Politicsruin sports

JEREMIAH BARTZ/ Frontiersman

Politics and beaurocracy just numb the mind.

To drill or not to drill? To tax or not to tax?

Following the latest political and social issues are mind numbing, gut wrenching and will most likely take days off your life. Worrying about what local politician is out to rear-end the public this time, or what bank-breaking propostion congress is trying to pass this week will most likely just leave you pennieless and suffering from high blood pressure.

Society once offered ways for average people to keep their minds off the everyday beaurocratic and political b.s.

Athletics was one.

Athletics was the oasis for those with a thirst for entertainment and or recreation.

But that has even been tainted. The policitics and beaurocracy, caused mostly by money and greed, have taken a toll on collegiate and professional sports.

Greed is a disease that could kill athletics. Owners of professional teams, athletes in the headlines and even organazations such as the NCAA already suffer from the cancer of the pocketbook.

The policits and beaurocracy of greed and wealth have made it to where the average middle class family of four can no longer afford to attend a professional sporting event. Though most cannot afford to see their favorite pro team live, there was still the option of watching the game or analysis on the tube.

Shows such as NFL Gameday, Baseball Tonight and the George Michael Sports Machine are the sports fan's haven away from the latest banter on CNN or Fox News.

But now ESPN has even become a political and social headache.

The popular sports channel hired conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh as an analyst and contributor to its Sunday NFL pre-game show.

Whether or not you agree with Limbaugh, is not the point. The point is, it was just a matter of time before Rush was going to say something stupid and create a little more mind-numbing controversy.

Last week during NFL Gameday, Limbaugh stated that the only reason NFL quarterback Donovan McNabb was so popular, is society wanted a black quarterback to succeed.

Just a day after his comments, Limbaugh was forced to resign -- starting a whirlwind of controversy.

Now when I try to avoid the news channels with the story about the latest over-inflated Hollywood ego who has a problem with GWB, I have to turn to ESPN and listen to everyone's analysis of Rush's comments.

It was a mistake by ESPN to bring in Rush. Regardless of his politics, his run as a political analyst would only cause him to take a political and social angle in his NFL analysis. Viewers want the X's and O's, not a social take. Even though his career started in sports broadcasting, Rush's time and interest in politics will only cause him to incorporate it in his work in sports.

It could have been Limbaugh or Geraldo, G. Gordon Liddy or the increadibly irritating George Stephenapolis. Bring a political analyist to the sports desk, and it will only spell trouble.

We do not want to listen to John Madden discuss healthcare reform, so I certainly do not want Rush to tell me why the Bears are 0-3.