These are amazing times. For what seems like a lifetime, the world has been placed on lockdown because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
But way back in 1996, Adam Sandler, a comedian and actor, played the title character in a movie entitled Happy Gilmore. The gist of that film was a lighthearted romantic film about Happy Gilmore who would find his mental and emotional “happy place” to help him cope with daily life.
 |
| Happy Gilmore golfing |
Each one of us has our own little “happy place” in which we immerse ourselves. Some people enjoy reading, others seek amusement in watching movies, many watch sports, and still others find solace in work.
During this COVID-19 pandemic, many of us have been forced to abandon – at least temporarily – our most comforting happy places. Governors, mayors, local officials, federal employees, medical professionals, and neighbors, all have suddenly found their voices demanding we conform to their thoughts and ideas: their happy places.
Gyms, libraries, many businesses, restaurants, and other “non-essential” enterprises, have been subjected to mandatory shut-downs and subsequent controls placed upon them by people who never held a job that didn’t contain the words “civil servant.”
That means the aforementioned civil servants held jobs paid for by hard working folks’ taxes. Not having had to ever turn a profit because the financial well never runs dry due to tax increases, they now suddenly have foresight to tell entrepreneurs how to earn a dollar.
Phonies are now making policy out of whole cloth, saying stuff like masks help prevent the spread of COVID-19, when in the beginning of this catastrophe we were chided for wearing masks because, we were told by doctors, masks didn’t work. Let me repeat, masks didn’t work.
Suddenly, everyone with an opinion is an expert as to how to stem the spread of this pandemic. And, those opinions are all still tenuous.
In an effort to attempt to get
It’s the wagering part that really moves money about the sports world. And simply put: if there are no sports, there is no gambling. March Madness, the annual NCAA basketball tournament, was cancelled this year (2020). Gambling losses on this tournament alone was estimated at $140,000,000.
Just recently, college sports have been anguishing over their football season and upcoming basketball season. Remember, players use these games as springboards to professional careers, so they are truly meaningful to many collegians.
But what happens to these go-getters once they make it into the “big show,” professional sports, is up for debate.
Two American soccer teams played one-another in a contest in front of a live fan audience. I’m too ashamed to name them, but you can look them up if you’re really interested.
It seems that after having fans clamoring for more live, in-person sports, they got what they asked for. Almost.
During the National Anthem, all players, coaches, water carriers, coaches, and referees, knelt down. The paying fans booed this example of disrespect to the country and flag and the fans themselves.
Afterward, players badmouthed the fans because they expressed discontent over this childish display of arrogance and self-importance.
It seems as though it is time to let all athletes – amateur and professional alike – feel the pain of a proverbial spanking for bad behavior. If they want to kneel, these socially conscious clowns should get a website and kneel on it for whoever wants to watch. They should also relinquish their nose-bleed salaries to fan-pleasers.
But I’ll wager not many people would log on to see sports figures kneeling because that’s not a happy place for many people.
Free tip to all you social warriors: Get over yourself. You’re not that important.
