Sports on TV

"It is not who won or lost, but how you played the game." That was written by a now all but forgotten sportswriter. It was written before TV, the NFL or performance-enhancing steroids. Now we have entertainment -- millions watch golf, tennis, football, pro wrestling, everything but dogfights on the TV.

Entertainment is important, especially to the advertisers and professional athletes that make several million dollars for a year of hard work. But something is lost when the rules of the game are changed to make a sport more suitable for TV. Something has been lost when web sites devoted to firing a coach pop up before the season is half over. Something has been lost when spousal abuse cases go up when the home team does poorly. Something is strange when the head ball coach is paid twice as much as the president of the university, or the president of the United States.

A good editorial defines the problem and suggests a solution. The problem is too many people are watching while too few are on the playing field. The solution is giving support to truly amateur sports, in any way you can. Volunteer to coach a team, sponsor a team, or go to a T-ball game for the fun of seeing kids swing a bat. Cedar Key Sharks basketball is in mid-season. Cheer them on, win or lose.

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