Leon Kass prepares you for March Madness
March 10, 2008, 11:36 am
Posted by John McGreevy
Actually, the University of Chicago ethicist along with co-author Eric Cohen ponders the role of sports in our lives and the current steroid investigations. He thinks sports important to the culture (I agree), and worries that “sport has morphed into entertainment.” A key quote: A culture that degrades its heroes, especially the heroes of the young, will destroy the very idea of heroism. A society that gets used to steroids in sport will become even more cynical than it already is. A civilization shaped by the possibilities of biotechnical enhancement will erode the twin possibilities of gratitude and excellence. All that will remain are cartoon heroes and high-tech magic acts, and a life devoted to their soul-deforming amusements.
The cheating and flamboyant sports thew authors note are symptoms of the underlying problem which is money and greed.
The steroid era in baseball prevailed because all those homers lended new flair to the game.
Monster jocks in all major sports entertain us, with the video game spin off to match the crash and boom.
As Frank Deford as noted several times in his NPR comentarty, the hypocrisy of the NCAA is all about bringing in more dinero; March madness is a classic case controlled by big institutions who throw crumbs to ‘mid-majors” not to mention Diviiosn II and II.
The big schools control the “analysts” – “bracketologists” – who shill for them for big dough, especiasally at ESPN!
It’s even leached back into high school – a regular column on HS sports in Sports Illustrated, nationally televised high school football and basketball,
And we love it, especially, alums of the big schools who control that process.
I fear we can’t go back again to another day when sportsmanship and honesty mattered. There’s a wonderful weekly column by Jim Gordon called “The Anti-Fan” that appears in our daily and is worth a look as it continually shows the hypocritical underbely of sport today.
But there’s too much money at stake and his thoughts are generally going to be a voice crying in the wilderness.
An excellent article. The quote provided by John McGreevy is immediatley preceded by the language below, which I found both insightful and troubling:
“For the young fans who grow up in the age of biotechnical enhancement, the danger is greatest. The problem is not only that they will come to imitate their steroid-dependent role models, at great harm to their bodies and futures. The deeper danger is that the young will come to assume that everything fine is really fake; that human excellence is always compromised; that the greatest performances are always an illusion; that the curtain will inevitably be lifted to reveal the chemist lurking in the shadows.”
And I agree with Bob Nunz that professional sports (and I include the many NCAA sports as at least semi-professional) are drunk on money and greed. Still, perhaps there is hope when out of such a mess can come true sports heroes like a Cal Ripkin or a Brett Favre.
I agree. And in contrast, sports at their best can be truly inspirational.
Paul – Original Faith
for bob nunz
Can I get ‘the Anti fan” on the net?
Then I will scoff at Kass and Cohen because they perpetuate the myth they rail against. As they say the problem is as old as the Greeks and Romans. Augustine considered it a sin to go to the games and the Christians waiting for the Parousia minimized the import of sports.
Yet I am down with sports. There is a majesty here when done right is truly heavenly. I recall when the great linebacker of the New York Giants was found to use drugs I was truly disappointed. Especially as he was looked up to by children. It was a terrible moment. Yet I remember well the transcendent quality of LT concerning whom every opposing coach was most concerned with.
And take the pass from Manning to Burress this year. There is just nothing like the roar from my living room at that moment in time. Many of us can point to many other moments in sports. Williams, Dimaggio, Aaron, Ruth, Mays, Gretsky….
There is the skill but at the highest levels it has always been show business and the whole of human nature from the worst to the best will be seen in it.
We do have to continue to work to make sports better. It does have redeeming and even noble qualities. Yet we must remember that it is just a game and how people treat each other is the most important aspect. The latter is the humdrum and we cannot feature it on the six o clock news but it will always be the most uplifting thing of all we do.
Marty, I’ve had no success doing so.
Bill M. is part of the problem and not …
If Congress would get involved proactively, sports could be as wonderful as they once were.
And, I consider myself a spooret fan …ask my wife.