ALL-PRO

Do you remember 1986?

I was six and a half years old on new years day. The Patriots were gearing up for a Super Bowl XX battle with the "Monsters of the Midway". The Celtics were running the Eastern Conference, well on the way to their sweet 16th World Championship. The Red Sox boasted a balanced, veteran ball club, spearheaded by the hottest young pitcher in baseball. And the NHL Bruins were playoff bound, only to be swept away in the first round by the rival Canadians. Three of four major franchises in the final round of their respective post-seasons. These were my first conscious memories of professional sports.

Fast forward a quarter century and the names have changed, but the status remains largely the same. Fellow New England sports fans and I were born into a special set of circumstances, never to be taken for granted. Over the past decade, we've earned somewhat of a "New York status". By this I mean a magnetic dislike generated by a winning atmosphere accompanied by an over-confident, under-educated fan base. Unfortunately, this is simply a symptom of the times. Though my New England pride is unparalleled, to suggest that our sports fans are the exception to the rule would be absurd. That said; I do hold fast to the belief that we possess some of the greatest and most loyal sports fans on the planet. But, when things start heating up, and we head closer to the championship title, the fair weather fans will spring from the woodwork. Each will have their defense ready to deliver upon any questioning by the true fan.

My time away has earned me an objective view on New England and many other sports markets. In southern California there is such a spectrum of people from such different backgrounds that I was able to get a great feel for sports nation. In a true sports market, stuck with losing atmospheres for stretches of time, you'll find hard nosed, well versed sports enthusiasts. Between '86 & '04, Boston sports had a long run of mediocrity with very few highlights. Though rich with history, we faced a great many losing seasons and shattered hopes. Along with an 86 year drought between World Series championships, stretches like 86-04 created a crash course education in professional sports. A "keep your friends close and enemies closer" approach has enriched true fans with a greater understanding of entire leagues; a wider body of coverage. In addition to Boston; Chicago, Philadelphia, and Detroit are prime examples of this case.

Professional sports are our nations strongest pastime, at the same time, one of our most lucrative businesses. Perhaps above all else, sports are our greatest distraction. In a media-driven society such as ours, sports serve as one of our healthiest diversions from an otherwise contaminated news feed. Personally, baseball serves as my greatest avenue to peaceful timelessness. Between the World Series and Spring Training I find myself more susceptible to irritability . . more easily drawn to frustration.

Where I'm from, sports are an incomparable unifying factor in our lives, sometimes, even to a fault. The highs and lows of our beloved teams often have a stronger effect on New England's morale than do the extremes of weather. Literally. When I say "to a fault", I don't at all mean to belittle the die hard fan. In fact, true fans are some of the most noble, stand-up, fun to hang with people around. The fault comes when mood, stress, attitude, blood pressure and overall health are impacted by a teams performance. Healthy distraction=good. Living & dying by your team=bad. To whatever degree our dedication amounts, we must be served the most upstanding competition possible. I wish this requirement went without saying . . I wish it didn't require a second thought . . but as with all things; we must seek an all encompassing view.

Do you know anyone who places regular bets on sporting events? Have you been exposed to sports bars consisting of single men sitting alone watching three or more games at once? How about fantasy football? Now, please consider player salaries, television & radio time, advertising, endorsements, merchandising, and ticket sales.

1 Timothy 6:10 - For the love of money is the root of all evil.

The "Black Sox". Pete Rose. Tim Donaghy.

Cases like this survive media filtration by the uncovering of indisputable evidence by unflinching investigative journalism. These events are detrimental to the guilty organization, and send shock waves to the very top. Though sadly, much like the "once in a blue moon" athlete caught cheating on his wife, society agrees to isolate these instances rather than recognize the icebergs lying beneath. I understand the comfort felt by the ignorance is bliss crowd, but recently, I've been insulted repeatedly by pro sports, in particular; the National Football League.

I've grown accustomed to the uncanny popularity the league has enjoyed over the years, it's impossible to ignore. I've been neck deep in crowds whose lives have been dedicated to fantasy football . . glued to the ticker, stat-tracker, and mobile updates. NFL is the only league I know of that has its own show airing each day of the calendar year. From where I stand, nothing in American entertainment is so glorified and spotlighted as this mighty league.

At this point, on field officiating is almost entirely for show. Calls made unavailable for review are generally so bad, they are impossible to predict. And if a play, or ruling, is challengeable . . look for the red flag . . it's coming. One of the great aspects of baseball is the long duration of game play between short commercial breaks. Being away from New England as long as I have, many of the games I've watched have been at sports bars with little control over conditions. This consistent hassle of watching my game while having to listen to the audio feed of another, has truly brought NFL Sunday viewing into perspective. In my estimation, roughly 40% of all football coverage, during a game, is advertising. The world's biggest day for commercials is Super Bowl Sunday . . and during the season, many of the largest campaigns launch during football games. Just when you think they've maximized the number of game-break/advertising opportunities, they surprise you and come up with a few more.

Money makes the world go round. The huge sums of money claimed by professional athletes is proportional to the revenue generated by their performances. Sports are a good thing. Healthful distraction is a good thing. The concern I raise is a simple question of integrity. Are we getting what we pay for? Are all events transpiring on the field of play clean and fair? Are the athletes whom we idolize and make rich, focused on doing all in their power to propel their team to victory? At the end of a season, or career, which carries more weight . . . the contents of your trophy case, or of your bank account? I believe that any professional athlete, motivated by anything other than the relentless pursuit of victory, is a sellout, and void of credibility.

I am a life long sports fan. I don't know what I'd do without the wonderful gifts I've been blessed with over the years from the wide world of sports. From my foundation in "The Hub", to Vin Scully and the Dodgers, on to Chi-town and it's rich history and legendary clubs. I am better versed and more involved than ever before. My understanding and compassion for professional athletes is at its peak. In competition, heart is immeasurable.

Invaluable.

Everything.