I could have chosen a more elegant title for this post, but why not go for raw honesty. This will be less of an intellectual exploration of an intriguing issue and more of a pure rant. You are warned!

Basically, I am mystified by the self-serving label we have assigned to our species … homo-sapien. Just where is this sapien attribute? I look about me and see myopic obsessions with trivialities and an avoidance of the important stuff … a national trait that borders on the pathological. Add a hefty dose of unconscionable greed, and you pretty much have contemporary America.

Where to start? Well, we are in the midst of football mania. Endless discussions of which college team is moving up or down in the polls saturate our media 24/7. I was appalled recently when Alabama fans could be heard screaming homophobic and racist insults at Black Texas players celebrating their recent win over the Tide. Players and coaches routinely get death threats after a loss.

Such fanaticism is out of control. FOOTBALL IS JUST A FREAKING GAME. I cannot help think back to the decline of the Roman Empire as the surrounding tribes steadily eroded the empires grip while the Coloseum was filled with raving spectators demanding gore and entertainment. Let us party today until it is too late to hold off the barbarians of our own era. The analogy is too compelling.

Remember when college football athletes actually represented their schools. That quaint tradition is history. Now, most top teams are filled with mercenary players seeking the best deal. They will switch sides at the hint of a better deal. A player who completes 4 years at his initial choice is becoming rare indeed.

But why would players care about the schools whose colors they wear when school administrators are looking out for the best deal themselves. The Big 10 conference (a misnomer since they now have 16 teams and climbing) just signed a 7 year, $7 billion dollar media contract. 😳 Each institution will receive between $80 and $100 million per year. Traditional conference alignments and rivalries disappear seamlessly in the rush for big bucks. How sad.

I can remember when I looked up a former colleague who became the top budget guy for the University of Wisconsin Athletic Department around 1990. This was at the nadir of Wisconsins football fortunes and budget pressures resulted in the elimination of several sports including baseball. My colleague could not help but laugh when he told me he received way more attention (and pressure) for the athletic budget than he ever did in his previous position where he handled state expenditures for health and welfare programs. The athletic expenditures were pocket change in comparison but that is all people seemed to care about. 🙄

My memory may be a bit fuzzy but his entire budget back then was, as I recall, little more than what Alabama pays Nick Saban to coach the Crimson Tide. Top collegiate football coaches now enjoy compensation levels approaching or exceeding $10 million annually. Let us never forget that budgets reflect our priorities. Something is terribly wrong when so much attention and focus is directed at a game as opposed to what Universities are really about … education and research.

I find myself less interested in collegiate athletics today, at least the major revenue generating sports. Oh, I still watch, but with a sense of detachment, if not dismay. When we should be focusing on climate change, or AI challenges, or social instability wrought by hyper inequality, we are obsessed with the point spread of the upcoming game. How freaking sad.

I now find myself watching the Wisconsin Women’s volleyball games. They are currently ranked #1. The last two games were played before 17,000 and 10,000 fans (away games). There is still a love for the game itself to be seen here. But I fear that they also may succumb to the lure of unfettered greed as they become more popular. Sigh!

Anf here is the irony of itcall. When the huge stadiums in our coastal cities are under water due to rising ocean levels, most Americans will still be focused on how this will impact the odds of their favorite team’s chances in the next game. Talk about sticking one’s head in the sand.