Pro sports is full of players who haven't finished college. In some cases they have forgone college all together. That annoys so many people. They (and probably u too) espouse their disdain and concern for the student athlete that does not get the security of their college degree. "What if something happens?" "What if they need something to fall back on?" "It's not right." "Something should be done to protect these players."
The next time you catch yourself feeling this way and saying these statements, and you probably will, be sure to say the following to yourself:
Honestly, you really don't care.
Seriously, you don't. You don't give a rat's ass about these people. You are not worried for one moment about the well being of these people and I can prove it. If that player quits college right this minute and goes to work minimum wage at the local factory of his home town, you, the fans, the ESPN broadcasters and everyone one else will not give a single moment of thought to that person. All will sleep well at night and do. You don't care. You have never cared.
Here is the only time you care. When that person leaves or ignores college to sign a multi million dollar contract. That is the moment and the only moment that you care. There is a healthy number of these concerned folks don't even follow the sport they are concerned about. Think back, is that when you feel it? Is that the moment you find the on ramp to your moral high road? Here are some other questions to ask:
When have I been outraged about tennis players leaving college early to play the pro tour? (the women play as young as 15yrs and there is no guaranteed money like football or basketball)
When have I been outraged about NHL players being drafted directly out of high school as they always have been? (an entire ESPN special was solely based on how star high school prospect, Sidney Crosby, was going to graduate while the NHL was on a season long strike and that he would have no where to play and may have to play pro hockey in Europe until the strike was resolved. not one mention of his not going to college.)
How come I don't care that MLB has always drafted players directly from high school?
Why doesn't the NCAA have "leave early" rules for any sport other than football and basketball? (at least they have an honest excuse even thought claim they care about the athletes. it's the only two sports that the NCAA and the universities can make any money from)
So now that we know you don't really care, my question is:
Why do you act like you care so much?
Not that you care, but "On Record" posts are entries that are primarily my want to have certain points of view that I have stated for some time, to be officially recorded as my thoughts. I don't want to be the "after the fact" writer.
It's global warming, it's not global warming, we need better gas mileage, we should drive all the SUV's we want. Who hasn't heard some version of these arguments for more than a decade. Where I stand on global warming versus other people seems to be immaterial. Hearing all these "discussions" leads me to 1 and only 1 question:
Since when is being wasteful considered a good thing?
I'm serious, like the 7th year of a 3 year adjustable rate mortgage. I want someone to answer that question for me. More importantly, why have I never heard this question out of anyone on any side in any media?
Who, outside of the Rockefeller's, thinks back to their grandparents and waxes about their wasteful ways? I don't remember hearing stories of how Mamamaw and Papapaw rushed down to the superstore every weekend to buy disposable products they could quickly use up and throw away during World War II rationing. Would the "Greatest Generation" look fondly upon our need to get a new cell phone every 10 months? That is until the iPhone comes out which is the legal loophole one needs to upgrade their 4 month old Samsung BlackJack that they couldn't live without only weeks before.
People seem to be so proud of their great depression ancestors while I wonder how one can first brag on that and then later tell me, "I don't recycle because Penn & Teller showed that it costs more to recycle a bottle than to make a new one." I don't think that was the issue before us. The issue is that there is a limited supply of stuff. There is a limited amount of place to put the stuff that we are permanently done with.
Plain and simple, I don't see how being wasteful is a political issue or a morality play. Other than the American economy's need for consumer spending, how can people argue for being wasteful? Companies don't want to be wasteful. People don't brag about being wasteful, or at least they don't use that word when they do.
Some people that visit my home are actually annoyed that I don't have paper towels but rather kitchen rags/towels. The towels are neat and have nice patterns,. You can get a set of 3 for real cheap so I have about 12 or so in the house. Use them, they get dirty, I throw them in with the next load of wash. What is there to get annoyed about? I have owned my current house for 6 years and I only have the 12 towels versus how many paper towels that I would've used? When you get out of the shower would you dry yourself off with paper towels? How much would that cost you? Think back, did Mamamaw use paper towels in her kitchen?
So I haven't posted in over a month. I really wanted to keep most all posts to things fun and light. Alas, that is not my life. While I can be funny, not much about my life or thoughts are. Even my previous posts have a certain heaviness I cannot seem to avoid. So as not to have months pass between posts I will make an effort to simply post what runs through my mind. I don't think that I could really be ostracized much more than where I am at now, so I welcome you to my newly unfiltered (really its less filtered. unfiltered would likelyland me in some type of observatory facility) blog.
