Saturday, February 18, 2017

A Play, in Two Acts

A nice read on Bill Simmon's site, The Ringer, on Sports and Politics.

Sports, Worship and You

It's a nice theory, but I have a better one. But first, read this piece of damage control:

https://twitter.com/Rachel__Nichols/status/833038757410512898

You, sports writer, are a celebrity worshiper.

Of course, you are sympathizing with the underdog! Who happens to be your lifeline to a better life, to more prestige, to more fame for yourself. The tweet above is my exhibit A. Kyrie Irving, if you haven't heard, thinks the Earth is flat. Rachel Nichols is in full damage control mode, but Irving never says he doesn't think the world is round. He rambles a bit about the state of media and reporting. And to someone with a vested interest in keeping the celebrity happy makes sense of it and falls in line for damage control.

She follows up by stating that he did get into Duke, after all. Because no one with screwy ideas could ever go to Duke, right? And it's not like anyone with screwy ideas could ever teach at Duke, right?

Maybe celebrity worshiper is too much. Celebrity enabler is more appropriate.

They feel like they're courageous, but really, I think they're motivated by fear. Fear of losing access to the golden goose. In that, they're now exactly like their political counterparts.

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