Who Cares About the Super Bowl?
Sunday was an exciting day for football fans. But it was hard to get too interested in hype that surrounds the Super Bowl this year because of all the heartache that is going on in our community and nation.
I compare the great game played between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Arizona Cardinals to a cruise I took a few years ago to the Bahamas. I can remember all the planning and anticipation for the cruise, but once we set sail, I became uncomfortable enjoying the beautiful sites of the island because I could also see the unbelievable poverty that is not talked about in the cruise brochures.
As we celebrated the end of the NFL season, Governors in Missouri and Kansas are recommending significant cuts in state budgets to a whole host of programs. City government officials, local business and nonprofit leaders are making significant program and personnel reductions. The number of unemployed is at its highest in many years. Most families I know have been directly affected by this historic downturn in the economy.
I do not know what to think about the financial stimulus package being debated in Washington, DC. I am worried that the greedy and unscrupulous folks who caused this financial crisis will be the same folks who will benefit most from the stimulus package – that’s not fair and I hope our new President and Congress will not allow this to happen.
So I wonder - who cares about the Super Bowl? Let’s focus on getting the millions of unemployed people back to work.
I compare the great game played between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Arizona Cardinals to a cruise I took a few years ago to the Bahamas. I can remember all the planning and anticipation for the cruise, but once we set sail, I became uncomfortable enjoying the beautiful sites of the island because I could also see the unbelievable poverty that is not talked about in the cruise brochures.
As we celebrated the end of the NFL season, Governors in Missouri and Kansas are recommending significant cuts in state budgets to a whole host of programs. City government officials, local business and nonprofit leaders are making significant program and personnel reductions. The number of unemployed is at its highest in many years. Most families I know have been directly affected by this historic downturn in the economy.
I do not know what to think about the financial stimulus package being debated in Washington, DC. I am worried that the greedy and unscrupulous folks who caused this financial crisis will be the same folks who will benefit most from the stimulus package – that’s not fair and I hope our new President and Congress will not allow this to happen.
So I wonder - who cares about the Super Bowl? Let’s focus on getting the millions of unemployed people back to work.
About Me
Steve Roling
President/CEO
Steve Roling is the President/CEO of the Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City. Each week he blogs about issues that inspire him as we work toward eliminating barriers to quality health.
Comments
Steve,As an anonymous someone who knows you very well I know you care about the superbowl! I loved the point you made though... why do we spend so much MONEY on the superbowl when all that money could have fed millions of people if it went toward fighting hunger in this country. Sr. Berta was quoted in last Sunday's paper commenting on professional athletes and the absurd amount of money they make. There is way too much money and wasted money in professional sports! If more Athletes like Will Shields gave back to the community maybe it wouldn't be so absurd! American's love their sports, and maybe especially in troubled times we love it for the escapism quality it brings to our lives. I hope we love it for this reason, and not because we truly value it more than the pressing issues bearing down on us right now. But again, if we could spend maybe as much as 30 seconds of commercial time on a great non-for-profit, or to add to a struggling state's budget...that would take away our reason for craving our escapism in the first place. Great Blog Steve!!!!
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