Sunday, March 09, 2014
Sunday Reflection: The Religion of Sports
Last night was the high school hockey championships here in Minnesota. The Xcel Center was packed, and like lots of other people, I watched on television (the game is televised state-wide). It's a pretty remarkable event, and die-hard fans can remember games from decades ago. There are fascinating sub-plots, like the tiny schools from the north woods like Roseau and Warroad who make it to St. Paul nearly every year.
It's got some similarities to the way football is in Texas, and in both instances it's not uncommon to hear people to refer to the sports as a "religion."
I have never liked that description. Religion takes many forms, but it isn't often, at its heart, about competition and besting others.
I might be wrong... how do you see it?
It's got some similarities to the way football is in Texas, and in both instances it's not uncommon to hear people to refer to the sports as a "religion."
I have never liked that description. Religion takes many forms, but it isn't often, at its heart, about competition and besting others.
I might be wrong... how do you see it?
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Other than, what some would call the corruption of 'open enrollment' - sport is one of few activities that, especially during March, continues to unite high school and college communities and alum to aspired success and past glories. Imagine if we could capture those moments and emotions more often in daily life. . .
Daily Life. . .
Over these past few days, I could not escape Nataliya’s comment regarding the Ukraine, “. . . leadership that knows how to do ‘corruption well’”
“What should the rest of (us) the world do?”
Reflecting upon the reverberating cry, “Bring down that wall,” has complacency not institutionalized ‘invisible walls’ that accompany the visible?
Will we continue to pay homage at the ‘altar of crude’ and go beyond ’12 Generations a Slave’ to its bondage and ever be released from the clutches of resource and / or commodity manipulation?
Imagine if the Ukrainian leaders had not mortgaged their future with one corrupt natural gas ‘deal’ after another with Russia and had achieved a more balanced price for their agricultural bounty. Imagine their nation today if shared sacrifice had been embraced and the opportunity seized to invest in infrastructure, expanding its agricultural storage, transportation and shipping facilities.
Efficiencies are best cultivated and nurtured transparently while held close at hand – ‘treasure hunting’ for the least common (least expensive) denominator (cost / price) often leads to remote procurement and local abandonment and multiple generations of slavery to the lowest price . . .
For those who rhetorically continue to wave the banner of American Exceptionalism, how many in our nation have been kidnapped like Solomon Northup and shackled with its deterioration. For whom do our decision makers provide exceptional infrastructure, neighborhoods, safety, schools, health care, financial security, retirement options, clean air, clean water and . . . ?
Are we not starring into a similar abyss as the Ukrainians? Although, our chasm is not as transparent as our leaders have mastered the art of doing ‘corruption well’ . . .
Exceptionalism, will you return so 'All' can celebrate as the Professor's hometown Edina Hornets did last night in repeating as state champions?
Daily Life. . .
Over these past few days, I could not escape Nataliya’s comment regarding the Ukraine, “. . . leadership that knows how to do ‘corruption well’”
“What should the rest of (us) the world do?”
Reflecting upon the reverberating cry, “Bring down that wall,” has complacency not institutionalized ‘invisible walls’ that accompany the visible?
Will we continue to pay homage at the ‘altar of crude’ and go beyond ’12 Generations a Slave’ to its bondage and ever be released from the clutches of resource and / or commodity manipulation?
Imagine if the Ukrainian leaders had not mortgaged their future with one corrupt natural gas ‘deal’ after another with Russia and had achieved a more balanced price for their agricultural bounty. Imagine their nation today if shared sacrifice had been embraced and the opportunity seized to invest in infrastructure, expanding its agricultural storage, transportation and shipping facilities.
Efficiencies are best cultivated and nurtured transparently while held close at hand – ‘treasure hunting’ for the least common (least expensive) denominator (cost / price) often leads to remote procurement and local abandonment and multiple generations of slavery to the lowest price . . .
For those who rhetorically continue to wave the banner of American Exceptionalism, how many in our nation have been kidnapped like Solomon Northup and shackled with its deterioration. For whom do our decision makers provide exceptional infrastructure, neighborhoods, safety, schools, health care, financial security, retirement options, clean air, clean water and . . . ?
Are we not starring into a similar abyss as the Ukrainians? Although, our chasm is not as transparent as our leaders have mastered the art of doing ‘corruption well’ . . .
Exceptionalism, will you return so 'All' can celebrate as the Professor's hometown Edina Hornets did last night in repeating as state champions?
Non sequitur trivia:
The U.S. has never won a gold medal in hockey (men or women, done twice by the men and once by the women) without a player from Warroad, Minn., (pop. 1,779) on the team.
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The U.S. has never won a gold medal in hockey (men or women, done twice by the men and once by the women) without a player from Warroad, Minn., (pop. 1,779) on the team.
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