 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
Athletes Fail To Speak Out On Iraq War. Thank Goodness.
To the best of my limited knowledge, athletes have kept their opinions to themselves regarding America's war on Iraq. Thank Goodness.
I know I'm not saying anything that many others haven't said before, but the arrogant (and almost unfailingly specious) rhetoric coming from actors and musicians on this subject sounds ever worse when compared to the crickets-chirping-in-the-background level of silence we're hearing from those in the sports world. Athletes are undoubtedly no more (or less) qualified to weigh in on the subject, and are equally (if not more) visible in the public eye, yet somehow they seem to realize that fans don't care what they think about things unrelated to sports.
Put it this way: the senators who represent my state (California) are powerful, important people who have accomplished a lot in their lives. Even so, I would feel perfectly qualified (overqualified, actually) to debate with them the question of the greatest Super Bowl ever played or the greatest movie ever made. The fact that they have achieved remarkable success in one area of their lives means nothing when it comes to completely unrelated matters.
Entertainment, sports and politics are three very different fields. Sure, some people can excel in more than one of those ares. But until you have, please don't expect people to care what you think about one if your only success has been in the other.
Another example: Vikings center Matt Birk is a pretty darn good football player. Hes been to the Pro Bowl. Which just about puts him at, say, Oscar nominee Ed Harris' level in his chosen profession (I know, I know: apples and oranges. Shut up). Ed Harris really thinks that people ought to listen to what he has to say. On the other hand Birk, to my knowledge, has not made any public statements in favor of or opposed to any of the current administration's policies. Do we really think that Ed Harris knows more about governance than Matt Birk (and, as you know if you watch commercials, Birk went to Harvard)? On what grounds do we think this?
Maybe Harris does know more than Birk. Maybe he doesn't. I sure don't, so I'll take my insight about politics and military strategy from those who are paid to keep up on such things (and God knows there are plenty of those people on either side of the issue).
That doesn't mean, of course, that I don't have my opinions. Of course I do. Not only do I have them, I think they're correct. What I don't do, though, is go around screaming at people as if my opinions mattered. They don't. I'm entitled to them, obviously, but that doesn't give them any validity. After all, I'm just a 25-year-old idiot with a website. Not a 45-year-old idiot with an Oscar nomination.
Or an Oscar, if he wins. I wrote this before the Oscars, and I'm not going to bother to change it. If you don't like it, start your own fake sports website.
|
|
|
|
|
|
