Brains Not Included

Back in the day, yes we actually had day and nights back then with all the dinosaurs and cave people (politically correctness), sports figures could be looked up to. I remember such figures as "The Mick," "Whitey,"Gil Hodges, Elston Howard, "The Duke", "Pee Wee,""Roger,"and so on. These guys played their hearts out and the fans supported them. As a kid I could follow their exploits each night when my dad would come home with the evening paper.

You didn't need a second mortgage to go to the ball park. Prices were affordable and games were held, for the most part, during the afternoon. It was always something, especially during world series time, to listen to the game on the radio. During my Junior High School years the janitor, that's what he was called, not facilities engineer, janitor - had a small radio in his room and between classes he'd have a card on his door showing the score. Just listening to the radio and the commentator describe the game as it was being played gave a special feeling to the game. There was always a feeling of anticipation. What was happening next? Today the audience has been desensitized by the high speed graphics, commentary, special interviews with the players about anything. There was no instant replay, no squeezing in commercials as the batter adjusted his hitting glove. They didn't even have hitting gloves back then.

None of these guys got big salaries. They were only traded when their career was on the skids. I knew a handful of kids back in the old neighborhood who actually got autographed balls, trading cards or imagine this, their autograph books signed by the players. These kids didn't even have to pay a dime for this. They just waited around till after the game and the players were more than happy to oblige.

Their playing statistics really meant something. They were true and unadulterated. Not tainted by performance enhancing drugs. Their performance is what mattered and that's how they were judged.

Now look at what we have. Players who will charge $500 for an autographed baseball! Forget about seeing them after the game, it just doesn't happen. Just imagine paying somewhere in the $100 plus range for a ticket to a ball game. Forget about being near the infield. You'll need Congressional Bailout money to afford those seats!

So where is this all going? You've got these multi-million dollar prima donnas screwing up so royally you wonder where the brains of the public really are. Excuse me for my lack of ability, but I can't even begin to try and spell their names, so I'll just say the sport and they'll be guilty by association. This knot-head who plays football for the Giants takes a loaded gun into a crowded nightclub and proceeds to shoot himself in the leg. What was he thinking? Was this athlete so insecure and ashamed of his manhood (or lack thereof) that he needed this phallic symbol to make up for his short comings? Then he wonders why he's in trouble? Mayor Bloomberg said it right - lock him up. Judge Judy would look him in the eye and say "Are You Stupid?" This guy deserves to loose his contract, the position on the team, and any chance of inclusion in the hall of fame for his stupid disregard of others.

Now talk about team work. There's this clown who I guess plays basket ball. His team has kept him on the bench for reasons that are probably straight forward, the guy isn't a team player. Now he sits and cries that he wants to be traded, allowed to play, boo hoo! He signed a contract, a legally binding device that subjects him to the servitude of the team who owns the paper. He plays when they want him to. He sits when he is told. They own him. Period. Get over it.

These are just two examples of the lack of smarts these guys have. And yet, we as consumers buy into it and promote this culture. Brains not included.