on football and society

http://poststar.com/news/local/brawl-rough-play-force-early-end-to-football-game/article_568887b2-5722-11e4-8486-abf7836ea5b5.html

I did a quick scan of this story about a high school football game that got cancelled due to violence on and off field and thought, typical--fans taking a sport too seriously. Really though is that fair for me to assume America has football problem? I tried to draw a large conclusion about society and sports from a small example about a high school football game where the competitive nature of athletes became elevated and coaches who should have known better, didn't rein in the emotions. One constant irritation I have with ESPN and much of the mainstream news is the need journalists seem to have to connect dots of unrelated events, especially concerning football. One dot being the bad behavior perpetrated by the player on another individual or individuals; the other dot being the violent sport (football) that supposedly nurtures and encourages the behavior detrimental to others. In the wake of tragic occurrences the conversations turn quickly from the event to what the event means about machismo in football and how societies encourage bad behavior in males just by rooting for one's team!.That's right Asshole! You...football-absorbing-moron with the remote in one hand and a bag of Cheetos in the other are the problem!
Psychologists, surgeons, lawyers and academics are invited on talk shows to 'shed some light' on a perceived problem always seemingly rooted in America culture. Last year a Kansas City Chiefs player shot and killed his girlfriend then drove to the practice facility and shot himself in front of the coach. The firestorm of media sensationalism gave rise to editorials that blamed either our 'gun crazed culture' or the destruction of the brain due to the collision nature of the sport. Bob Costas did a little editorializing on NBC about gun-culture generally and its effect on athletes specifically. He and everyone else are entitled to their opinion but usually the truth is not easily explained and can't be seen under the piling on.
One fact to come out about the killer was his drug and alcohol habit. The police report noted his blood alcohol level was twice the legal limit and his girlfriend had (apparently) threatened to leave him. If nothing else, this makes the murder more of a traditional crime of passion type killing rather than a deranged man with PTSD on a rampage. I don't think anyone really knows why he did it, but substituting political and social biases into the vacuum of unknowns is dishonest and misleading. Other examples have come up this season, two on domestic abuse, one concerning murder and another drinking and driving episode. These men should be held to account and face the same court system and laws the rest of us face. Using NFL player domestic problems as a backdrop to criticize American culture and machismo in football is dishonest and ESPN and other news networks should discourage it.  

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2014/october/eugene-cho-leads-quest-for-reconciled-church.html

new blog on China (think tank)

Project 2049 Institute - Welcome

On journalistic integrity:

What are they teaching journalism students in school about editorializing? One thing that really irritates me as a consumer of secondary (as opposed to breaking) news like the Economist and Bloomberg is the 'alien from outer space' point of view. Haven't heard of it you say?  I just made it up, so stay with me while I describe. I scanned an article recently about the philosophical difference between American style capitalism and its very different Chinese state capitalism. The author treats each version of economy the way a sports writer might list differences and similarities among football teams in the National Football League. Each country is basically graded the way a team might receive an A for great pass defense and a C for a lackluster run game. In this particular Bloomberg article, Americans are said to have created 'exceptional innovation' but sadly, not enough has been done to 'collectively' fix the long-term problems. The other side of the coin, for this author, is how China  is doing well finding collective solutions to the welfare of their citizens bringing millions out of poverty; they fall short on providing their citizens with 'individual rights' however. Aside from the laughably simple characterizations of both economies is the author's willingness to write about each country like he/she bears no responsibility, concern or opinion on what is the proper and moral direction of a  free country. There should be no comparison between China and the US on the value and effectiveness of capitalism, unless to point out how woefully short the middle kingdom is from giving its people a more open system. The United States is far closer than at any time in history to the sort of collective vision that much of Europe has surrendered to, like anemic militaries, hefty pensions for government employees and a permanent underclass on the dole. At its core however, the country is still the primary destination for foreign students and emigrants looking to give their children a better opportunity. China is run by technocrats concerned with keeping and maintaining power; they have had success by opening up to the inevitable truth that their power is threatened by an increasingly wealthy and educated middle class who envy the freedoms and upward mobility that exists in America. The Communist party has essential made a bet that prosperity will keep the masses focused on making money and not starting trouble by challenging the legitimacy of the group that allowed for prosperity. Most foreigners would rather live in China today than at any time during the last......well ever, actually. For journalists to treat the vastly different philosophies and core values like opposite side of the same coin is insulting. Journalists are not aliens who just landed with the task of gathering pro and con type data on different nations. Does anyone else notice this or is it just me and my lying eyes?

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-12-05/china-and-the-u-s-capitalism-s-odd-couple.html