For the Love of the Game

I love sports.  Let me repeat for emphasis.  I love sports.  When asked which I care about more, sports or theatre, I usually take a while before I answer.  When I'm driving in the midwest I'm listening to a Cubs game, growing up with the now, finally, hall of famer Ron Santo (RIP) and Pat Hughes.  On Saturdays, I'm watching college football.  On Sundays, I'm dressed in green and yellow watching the Packers play.  The Superbowl is a holiday, the month of March is a spectacle, and nothing compares to October baseball.  My favorite sport to play is football.  My favorite professional sport to watch is football and my favorite college sport is football.  But when asked what team I want to see win it all, I will always answer with the Chicago Cubs first and foremost.  But I still love my teams.  

When I am asked the question, "Who is your favorite college team (particularly football)," I answer in two parts.  As a loyal Iowan, I grew up on the Hawkeyes and living in a state where the professionals only fly over, Hawkeye football is a religion, but I am a man of two gods.  I pray to the Hawk, but just as equally I pray to the all powerful Leprechaun.  I have been a Fighting Irish fan since I could walk.  My father went to Notre Dame for his masters and his PHD and just as equally as I love the Hawks, I cherish the Irish.  Their last National Championship came in the year of my birth and I can only assume that is a sign.  In a full season, no matter where I am, I usually watch at least 75% of their games.  My ticket from the 2010 Orange Bowl, when I saw Iowa thrash Georgia Tech, hangs next to my 1970's Irish Pennant.  There were times when I cheered for other teams, Texas A&M in football (I don't know why), The Washington Huskies in football (While I was in college), and North Carolina in Basketball (I still have a soft spot for the tar heels for a personal reason).  I now expect to become a VCU basketball fan for the duration of my time in Graduate school and a fan of whomever when I get my PHD, but I will always bleed black and gold and be covered in blue and gold blaring the fight song.  I am a fan.

Last night my Irish, #5 in the country, probably #4 or #3 by tonight, were in a battle of epic proportions,  Everyone and their mother was predicting that the #8 Oklahoma Sooners were going to crush the Irish's hopes at a National Championship berth and throttling them at home in Norman.  Of course, that didn't happen and the Irish made a statement to all of the football universe that they mean business by putting a defensive display on the Sooners, winning 30-13.  Manti Te'o played a magnificent game and once again showed why he should be a Heisman contender.  The Irish won and made my night considering I stayed home instead of going to a very expensive Halloween Party.  Yes, nice costumes, beautiful girls, and wonderful food is great, but watching the Irish is better.  Needless to say I was a happy camper.

And why not.  On top of the win, I hate the Oklahoma Sooners.  This would come as a surprise to some considering that the head coach of the Sooners, Bob Stoops, was an all-american defensive back at Iowa in the early 80's.  He was also a graduate assistant and coach for them under the legendary Hayden Fry.  But that doesn't seem to matter to me.  I still hate the Sooners.  And why?  Unsure.  Perhaps I don't really like Oklahoma, perhaps I an envious of their success, or perhaps, much like the Yankees, I hate it when big power stomps all over the little guys.  The latter answer is the correct one, but then again I am a hypocrite because I love the Irish.  Meh, so be it.  

So why am I writing this article?  Why should you care what sports teams I follow?  You shouldn't, by the way.  So then what is my reason?  It's to say that I hate the Sooners.  But I hate the Sooners the football organization at the school.  I don't hate the players.  I don't like Stoops but I certainly don't hate him.  But then why the absolutes.  Why do I say that I hate them, I don't even know them.  Where is the love of the game, the players?  Isn't College Football, in the end, just a game.

College Football is just a game.  I was reminded of this a few hours before the Irish were set to take the field.  In happened in an SEC conference game, in the state of South Carolina.  And it happened to a young man with a bright future, Marcus Lattimore.  

If you didn't watch the game, here are the details.  #13 South Carolina was at home against an unranked Tennessee Volunteers team.  South Carolina would eventually go on to win the game 38-35, but in the second quarter South Carolina was driving with a 21-14 lead.  Lattimore, who some experts had considered to be the best running back in the country two years ago was back from a season ending leg injury during his sophomore year.  He got the handoff and then was hit, helmet to knee, and flipped over.  The image of his knee and leg snapping back and then slamming into the ground is horrific.  The leg bends in a way that I have never seen a human body part move.  As soon as I saw it happen I likened the incident, as so many other analysts have, to the Willis McGahee injury from the '03 National Championship game in which he tore his ACL, PCL, and MCL.  Lattimore lay on the ground in what can only be described as a massive amount of pain as numerous trainers rushed to his aide. 

Now before I go on, I would like to briefly describe the character of this "jock" football star.  It is extraordinary.  "Just an unbelievable kid.  You'd think with this much publicity and hype, his head would've blown up and he wouldn't look at you.  But no, he's not that way."  This quote comes from his head High School Coach, Chris Miller at Byrnes High School.  Lattimore was an incredibly well sought after recruit.  In four years he had nearly 8,000 yards, 104 touchdowns, and three class 4A State Championships in the state of South Carolina.  He was also named the Gatorade High School Player of the Year…twice.  With this much talent one would expect football to be his life, but in high school he had a 3.24 gpa (close to mine(, signed autographs for all the kids, spoke at elementary schools, and stayed after most practices to pick up trash.  His local town called him, "a clean-cut, clear-eyed, hometown hero."  In college, his game has improved.  His true freshman year he was named the NCAA Freshman of the year after 1200 yards rushing/400 receiving with 19 total touchdowns.  Before his season ending injury in October of last year he already has 11 total touchdowns and had 10 so far this year.  And in college, his community service record is unmatched by his team.  He speaks at local youth groups and churches and continues to work hard in school majoring in Public Health.  All around the type of guy we all hope our sons to grow up to be.

And so he lay there on the ground, helpless, probably searching through the pain back to his knee injury of only just a year before.  And then a remarkable thing happened.  Not necessarily for Lattimore who ended up being carted off the field, but for everyone on that field, in that stadium, watching on tv.  The Tennessee defensive surrounded him, then the entire South Carolina team and bench, and then the majority of the Tennessee team.  It was a moment of silent solidarity for a fallen teammate, for a fallen brother.  As he was carted off the field the stands gave him a standing ovation.  

Today the news out of SC is that Lattimore has suffered a dislocated knee and significant ligament damage, but Coach Spurrier already expects that with a fair amount of rehab that this is not a career ending injury.  

I hope and pray for Lattimore and his family, but what I find most significant about this incident is the comradery between the teams on the field for a fallen teammate/foe.  We live in interesting times to say the least.  When things like Bounty-gate are occurring, when players are intentionally trying to hurt one another, when the college game is turning/has turned into a business and not a game, when college students now come with price tags, it is amazing to see this kind of kinship.  And not at the end of the game, when the obligatory handshake occurs, but in the middle, when these two sides are going to "war."  

I love football.  I will always love football and to a certain extent I believe that some of the new "rules" instituted for player safety are hurting the game.  I mean, it is a game where hurting people may not be the intention, but it is the instrument for success.  But in moments like this I realize what we are really doing here.  College Football is fun and when the Irish lose I get upset, as my friends can attest, sometimes too upset, but it's just a game.  And these are just kids.  18-22 year old kids.  Playing with all their heart and souls out their on the field.  They are kids.  Young Adults just trying to find themselves.  And so when we start to pay them, when the gambling on games gets so large, when the games become more than just an event, we lose ourselves, they lose themselves.  I applaud Tennessee and South Carolina, not because they are football teams, but because they showed something very rare on a football field.  Humanity.

Maybe I don't hate the Sooners.  I still don't like them.

"Always Believe"

To see the hit and the teams afterwards:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywemwRy2PXM

Stein v Obama: An issue of Morality v Logic

As I grow older I see that it's one thing to say that you support a three (or more) party system and it is another thing to actually support by voting for that system. As an educated American citizen who understands exactly what went into giving me the opportunity to vote, I take that right quite seriously. If I look on the candidates with educated eyes and I find that the one I agree with the most, the one who best represents the America that I believe in, just happens to be a candidate outside the spectrum of having a logical chance of winning, that should not define my decision.

This is currently a situation that I am facing.  I…am not a fan of Mitt Romney.  I'm sure the Governor is a nice man and I'm sure that somewhere within his own deluded mind he actually believes some of the things he says, but I know I sure don't.  He is the ultimate politician, and I do mean ultimate in the negative.  He will do and say anything in any given situation.  His opinion changes quicker than the winds in April and his little "47% of Americans" spiel, yeah, in that case I believe that he does believe in what he is saying.  That's scary.  Someone who will do or say anything that makes his base happy.  His Conservative base.  This isn't to say that I think Conservatives are wrong, in fact I am a fiscal Conservative.  I just can't stand the Conservatives who are in power, because in fact, they aren't actually Conservatives. But this is besides the point.  The point is the man who could be elected President will have the nuclear codes at his disposal, his decisions on the Supreme Court Nominations will could sway Roe v Wade, DOMA, Anti-Piracy laws, and the Patriot act (Not saying Obama is any better on the Patriot act, believe me).  His Conservative agenda scares me and the worst part is that through his half truths, his lies, and his inability to make any decisions that stay the same or are understandable (don't get me started on five point plans) I haven't a clue who is the real Mitt Romney.  Here's a quick example:

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June 28th, 2012:  The Supreme Court in a 5-4 decision upholds the majority of Obamacare saying that its requirement that most Americans obtain insurance or pay a penalty was authorized by Congress's power to levy taxes. (NY Times)

Romney's Response:

"What the court did not do on its last day in session, I will do on my first day if elected president of the United States. And that is I will act to repeal Obamacare.  Obamacare was bad policy yesterday. It's bad policy today. Obamacare was bad law yesterday. It's bad law today."  

Two Problems:  One, he goes on to say what he will keep of Obamacare and by this time the majority of people are listening to why he is right and Obama is wrong, and he basically decides to keep…every major part of Obama's Healthcare Package.  But of course he will change the name.  For full text of his response see here:  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20120628/us-romney-health-care-text/ 

 Problem Number Two:  The list of things that Romney has promised to do on his "first day in office" is staggering.  Here are a few.  These come…from his own ads.

“Day One, President Romney announces deficit reductions, ending the Obama era of big government, helping secure our kids’ futures.” (By the way, the President can't actually announce deficit reductions.  He has to go through Congress to even propose them.)

“President Romney stands up to China and demands they play by the rules. President Romney begins repealing job-killing regulations that are costing the economy billions.”

So it looks like he has a busy day one.  

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So that's how I feel about Mitt Romney.  But how do I feel about the President?  Not fantastic.  Yes I do agree with the majority of his policies and I am thankful that a President finally supports gay marriage, but let's look at a few issues.  (Not as long as Romney, but important.)

1. Habeas Corpus no longer exists in this country.  Much like Bush before him, Obama signed away a part of our Constitution.  "a right to be released from imprisonment after an unlawful arrest."  In our day and age, something that is both incredibly necessary and important in a free state.  Our Constitution states, "Our right of habeas corpus is innate in order to maintain a free society."  But to be fair to the President, this isn't unprecedented.  FDR did it, Lincoln did it, Bush did it, Clinton even partially did it in '96 with Antiterrorism and Death Penalty Act.  But it is something that I have a problem with.  FDR created War Internment Camps for the Japanese.  Even our heroes make mistakes.  (Yes, it is debatable whether these were mistakes or not).
2. Guantanamo Bay is still open.  The Patriot Act is still in effect.  
3. The Republican Congress.  They have continued to block the majority of Obama's plans.  For the same reasons that people are arguing against my support of Stein, wouldn't a Republican actually get things done, even if we don't like what they are doing? (This is more of a hypothetical Devil's Advocate)
4. Gasoline continues to grow.  A Democrat in the Giffords campaign once said to me, "Who wins the Presidency doesn't really matter.  You know the only time I really see the effects of the President is at the Pump."
5. Obama needs to stop sidestepping the facts on Libya.  And why oh why are we always involved in the Middle East with no positive outcomes, when situations like Darfur are occurring and then we say that nothing can be done unless the UN gets involved.

And there are many more.  I still don't agree with the bailout, I do think the President is using a lot of wasteful spending, and I would love to see the Fighter that I voted for.  I have seen that man four times in four years.  Obamacare, announcing his support of Gay Marriage, the convention speech, and the last debate.  This last one is actually more than superficially important.  Harry Reid is a pushover and a terrible egotist.  The Democrats need people in power who have real backbone.  I hope that Obama has that backbone.  Because overall I fear he fails in the Jimmy Carter category.  Too nice to be President.

But what does this have to do with Jill Stein.  Well here is where I agree with her.  Science, the Environment, Social Issues, Healthcare, Marijuana, Peace, Foreign Policy, Gay Marriage, Immigration, Global Warming, Gun Control, the Patriot Act.  Pretty much…I agree with Jill Stein.  

But she won't win.  Therefore: Conundrum 

Is it wrong to support a candidate when they can't win, in an election where one of the major parties have a candidate who in your opinion could ruin your nation?  My friends would argue yes.  If you live in a swing state.  And they have.  And I do.  Here are a few comments:

"Make a statement for the Green Party only if you do not live in a swing state…which btw, you do…your vote counts BIG TIME."

"You do the right thing for you in the short term, but the wrong thing for others in the long term."

"Third Party votes helped get Bush elected."

"Don't do it.  Write her a letter of support and make the vote count."

"If Stein was so committed to her ideas why didn't she run as a Democrat…Vote rationally, Obama is the only choice."

In a time when so many Americans vote based on a single issue at best or gossip, innuendo, and looks at worst, it would be wrong and hypocritical of me to make a decision based entirely on who can "win." There is moral high ground. If, in the end, I decide to vote for President Obama then I will be deciding that based on an educated opinion of the future of this country, but if I decide to vote for Jill Stein, then so be it. The same holds true. And if anyone dares to tell me that my vote, in that case, "doesn't matter," then they have no idea how much I value voting, and they don't know who I am.

And it pisses me off.  Obviously.  This is more than just a debate over your own morals vs the logical choice.  It goes into the real problem with voting in this country.  The idea that I am "Wasting my vote" is so horrifically wrong.  The idea that it is right to make a statement, but only if you don't live in a swing state, is bogus to me.  If there isn't something to lose then hey, it isn't a statement.  If I was voting in California and I voted for Stein, that would be a vote, not a statement, because as so many of my friends say, "it doesn't matter."  But it does.  And I am not trying to make a statement by possibly voting for Stein.  Well I guess I am, but not for Jill Stein, but for voting in general.  Too many people believe that Obama is a Muslim (And if he is, who cares), too many people vote for the good looking one, or the charismatic one.  People are stupid.  To quote from Men in Black, "The person is smart.  People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals."  I am making an educated decision based entirely on the issues.  Isn't that what we were born to do in this country.  Or do we agree with pack mentality and go with the more logical choice.  I do not believe that my friends are wrong for supporting Obama.  I do believe that they are wrong for attempting to tell me that I should change my mind and as one put it, "Stop acting like a child."  Yeah, that's not what I am doing.  But it is what they are doing.  

I will be casting my vote in a few days.  I haven't decided who I will vote for.  I know it won't be for Mitt Romney or Gary Johnson, who I recently met.  In the end it will come down to a choice between Jill Stein and President Obama.  But for me it is no longer a choice between logic and morality.  It is a choice between two sets of ideas, opinions, beliefs, and issues.  It is a decision between two candidates.  And I will make a choice between the two of them.  

(My first post is quite long.  The rest will, I promise, be shorter.)

-"Always Believe"

Grant Freeman