Author Archive
The NBA Finals: Buy our shoes…or build a shoe factory!
Written by Ron McClure Jr.
Friday, 05 June 2009 12:34
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Yeah, the Lakers won the first game of the NBA Finals. Whoopee! I wish I cared. I am so sick of hearing about the salaries of CEOs and government employees, but only a mild rumble about the profligate salaries of pro athletes. I know, I’ve already written on the subject. But, one thing I didn’t contribute to that conversation was the idea of “earmarks.”

You, most likely, are aware that the vast number of politicians are elected on the contingency of the bacon they can bring home. So, what are earmarks? Well, they are one of those unfortunate, “you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours,” ideals that exist in our government today. It’s like this: “We will give you monetary and political support if (when you win) you will fund our ‘Save the Rapists’ fund.'” Okay, that may be a little exaggerated, but still, some earmarks are pretty ridiculous.

So, what does this have to do with sports? I’m glad you asked. Why do we not pounce on pro athletes like we do politicians? When you think about it, sports is just a form of entertainment, and athletes aren’t even required to be citizens. Yet, many pro athletes are rewarded for their incredible skills with ludicrous salaries (ones much greater than politicians), and then they are presented with inconceivable commercial endorsements. Nike, Reebok, Adidas, Gatorade — these are some, but not all of the common player endorsements in sports.

Earmarks? Endorsements? What in the wide, wide world of sports is the connection?

They are one in the same. Yes, political earmarks are nothing more than professional endorsements. It has nothing to do with ideology, but it is “all about the Benjamins.” That’s right. Do you think that corporations or organizations really give a hoot about ideology? No. They care about profit margins, just like the endorsers of pro athletes. They all just want to make a buck. Just look at the newly blossomed relationship between Obama and General Electric. Do you really think that GE supports Obama's promise of universal health care? Of course not. GE just wants the contracts for all of the new technology Obama wants to implement, namely the implementation of online medical records.

So, as you think of criticizing politicians, check this out. I have embedded a chart from Nate Jones' website JonesOnTheNBA.com. Just look at what some NBA players are pulling in…AFTER…their players' salaries. And you say you don’t like earmarks…

marketingdeals2007-2008

 
God “Blessed” America
Written by Ron McClure Jr.
Monday, 18 May 2009 14:14
4 Comments

Sandwiched here between Armed Forces Day and Memorial Day, it only seems fitting to honor a true American hero. Michael Anthony Monsoor –  a son, brother, and U.S. Navy SEAL — is the epitome of what a man should be. Not only did he courageously serve his country, but he also served his fellow Navy brothers on the battlefield.

On September 29, 2006, Monsoor and two fellow SEALs were positioned on a rooftop in Ramadi, Iraq. Having been there for some time, engaging in gunfire very sporadically, Monsoor was hit in the chest with a hand grenade. With a fuse-time of only 5 or 6 seconds, Monsoor could only utter the single word, "grenade!," before he threw himself on the live explosive, saving his Navy brothers from the full brunt of the blast. However, 30 minutes later, Michael Monsoor would die, having sacrificed his own life for his brothers. You see, Michael had the only opportunity of the three to avoid the blast, but instead "embraced" it.

Michael is said to have been a special and determined man, even in early life, but his fervent determination to become a U.S Navy SEAL was one that surprised even his own family. On April 8, 2008, Monsoor was posthumously rewarded, by President George W. Bush,  America's greatest military award, the Medal of Honor.

This country and this world is a much better place for God's gift of Michael Monsoor. We all should thank Him, as we sleep soundly in our beds tonight.

MASTER AT ARMS SECOND CLASS, SEA, AIR and LAND
MICHAEL A. MONSOOR
UNITED STATES NAVY

 
U.S. Congress: On the Battlefield
Written by Ron McClure Jr.
Monday, 04 May 2009 12:44
13 Comments

The shotgun is loaded…  This could be the end… Just one minor mistake, and in just a fraction of a second, it will all be over. Minds are calculating — hearts are racing. Who will be standing in the end? Who will live another day? Who will be the one that will ultimately proclaim, "VICTORY!"?

The Captain calls for back-up, as he breathes warm air into his frigid hands. He steps back — surveying the field, as his training and strategies are replaying in his head — like a high-speed slide-show. "Go left?" He ponders. "No, the guard will surely stop us." If only he had one more rocket — one more bomb — if only he could avoid the inevitable blitzkrieg awaiting behind the enemy lines.

I wish I was talking about war. But, I’m not. No, I’m talking about football. Football, you ask? Yes. Football. Why? Well, it seems that our Congress is more concerned about college football right now. We have two war-fronts (that we are retreating from), and Congress wants to talk “football”? Great. I wish college football had a playoff system too, but I think now is not the time to address the issue. We have so many other important issues that need to be attended to, that this one, well, just seems like a convenient distraction.

Okay, I love college football, and I have long since claimed that it is the most corrupt college sport, by far. In the current system, the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) rates all teams, and selects only two colleges to compete for the BCS National Championship, after the regular season. However, there are more than 30 bowl games in total. In the BCS Championship series (4 games total, with one championship game) each team receives a 17 million-dollar check. The other  bowl game checks range from around $1-2 mill.

So, what’s the problem? The problem is that big conferences have ties to most bowls, and “smaller” conferences have virtually no chance to earn the “big” bucks. For example, the NCAA Basketball Tournament is an “equal-opportunity” venture. If you make it in the basketball tournament (65 teams), you get to play for the Championship, and you get paid. In football? Well, not so much. In football, money talks.

First, like I said earlier, only two teams get the opportunity to be Champs. Plus, with all of the “conference-bowl” alliances, smaller schools with good teams often sit at home — or play for "chicken feed" in smaller bowl games. Each bowl game chooses teams primarily on how many tickets they will sell, plus, the ever-lucrative TV contracts. Only about half the time does a team get a “bowl bid” for its accomplishments — it’s usually about its “marketability.”

Okay, so there’s your football lesson. The system definitely needs to be fixed, but should Congress be the instigator? Is this just another stepping stone on our socialistic pathway? Many think that the BCS should police itself, and many, like me, think that our Congress has bigger issues to deal with right now.

It’s not just the significance of the issue, it’s also the appearance. Do we really need to be focusing on football right now? We are dealing with struggling automobile companies, folding banks and job cuts across the board. And, our Congress is investigating football? Gee whiz! I don’t like the BCS system either, but this does not make me feel like my tax dollars are really working for me.

So, I think Congress should “punt,” and try to score this one later in the game — when we don’t have so many “injured” players on the bench (autos, banks, jobs). I think Congress should be focusing on the real battlefields, not the "football" fields.