2008 Woodie Awards
Do we care too much?
Mark Rentfro
Issue date: 2/8/08 Section: Sports
Last Sunday, a record-setting number of Americans sat in front of their televisions for the Super Bowl. In some people's minds (most notably Tom Brady's), it was a foregone conclusion that the New England Patriots were going to beat the New York Giants, completing their perfect 19-0 season, and go down in history as the greatest professional football team ever assembled. Unfortunately for Bill Belichick and company, the Giants stood staunchly in the road between the Patriots and perfection.
About 48 hours later, many of the same Americans went to polling places in a number of states around the country to cast their primary vote in preparation for naming a candidate for president in both the Democrat and Republican parties.
While nothing was officially decided in these elections, and nothing of any ultimate significance will be decided in August at the parties' national conventions, we did get a much clearer view of what the race to the nomination is going to look like in either party. In another few months, the American people will vote again, choosing one of the remaining people (I have to admit, it feels good to type "people" there instead of "men"). At least in theory, whomever the majority of Americans believe to be the most fit to run the executive branch of our government will be the president-elect.
Now, this may seem overly simplistic, but that is not how sports work. Regardless of what Dan Patrick might have you believe, no one but the athletes and coaches have any say in the outcome of any given game. At least in theory, each and every one of us has a say in each and every governmental election.
However, every four years I'm dumbfounded at how similar political rallies for presidential hopefuls look just like high school or college pep rallies. Supporters of a candidate paint their faces, hold up signs, and scream and cheer for whatever their candidate says. I've always wondered what sort of person attends the rallies for individual candidates that you see on TV. It always seems a bit odd to think of anyone other than staffers, donors and the candidate's family in attendance. Shouldn't the rest of us be at home watching them on TV?
About 48 hours later, many of the same Americans went to polling places in a number of states around the country to cast their primary vote in preparation for naming a candidate for president in both the Democrat and Republican parties.
While nothing was officially decided in these elections, and nothing of any ultimate significance will be decided in August at the parties' national conventions, we did get a much clearer view of what the race to the nomination is going to look like in either party. In another few months, the American people will vote again, choosing one of the remaining people (I have to admit, it feels good to type "people" there instead of "men"). At least in theory, whomever the majority of Americans believe to be the most fit to run the executive branch of our government will be the president-elect.
Now, this may seem overly simplistic, but that is not how sports work. Regardless of what Dan Patrick might have you believe, no one but the athletes and coaches have any say in the outcome of any given game. At least in theory, each and every one of us has a say in each and every governmental election.
However, every four years I'm dumbfounded at how similar political rallies for presidential hopefuls look just like high school or college pep rallies. Supporters of a candidate paint their faces, hold up signs, and scream and cheer for whatever their candidate says. I've always wondered what sort of person attends the rallies for individual candidates that you see on TV. It always seems a bit odd to think of anyone other than staffers, donors and the candidate's family in attendance. Shouldn't the rest of us be at home watching them on TV?
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