On this “Super Bowl Sunday,” many (most?) are gathering at their favorite watering hole, home, or other location to watch a game while overeating and imbibing various beverages. The amount spent on food and said drinks (whether at home or elsewhere) is probably comparable to the annual budget of some states or smaller countries. All for a game. Don’t get me wrong; I love watching such games (I’ve been a Chicago Cubs fan since 1971), but I am flummoxed at the adoration for athletes who play a game.
I looked up the cost of a single ticket to this annual fete’ of football; $6,149.00 plus $300.00 for parking! Add to this any food purchases made during the game, and you are getting into some serious money for a game! Fans who arrive without tickets will be paying MUCH more from ticket scalpers; they do so willingly to watch the ‘big game’ regardless of the cost.
I looked up the cost of a single ticket to this annual fete’ of football; $6,149.00 plus $300.00 for parking! Add to this any food purchases made during the game, and you are getting into some serious money for a game! Fans who arrive without tickets will be paying MUCH more from ticket scalpers; they do so willingly to watch the ‘big game’ regardless of the cost.
The death of Kobe Bryant (and those with him) in a tragic accident recently seemed to highlight the shift in our nation as to what is newsworthy and what isn’t. While this man was indeed a great athlete worthy of praise for his efforts on the court and while the manner of his death was heartbreaking, it boggles the mind at the outpouring of angst not only on television and the print media, but billboards (electronic and otherwise) around the city. “Legend” reads the display with an image of Mr. Bryant. Dramatic, yes, but why all this attention for someone who played a game?
The same weekend that the news of Mr. Bryant’s death was flashed around the world, other events had transpired that seemed to escape the notice of most of the media. The report that in the preceding week seven police officers had died in the line of duty and a helicopter crash had killed 12 MARINES and sailors. All you heard in the “main-stream media” about this was…zip, nada, crickets. Why is that? Why are those who play a game viewed as so much more worthy of respect and honor than those who serve to protect our nation at home and abroad?
More of our military are dying by their own hand than being killed in combat; additionally, a noticeable increase in the suicide rate of law enforcement and other first responders has been reported in some areas. Why is this? Could it be because the trauma and tragedy these men and women endure daily cause them to question the worth of living in a society that pours adulation on athletes, but ignores (at best) or vilifies those who make this sacrifice?
More of our military are dying by their own hand than being killed in combat; additionally, a noticeable increase in the suicide rate of law enforcement and other first responders has been reported in some areas. Why is this? Could it be because the trauma and tragedy these men and women endure daily cause them to question the worth of living in a society that pours adulation on athletes, but ignores (at best) or vilifies those who make this sacrifice?
Why?
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