The Right Rumble

One alteranative version of a famous quotes goes, “It’s not whether you win or lose; it’s where you place the blame.” I chuckled upon first read.

On the other end of accusation is often a person, a breathing target at whom I can point fingers when I am displeased with anything from a drive-thru order to the embarrassing behavior of my favorite professional athlete. There is ease in holding a person responsible after the fact because I know I can easily separate (usually) myself from the offense committed by saying, “I would never do something like that.”

But I was having a discussion with some men smarter than myself yesterday and the conversation made me think, “What if there’s something wrong with sports structure that funnels young people into destructive behavior?” It was a different take for me. Consider the family vs. the NBA season. In the blue corner we have an 82-game season not including playoffs and preseason vs. mom and the children in the red corner. The NBA season boasts a record of say, 1000 marriages destroyed due to infidelity while the family has suffered defeat every season since and maybe even before the likes of Wilt Chamberlain.

Blame is not all bad because it can identify a target and targets are needed if you plan to wage war. But maybe it’s not just the Michael Vicks (former Atlanta Falcons quarterback convicted of dog fighting) who should be blamed. If we’re to pick a fight that will fault the appropriate culprit, the structure of athletics might be worth it. What is it about sports that creates an egotist, infidel, violent menace, etc.? Change the structure; redeem sports. Where’s Michael Buffer when you need him.