Headlines
“Shohei Ohtani, a Japanese baseball player, to receive $700 million to play for the Los Angeles Dodgers for the next 10 years.”
“Liz Magill to resign as President of the University of Pennsylvania. Claudine Gay will continue as President of Harvard.”
“American support for Ukraine is in question.”
At the risk of conjuring an impossibly difficult billiards shot, be patient with me for a paragraph or two as I associate these headlines. Each of these circumstances and decisions go way beyond baseball or university values or supporting an ally. Let’s take baseball first.
Baseball
Ohtani has raised the bar even though deferral of payment elements reduce the real value of his deal. Yet, this baseball deal is a win for the most talented players and a loss for the fans.
Bills have to be paid and therefore player expenses must be covered with revenue which means higher ticket prices, more advertising (especially on TV) along with prices for parking, concessions, team-branded gear and anything else the ball club can get parents to buy for their star-obsessed kids. Or, themselves. In short, baseball as a national pastime has suffered. The fans should be at the negotiating table.
Speech
On the campuses of three elite universities, in particular, the testimony of their leaders that calling for genocide against the Jews does not necessarily violate the University’s code of conduct is astonishing. Does this reflect America or do the schools reveal the power of identitarian politics to overthrow morality? Yes, morality!
While the Presidents of Harvard, Penn and MIT are in the hot seat perhaps the Congress should assemble panels of Professors who lead the schools academic departments. University presidents are not trendsetters. They reflect their faculties. Group think is not punishable but should be revealed.
Today when we are really alarmed about speech or conduct we frequently talk about systemic change. Which is to say that a given episode is not a one-off, but reflective of underlying changes that pose a greater risk or reward.
Commitment
Volodymyr Zelenskyy is, I presume, back in Ukraine. And while I note on this morning’s news, that Norway has just made another commitment, it is hard to know where America and NATO stand. But I know this, if our alliance suffers a reversal of support, American foreign policy will both in fact, and by perception, have suffered a systemic change. While Ukraine has fought Russia after its invasion to at least a standstill, the bravery it has shown will shine an especially harsh light on equivocation. And while Russia might look strong at the moment, Ukraine has dealt a blow to its strength. It is too bad that the West does not have a Winston Churchill whose perseverance and eloquence turned WWII toward victory.
When aggression shocks the conscience, America has a choice. People and its leaders can choose to support the prey or stay on the sidelines. After our disastrous pullout from Afghanistan, America as a force for good was harmed. Now America and NATOs pledges of support are in question.
To sum up. I like to think of America as special, in part, because of our allegiance to transcendent values. But when elite schools walk away from those values and our national pastime, baseball, is turned into a tax on summer fun and internationally our reputation is at serious risk I wonder where we are going.
Al Sikes is the former Chair of the Federal Communications Commission under George H.W. Bush. Al writes on themes from his book, Culture Leads Leaders Follow published by Koehler Books.
Al DiCenso says
Pathetic, truly pathetic. We can justify paying an entertainer (baseball player) $700 million, equivocate on hate speech, but cannot support Ukraine. Where have our values sunk to?
Robert Hall says
Just read this news: “Shohei Ohtani agrees to record $700 million, 10-year contract with Los Angeles Dodgers.”
Meanwhile, The 2023 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count results were released today, showing a 9% rise in homelessness on any given night in Los Angeles County to an estimated 75,518 people.
…nuff said!
BobHallsr
Brice Gamber says
To paraphrase my late father “this country is going to hell in a handbasket”
Paul Rybon says
Don’t think that the win for Ohtani is a loss for the fans. Star players is THE reason why the fans like professional sports. It’s what fills stadiums, creates jobs, fuels the media and a lot more. Certainly beats fentanyl which consumed a whole lot more money and produces no positive results.
Bob Brell says
Criticism of Ohtani’s salary you say. What a laugh! Where’s the criticism of the salaries pulled down by our captains of industry? Crickets. Where’s the criticism of the amount of money spent in elections? Shame on the decision by the Roberts court. Congress has the legislating responsibility so should we should look the demon in the eye and declare enough is enough or is are we going to kick the can down the road again. My guess is the top 10% like it the way it is and will continue to control the elections and elect the milk toasts. Ohtani’s salary, control of what is taught in our nation’s elite University’s, commitment to finishing the job in the Ukraine (you think we would learn from Afganistan, Vietnam), what do they all have in common? Lack of leadership! We desperately need a leader that is owning to no one and we all know who can fill that role and perhaps turn the ship. It won’t happen overnight.
Susanne Brell-Bartz says
Warm Christmas greetings Al and Marty. What are transcendent values? Most American students do not learn in public high schools the values of western philosophers or compare the teaching of the Bible with the historical Church of England and it’s foundation in Roman Catholicism and ideals in governing the people. Thank God for Martin Luther. I believe we need an awakening, a paper election in person with real time footage documenting every station and counting each voter who comes through the door. If Argentina can, we must.
Why is America special? Many like to think it is special because the rogue patriots fought for freedoms of life (by establishing values for their posterity) where the pursuit of happiness (including life and freedom) was available and government included principles by the people, and for the people. The original philosophy of pursuing happiness had a different meaning than many might believe today. It meant to be happy within, not seeking or attaining wealth, fame, or status. While a baseball player’s fame, wealth, and status are temporary highlights, market capitalism still drives the economy (sports, pharmaceuticals, weapons of warfare). Global dollars buy people and political causes (BLM, Ukraine and the Biden family). The numbers reveal cause and effect.
V. Zelenskyy is extremely wealthy compared to his countrymen and their customs and traditions come from family values. Then US biolabs in Ukraine, money laundering, and weapons of warfare increase certain industry in the US. These are not values of working class Americans or Ukrainians. Contrary to this musing, the US has more important topics of concern like millions of immigrants invading our border, primarily fighting age men, military and DOJ implosion, human trafficking, massive drug traffic like fentanyl and crack (increasing addiction and state services), death in our youth, mental illness and redefining two biological genders, indoctrination of children in the public schools, and the global control of individual healthcare via the WHO.
True leadership in going down like the Titanic. And most know why the Titanic went down and who got off the ship before it sailed. Welcome the Federal Reserve Bank elites. Ukraine, may God help them. Our allegiance, our prayers, and our conscience will be better equipped to help others when the US is out of the control of the CIA, DOJ, the Obama and Clinton mafia, MSM, CDC, WEF, WHO, beholden research universities, and the Biden brotherhood. Does the US have a history of fighting for truth and freedom? Calling American men and women in this country who know freedom is not free.