There is quite a loud “call” to watch the Super bowl. It is
everywhere. It is hard to escape. Nearly everyone will watch it and nearly
everyone will talk about it. The talk has already begun The game will be analyzed, critiqued and the
masses will offer their pontifications.
Very few will ever question this call to watch the game.
Somehow participating in this game (well not really participating, but sitting
and watching and yelling), seems to be our response to something that resembles a God given calling. It has become
almost like a national holiday, a ‘religious’ day and the norm of most of
society. To many people this game, the social gatherings around it and the commercials is the greatest
entertainment event of the year.
If for no other reason other than the fact that it seems as
though everyone else is doing it, I question it. Since when do we assume the
masses are right?
I pose the question: What would it take for someone to
decide to not be engaged in the game? What would it have to take for someone to
say this has gone far enough and to admit that something is deeply wrong here
and refuse to be a part of it? Could
this game and all that is built around it ever feel deeply morally and
spiritually wrong to the point where we feel it could be wrong to watch ? What would it take?
Could it be the millions and millions of dollars made by
many different parties involved? Could it be the poor role models and poor
sportsmanship demonstrated by many of the athletes and coaches and fans? Could
it be the human sex trafficking that takes place around this event? Could it be
that we realize that there must be something barbaric and desperate inside of
us that wants to watch a game of such violence? Could it be all the drinking
and partying associated with the game and people acting foolishly? Could it be an awareness that we become addicted to this game and “need” this event to feel
‘alive’? Could it be that we have propped up this game and it has
become a sort of religion for us?
Call me a party pooper but I for one will not watch it. I
have had enough.
But what a good day to ski, fish, go for a long run or read
a book.
Anthony,
ReplyDeleteI think it is an extension of the excitement we feel as kids on the playground when we make a good catch. We are too old to relive the glory days so we live vicariously through the pro athletes. In fact, we speak about and critique each play as if at one time we could do it better! The childish delusion we had on the playground is still real in our minds. But as Billy Joel says "the good ole days weren't as good as they seem and tomorrow's not as seems." Or if you are from Jersey you prefer The Boss "Glory Days".
Yes, I agree we are living vicariously as we watch. I think the delusion you refer to might even be worse than what you stated. You said, "We speak and critique each play as if at one time we could do better". I don't think it even has to be "at one time"! Perhaps many of us think, as we watch, that we could do better NOW, in the very moment we see someone mess up on the field. And many of these delusions are not even grounded in any reality at all in that many fans have never played the game. But I guess in the bigger sense I am skeptical of "living life through" anything or anybody at all (of course we all do this to some extent?? I am guilty everyday) as it seems that whatever it is we try to live life through will fail us. And can we really use this game we watch to finish our unfinished business? Is this working?
ReplyDeleteI can't help but somewhat view this "living through others or a game" as an idol, a broken cistern that holds no water (but again, I have used my own share of broken cisterns). On a slightly different note, I think of something Joseph Campbell once said about the heroic journey and our modern culture. He basically questioned how it seems that many of us, rather than being on a heroic journey for something bigger than ourselves, fully engaged, we have chosen to be a mere spectator. A fan. Passive. I too like to ask questions. Do I want to be a fan or engaged in life itself?? (even as I most often fail to move toward life as I should???)