When our sons were barely 10, we took them to see the Globe Trotters at the Hershey Stadium in PA. Your description of their “irreverent reverence” for the game they mastered and playfully defied, is spot on. The players were demonstrably brilliant, child-like super-stars of their much loved sport, seriously entertaining and fun to be with.
In contrast, our older son Ben flew in from Denver in May to see his cherished Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA playoffs. (Ironically, the 76ers lost but his native Denver Nuggets finally won). Ben kindly treated us. This was my first actual in person NBA game -- as the cost of these tickets had been prohibitive to us many years ago.
What you generally see in the NBA now is massive individual egos, little evident fun or graceful team play. It’s all business, money-ball sports ad naseum, statistical capitalist self-branding, prima dona post-game interviews.
No wonder our predictably obnoxious sports announcers are so forgiving, so generally adoring. Their large paychecks literally depend on their (to me) embarrassing public worship of these truly impressive yet also tragic sports idols.
Tragic, because as talented sports idols -- they cannot escape the cold realization that their feet, too, are made of clay. While some of their fans look to them as Demi-gods, those so idolized must feel the unmistakable emptiness of the worship which they ironically invite.
When our sons were barely 10, we took them to see the Globe Trotters at the Hershey Stadium in PA. Your description of their “irreverent reverence” for the game they mastered and playfully defied, is spot on. The players were demonstrably brilliant, child-like super-stars of their much loved sport, seriously entertaining and fun to be with.
In contrast, our older son Ben flew in from Denver in May to see his cherished Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA playoffs. (Ironically, the 76ers lost but his native Denver Nuggets finally won). Ben kindly treated us. This was my first actual in person NBA game -- as the cost of these tickets had been prohibitive to us many years ago.
What you generally see in the NBA now is massive individual egos, little evident fun or graceful team play. It’s all business, money-ball sports ad naseum, statistical capitalist self-branding, prima dona post-game interviews.
No wonder our predictably obnoxious sports announcers are so forgiving, so generally adoring. Their large paychecks literally depend on their (to me) embarrassing public worship of these truly impressive yet also tragic sports idols.
Tragic, because as talented sports idols -- they cannot escape the cold realization that their feet, too, are made of clay. While some of their fans look to them as Demi-gods, those so idolized must feel the unmistakable emptiness of the worship which they ironically invite.
Still, it’s a wondrous game.
Excellent points...
I'm not a sports person but AMEN to this column! Superb.