NFL & MLB: Yin & Yang

Ezekiel

The principle of Yin and Yang, a fundamental concept in Chinese philosophy, is that all things exist as contradictions.  Tall and short, for example.  Because art imitates life or vice versa…we can’t expect the sports entertainment industry to escape without feeling a tinge of Yin and Yang:

These few weeks ahead of football season are no different than any other preseason.  NFL fans are thirsty for kick-off…ready for their teams to set out on the road to Minnesota—site of this year’s Super Bowl.  At present time, fantasy football draft parties are being set & the level of research by fantasy team owners can only be outdone by NASA…the “epitome” of excitement in the air!  Nothing like an ESPN segment reminiscent of a slave auction to bring the party down…waaayy down. To call it tone deaf is an understatement.  This is the “epitome” of why diversity in the room matters—somebody should have seen this train wreck before it left the station!  

Roger Goodell recently touted the lifespan of a NFL player being an average of 5 years longer than anyone outside the league.  Aside from wondering about the origin of this statistic….the quantity of life has not been questioned.  The quality of life is the focus, Rog….the quality of life.  Everyone wants to live a long time…..however, nobody wants to have to walk up the stairs backward…in Jerome Bettis fashion….to alleviate the pain of whatever is ailing them.   

Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott was suspended 6 games for his recent pattern of behavior…including but not limited to exposing a woman’s breast while riding on a parade float.  Whether his suspension was too stiff or too light can be argued.  What can’t be?  This country rewarded a guy who bragged about similar behavior with THE highest job in the land.

Since we’re in Dallas…..the thought of being without one of the league’s premiere players may be unsettling.  However, the availability of the offensive line that made Ezekiel’s rookie year what it was & the depth of their running backs….ought to have Cowboys fans resting easy.

Over in the MLB….much ado is made about players watching home run balls or throwing bats.  A lack of respect for the game! So where is that same outcry when pitchers demonstrate an adrenaline rush after striking a batter…in particular a heavy hitter…out? If this unwritten, silly rule continues to exist, an argument for decorum on both sides can easily be made…Exhibit A:  Cy Young winner Max Scherzer of my hometown Nats!

What a difference a month can make!  One month he was being celebrated as the rightful owner of the Homerun Derby title.  The next month, Aaron Judge’s every at bat is being dissected as he finds himself in a slump….all attributed to a second half jinx.  Hmmm, 162 games approximately 4 at bats per game…do the math!  It is unrealistic NOT to have a slump.  I wonder how many of those folks sustain the same level of productivity at their jobs, on a Friday at 2 pm…..during the summer, ahead of a holiday weekend…as they do on a Monday at 10 am? 

Back to the Yin & Yang of the real world and NASA News:  The U.S. has not seen a total eclipse since 1979.  A mere 38 years later, another is well on its way…for less than 3 minutes of viewing pleasure. A short window no doubt.  That’s not going to stop me from making the most of my angle from Myrtle Beach though!!! 

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