College and Professional Sports
Sport should be an extension of our human existence. An opportunity to demonstrate the limits we can individually apply without an expectation of extrinsic reward. Sport for the pleasure of the movement.
Certainly this is an ideal that education has held throughout history. But our amateur sporting activities in this country (USA) have reached a point where they are threathened with extinction in favor of the professional model.
In the mid-1990's, I spent a year in England with the Fulbright program. While there I was continually amazed at the homage paid to the Monarchy. Why do these people venerate these wealthy people who have achieved their status simply because they were born into it? Then it dawned on me that in the US we similarly revere professional athletes and media/movie stars. We pay homage to people who earn millions of dollars for exhibiting a skill that entertains us. They often have few redeeming qualities, they often engage in behavior that is contrary to most people's values, and they frequently can't even perform their skill at a level one might equate with a highly paid professional (How can a professional basketball player miss 30 to 50% of their free throws?).
College sports are not far from this exaggerated model. We "pay" college athletes to perform in their sports through awarding "scholarships" but we make a joke in many cases of the expectations for academic success. These athletes are there to play - and while most ARE dutiful students, the most visible are often not serious about working to receive an education. If receiving a "higher education" is the ticket to success for life, then shouldn't colleges and universities spend their money where it can do the most good - on ALL students and not just a few. What if a university fielded football team made up of regular students, though talented athletically, who knew the sport and played games capably but without an athletic scholarship. If the team performed well - wouldn't crowds still come and watch? I think they would.
Although I respect the talent displayed by actors and athletes, I think the resources we exhaust on these events would be better spent on innumerable other more important activities. If all the money spent on athletics in most universities were channelled into all students we would be less dependent on government subsidies to fund our programs. We could probably go a long way to provide health care to all and make poverty less of a problem if we spent all that "professional" money toward that objective?
Why Isn't Soccer Bigger in the US
Yet another Men's World Cup has come and gone, why isn't this a much bigger deal in the US? I have some thoughts on this topic.
First, despite the fact that thousands of children play youth soccer, as the athletes go up the ladder, opportunities decrease. American football, basketball, and baseball are OUR sports - grown and developed in the US and the dominant sports in our cuture and they will always be so. Soccer is foreign born and although adopted by many it isn't OUR sport.
The major precursor to our professional sports world is collegiate sports. At the collegiate level Men's soccer is scarse. Due to decisions based upon finances and equity most of the preeminent sports universities don't even play men's soccer and thus exposure is low at the collegiate level. The MLS is relatively obscure compared with other sports leagues coverage. If men's soccer were more available and promoted at the collegiate level, professional soccer would have a greater following. I recently watched the 2006 NCAA Men's Championship Team - UC Santa Barbara. It was a great game, broadcast on Fox Soccer Channel. But how many US sport fans even know UC Santa Barbara, let alone recognize it as a current soccer power?
The signing of David Beckham (even with his injuries preventing competition) by the LA Galazy in 2007 brings with it a promise of greater notoriety for soccer in America. However, I am not optimistic that this will make any significant difference in our passion for the sport. And of course, in 2009, Beckham went on loan to AC Milan and is seeking to escape his contract with the Galazy to remain in Italy. so much for his commitment toseeing soccer rise in America.