Benefits from the Ban

Columns about college football are not my usual fare. Although I love the sport, I do understand that it is an entertainment and public relations tool for most colleges and universities. Football provides a minimal contribution to the solutions for the problems that vex our nation and our societies. My favorite team is The Ohio State Buckeyes although I pay rather close attention to others as well. I attended my first Buckeye game in 1954 and have avidly followed the fortunes of OSU since then. The Buckeye football program has just completed a tumultuous year. Some players traded memorabilia for tattoos, and a few of those same players were improperly compensated for questionable jobs. The head coach was forced to resign in disgrace, and the NCAA levied penalties against the school and the program for their failure to properly oversee the rules compliance aspects. The OSU football team lost 3 scholarships per year for 2012-2014 (they will be limited to 82 scholarship players per season rather than the maximum 85), were banned from any bowl participation in 2012 season and early 2013 (includes not playing in Big Ten Championship if they qualify), and the program will be on probation for five years….meaning any violation of any magnitude will result in very harsh additional sanctions.  

Without addressing the wisdom and the justice of the penalties, the entire fiasco does shed some light on big-time collegiate athletics and may be helpful for a comparison to our present operation of the federal government. There are three oversight entities at play in addition to the Buckeye athletic department: the Big Ten, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the BCS (Bowl Championship Series). Each of them is a voluntary association or organization which the Ohio State University Athletic Department has joined. Upon joining each group, OSU agreed to abide by the rules and regulations of each respective organization. As you may have noticed this past couple of years, teams have left their respective conferences to join others. The Big Ten is the conference with which Ohio State is aligned and because of OSU’s status as a member since 1912, the Buckeyes will NOT be exiting the Big Ten.  The NCAA is a voluntary association of college and university presidents plus athletic directors that was formed to establish uniform rules and standards including academic requirements for all the participating institutions. The BCS is a collection of NCAA affiliate conferences that oversees post-season bowl participation and qualifications for the representative schools. In recent years the NCAA and the BCS have encountered some opposition for a number of reasons. The difficulties arise from two major perceptions: inequity and unfairness. NCAA penalties and processes are characterized as uneven and too slow. BCS criteria are under fire for their presumed arbitrariness and capriciousness. So it is with the federal government of our United States of America.

Just as the collegiate associations have become powerful and dominant, the U.S. Government has grown so large that it is nearly impossible for one to successfully challenge its excesses. Even though the organizations are voluntary ones if the Buckeyes were to withdraw from any of them, they would probably be isolated and ostracized. A similar situation encapsulates our nation. The Federal Government is a creation of the voluntary association of the states. Each state is a sovereign unit that merged with the others to enhance their defense and ease commercial activity. As the federal behemoth has grown much larger and exceeded its constitutional mandate, the states find themselves in awkward positions.

Just as the uneven display of rule by the collegiate governing bodies has caused some to question their power, authority and relevance so too has the overreaching manipulations of the United States’ federal government caused many to question the wisdom of remaining with a constitutionally voluntary alliance that seeks to govern an ungovernable population. Smaller, more homogeneous groups might develop into more robust and peaceful entities. Individual states might reclaim their lost sovereignty or merge with other like-minded states to form new regional sovereign units that can exercise treaties and cooperative agreements with other similar state units for common purposes. The original intent of The Constitution of the United States of America would be recaptured, restored and renewed. A cluster of 50 or fewer united sovereign states would be greater and more powerful than the whole. The sum of the parts and the corresponding liberty and prosperity could usher in a new era of freedom.

In the great scheme of life on this planet college football and its governance is relatively meaningless. Distraction and entertainment are its primary contributions to our quality of life. Its current situation, though, does offer a stark parallel to that of our nation. Meaning and purpose are critical for survival and prosperity. Drifting aimlessly along without firm convictions and solid commitment is nearly impossible for the long term. Inertia and decadence assume control of the national will…..and the outcome is the death of a dream.

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"Across the Field"

Because these columns are read all over the United States and the planet, I am aware that most of you are not Ohio State football fans. In fact, I would wager that a significant number of you loathe the Buckeyes. Bear with me as I use their recent troubles to illustrate how our nation stepped into the mess where we currently find ourselves. Those of you who follow college sports are probably aware that the OSU football team had to suspend five of its star players for 5 games this season and another 3 players for two games because they accepted illegal benefits as a result of their celebrity status. In addition, their highly successful coach for the past ten years was forced to resign. One of the five five-game suspendees decided to bolt for the NFL rather than face further sanctions for his misdeeds. He was the quarterback.

All of the suspended players were to be juniors or seniors this season. As a consequence, the Buckeye football program finds itself floundering with a 3-2 record after the first five games, and even when winning have looked bad. It’s the worst Ohio State team in the last twenty years. Certainly the suspended players are all talented athletes, but Ohio State prides itself on its ability to “reload” rather than rebuilding. The underclassmen that remain are talented athletes too and should have the athletic ability to play Big Ten (Twelve) football at a high level. The new head coach (interim) was an assistant under the previous regime, and as a former player with the Buckeyes should have a “handle” on the traditions and policies to continue the caliber of play OSU teams have routinely experienced.

The lengthy preamble to this column is intended to create an example of how our nation and our troubles came about. Any coach will tell you that talent and skill are important attributes for players, but leadership and team unity are absolutely vital for a winning program. The eight stars for the Buckeyes (actually seven because the quarterback skipped town) should be the leaders and the mortar for building team cohesion. Their transgressions, however, undermined their capacity for leadership because the other team members can no longer trust their judgment or rely on their sense of priorities. They have demonstrated that their personal preferences trump their responsibilities to the team. As a consequence, a talented group of athletes appear to be navigating the football season with no rudder and no compass. Those who should be leading and uniting have forfeited their status, and the remaining players are struggling to define their new roles within the system.

Our federal government and our national psyche are similar to the OSU program. Because of their venality, profligacy and inattention to the national good, our political leaders have lost their credibility and forfeited their stature as trusted leaders. They stumble around the national field and fumble opportunities to right the ship of state. When they attempt something grand to gain our approval, they throw an interception or miss the wide-open chance to score. When they attempt to tackle a vexing issue, they do so half-heartedly while allowing the problem to gain even more territory. Failure after failure causes the political class to stop throwing the long ball. They begin to diagram plays so as not to lose rather than designing them to win.

The fans and the citizens become increasingly frustrated with the ineffective activities taking place on the field. The clamor for change grows louder, and boos echo throughout the national stadium. The wrath of the people unsettles the team and the politicians even more as they grope for an antidote for the current mess. All, the team, the politicians and nation, overlook the obvious. In the midst of chaos simplicity works best. Reduce the playbook to what can work. Fall back on tried and true principles and do them well. Eliminate the superfluous and the “feel-good” gaudy. Stick to the basics. Block and tackle with power and intensity. Look to people of character to lead by example, and bring the team together around them. Do the simple and do it well. Restore the playbook to its original size and master the fundamental tasks. Kick butt and win games.

Comment:  cearlwriting@hotmail.com

www.littlestuff-minoosha.blogspot.com

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