sappy sentiments: my convoluted angle on the whole bertuzzi thing
As a society, fear that all perspective has been lost. Personally, I seem to have misplaced it somewhere between my subscription to Sports Illustrated and my wide screen TV, tuned to the sporting channel de jour.
Repeatedly and inexplicably, we ascribe a high value to the actions of overpaid athletes while ignoring the injustices levied against defenseless children. (Would someone please think of the children?)
While outraged at the Bertuzzi sucker punch, I am somewhat embarrassed to admit that I would never have learned of the trial Christine Blatchford is currently covering had her column not appeared in the sports section of the online edition of the Globe today. Gulp.
On the surface, I may seem to care more about box scores and save percentages than I do about the child who's dismemberment I cannot begin comprehend. While I hope I'm not that shallow, I fear that I may be. Example: For as far back as my short term memory can recall, my 10 PM television viewing ritual has been Sportscentre, and not The National. In the morning, my first inclination is to turn to the sports page rather than the front page of the newspaper. I listen to sports radio rather than CBC Radio One. ESPN.com is my fave web page and not news.google.com.
Why?
Here is what I think I think: As the father of two children under the age of six, I tend to distract myself from everyday evils that haunt the non-sporting news. I intentionally shelter myself, and the kids, from news like the trial you are covering. I don't really want to think about the horrors that some feel the need to inflict on innocent faces like those that shine at me in my rear-view mirror. Rather than attempting to digest indigestible realities, I force feed myself the pabulum of sport.
I don't know that if this is the right thing to do or not. I like to think that it is. I keep telling myself that the ubiquitous presence media outlets only make us feel like there are more atrocities being committed than there were 20 years ago. Here are some stats that back this up.
Just beneath the tint of my rose colored glasses I know that it's my children who I am here to protect and nurture, and that it is their well being that matters most; mattering far more than the success of the home side, or the act of a man who while highly skilled in the intricacies of the left wing lock, offers little else that truly matters.
Todd Bertuzzi's actions, however grievous, are a sole responsibility of the NHL and their ability, or lack thereof, to deal with.
//do-gooder miss america pagent contestant mode on//
As a society we should take time to better understand our priorities. Personally, each of us should attempt to make some changes - not in an effort to prevent future Bertuzzi-like acts on the ice, but in an effort to understand that there really are more important things in life than ball and stick games. I just have to a look in my backseat.
//do-gooder miss america pagent contestant mode off//
That's some serious sap. Thank you for reading.
Repeatedly and inexplicably, we ascribe a high value to the actions of overpaid athletes while ignoring the injustices levied against defenseless children. (Would someone please think of the children?)
While outraged at the Bertuzzi sucker punch, I am somewhat embarrassed to admit that I would never have learned of the trial Christine Blatchford is currently covering had her column not appeared in the sports section of the online edition of the Globe today. Gulp.
On the surface, I may seem to care more about box scores and save percentages than I do about the child who's dismemberment I cannot begin comprehend. While I hope I'm not that shallow, I fear that I may be. Example: For as far back as my short term memory can recall, my 10 PM television viewing ritual has been Sportscentre, and not The National. In the morning, my first inclination is to turn to the sports page rather than the front page of the newspaper. I listen to sports radio rather than CBC Radio One. ESPN.com is my fave web page and not news.google.com.
Why?
Here is what I think I think: As the father of two children under the age of six, I tend to distract myself from everyday evils that haunt the non-sporting news. I intentionally shelter myself, and the kids, from news like the trial you are covering. I don't really want to think about the horrors that some feel the need to inflict on innocent faces like those that shine at me in my rear-view mirror. Rather than attempting to digest indigestible realities, I force feed myself the pabulum of sport.
I don't know that if this is the right thing to do or not. I like to think that it is. I keep telling myself that the ubiquitous presence media outlets only make us feel like there are more atrocities being committed than there were 20 years ago. Here are some stats that back this up.
Just beneath the tint of my rose colored glasses I know that it's my children who I am here to protect and nurture, and that it is their well being that matters most; mattering far more than the success of the home side, or the act of a man who while highly skilled in the intricacies of the left wing lock, offers little else that truly matters.
Todd Bertuzzi's actions, however grievous, are a sole responsibility of the NHL and their ability, or lack thereof, to deal with.
//do-gooder miss america pagent contestant mode on//
As a society we should take time to better understand our priorities. Personally, each of us should attempt to make some changes - not in an effort to prevent future Bertuzzi-like acts on the ice, but in an effort to understand that there really are more important things in life than ball and stick games. I just have to a look in my backseat.
//do-gooder miss america pagent contestant mode off//
That's some serious sap. Thank you for reading.
posted by Mike McAllister @ 4:44:00 PM
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