I’m having trouble understanding some of the outrage concerning the end of the Packers-Seahawks game on Monday night. I know that this opening statement probably creates controversy, and leaves many people scratching their heads and thinking to themselves, “Where is this idiot coming from?”
Let me explain myself. When I’m done, you may still think that I am an idiot (and you would not be alone in thinking that). Fewer may think that I am brilliant. Others may cast me off as a right-wing nut. And there are probably a few out there who will just not get what I am trying to say.
At the end of the game, while it looked like the Packers intercepted that last pass, the officials decided (after some discussion) to call a touchdown for the Seahawks. And now, for the last 2 days, no matter what you watch, they are talking about this last play and how that it is unacceptable that this could have happened.
After giving it some thought, I think that this game, in some respects, actually mirrors where we stand as a country today. Let’s pretend that the Packers are the “rich”, the achievers in society, those who have been successful. And let’s say that the Seahawks are the “poor”, the downtrodden, the suppressed. The officials are the government. And the game of football is analogous to life itself. Now, you are probably saying, “What does this game have to do with the rich, the poor, and the government?”
I see the Packers being analogous to the rich, in that they have been to 5 Super Bowls (and won 4 of them), they have been a consistently successful franchise, and they have a huge national following and excellent brand merchandising. I see the Seahawks being analogous to the poor, maybe like the Occupy protesters. They view themselves as the people being stepped on in order for the rich to get richer. The Seahawks have only been to 1 Super Bowl, which they lost, and they still complain about some of the calls made in that game to this day (which, by the way, was reffed by the regular NFL referees).
You see, the government often acts just like these game officials did. In order to be fair, they want to take from the rich (via taxes) in order to give to the poor, who they say deserve better but are just not able to achieve greater riches and success. No matter how much protesting the rich do, the government does not care. It’s all about fairness, not based on how hard you worked to become successful.
Isn’t that what the refs in this game did? They took from the more successful and popular franchise in order to help make the less popular, less successful franchise better. It doesn’t matter how much complaining that the more successful team does. The referees and the league have said that the play stands and the more successful team loses.
So why are people so upset? The Packers-Seahawks game was just that – a game. Nothing more. Nothing less. It has no bearing on how we live our lives day in and day out. Yet, the government wants to redistribute wealth and control our lives, and they want to do it whenever they get the chance. But people don’t seem to be as incensed about that, even though redistribution has a direct effect on their lives. Maybe it’s because redistribution benefits them and doesn’t hurt them. Maybe it’s because they just don’t care. Maybe they view sports as being more important than keeping our politicians responsible for their decisions.
Maybe it would be good for all of us to get upset at the intrusion of the government into our daily lives, trying to make decisions of what is best for us, instead of allowing us to play by the rules and letting the results work themselves out. No, the government wants to get involved in and have a hand in the outcome.
Maybe sports is a microcosm of life after all.
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