BENTON COUNTY — A couple of recent, well publicized, events indicate that our nation should step back and take a serious, soul-searching look at itself. The results of an investigation into the Sandusky/Penn State sexual abuse case should tell us we have allowed the power of sports to blind us to the events behind the game that we revere. The revelation that football coach Joe Paterno (Joe Pa to the fans that loved him) allowed the importance of the program’s reputation and revenues to compromise his own standards should be a warning to us all. An idol, a man who represented the very word integrity, fell prey to the influence of the game - power, money, winning. If the tipping over of Sadam Hussien’s statue after the fall of Iraq was a symbol of change in that country, the tarnished image of coach Joe Paterno should warn us about our constant search for heroes in the world of sports.
This is not an indictment of sports in any way. If you know anything about me, you know I love almost all sporting events. Football is my personal favorite, but for a different reason than many people choose. Having worked in industrial management my entire professional life, I marvel at the organizational abilities of those who put11 athletes on the field and produce a desired result with the goal of winning.
What I question is how we have allowed the money and power of athletics to so overshadow reality that even men of Joe Paterno’s character can be persuaded to allow the game to affect such serious decisions as the Sandusky situation.
No doubt all levels of any athletic competition - soccer, basketball, football, baseball or whatever - provide entertainment for millions of Americans. One cable television network proudly advertises they carry 700 football games for potential viewers. And, if you look at the television contracts for college and professional football, it is evident we spend a lot of time in front of the television set watching sports.
Are we, as a society, at fault for the atmosphere that allowed the Penn State sexual abuse scandal to reach the level being reported? Does the news media’s reporting of high school athletic events contribute to the problems some young people have with personal issues when they move into collegeprograms believing the system will overlook their mistakes?
When we read about riots in other countries provoked by soccer game outcomes, it is obvious it is not just America’s passion we are talking about. Success in the athletic world spills over into business and advertising of underwear, shoes, sports drinks, cereal and even cars.
It is hard not to wonder if we have allowed our individual search for idols to fill the void in our own lives that only one true GOD can fill.
Remember, I, too, watch football - lots of football - and some basketball and even a little baseball.
My own soul-searching reminds me I can easily spend too much time in watching sports like anyone else. But we, as a nation, need to check our priorities and ask ourselves what we are prioritizing for our future generations.
The recent defeat of the Bentonville school millage may indicate we are looking more closely at how much we are willing to pay for sports facilities at the high school level - or it might indicate that having a second high school would deplete the pool of athletes for the existing program.
We will never know for sure.
The amount of moneyinvolved in all sports, from T-ball to professionals, is enormous and a factor in our nation’s economy. From uniforms and aluminum bats to salaries for the top performers in any sport, there are enormous potentials for the entrepreneurs and the athletes. But when we take away the conscience of the individuals to the point that the goal is to perpetrate the image of the sports, we have gone too far.
Whether it be movies, music, politics or other entertainment vehicles, we need to look closely at how we allow ourselves to get caught up in the activity.
A football field can easily become a temple where we worship the athlete and the game on Saturday afternoon. It is important to recognize we are responsible for how deeply we allow ourselves to bedrawn into the activity. We are responsible to avoid a compromise of our own values to protect the event lest we perpetuate a view of sports that allows more Penn State type situations to exist.
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Leo Lynch, a native of Benton County has deep roots in northwest Arkansas. He is a retired industrial engineer and former Justice of the Peace. He can be contacted at [email protected].
Opinion, Pages 6 on 07/18/2012