking regardless of the rules, and if your ability is good enough your social indiscretions can be overlooked. We teach this whether we mean to or not. When any athlete says I am not a role model I believe them because they are not role models or at least not role models I want to be an influence in anyone’s life. The athletes themselves don’t necessarily teach the bad behaviors though. We do that for them by reinforcing and rewarding their negative behavior. It goes back to little league teams. Those players who are talented or do well in the sport have their sins over looked. Late for practice, that’s okay run a lap but the kid who isn’t so good is off the team. Failing a class and you are the star whatever, we will find you a tutor if you are the so-so kid on the team, you are off the team or benched until the grade is improved. We are all about double standards in this country. If the star player gets in trouble with the law, some coach will come speak about how the opportunity to do better depends on this kid staying on the team. However is you aren’t so good at the sport, sorry kid you are all on your own with this one come see me if you get probation. We are the Dr. Frankenstein’s making the Ray Rice’s of the sporting world. Does that mean Ray Rice gets off for clocking his fiancé, No he should not get away with it, and he should be in jail. And if he were a Joe nobody he would be in jail. We allow this, not them. They have the bad habits, bad behaviors, etc. but we are the ones letting them get away with it. They do it because we let them. I can not say being able to play a sport well contributes nothing to the world because that would be a lie. Sport does inspire others to do better. However, excusing those athletes who excel in a sport of their anti-social behaviors, win at all costs drug taking, and others deviance creates a cycle, where people who see that if they are good enough they can do what ever they want. Think sport is not a business ask anyone who is broken by the sport and can no longer play how often all those people who used to cheer them on come around any more? Ask if they get those perks anymore or if they are excused for their sins? Bet the answer is no. They are the dead, they are the blood on the sand which gets raked away so the games can go on and the next batch of fresh meat can be thrown into fray. For the next group we can excuse from the rules of the social order. I’m not sure why anyone shakes their head and wonders why so many athletes don’t feel like they have to follow the rules. We simply don’t make them. And now when some athletes are being held accountable for their sins, rules that the rest of us have to follow. People are confused and are saying, “That is not how this is supposed to work.” It is how it is supposed to work. Still we flock to fill the seats and watch as those on the sand bleed and we ignore all the other sins of the world and breathe in a little deeper the poppy smoke. Well, that’s all for now, other stuff to follow most likely Happy Birthday if it’s your birthday and a very merry un birthday if it isn’t your birthday Thank you for reading, please subscribe, Have a great day and play nice in the neighborhood. Ciao, PS 3 / PS4 Gamer Tag: invisible don Invisible Don PO Box 4425 Roanoke VA 24015 Send me Post Cards … I love Post Cards