11-27-2011, 08:41 PM
I agree with the notion that this latest is corrupting the Heismann, but the cynic in me accepts that TV, which now is the driving force behind college football, has already corrupted nearly everything else about the sport. The only reason I have been a Stanford fan for 35 years is that this University seems able, at times, to resist those pressures and uphold deeper values. The Heismann and BCS rankings are now TV awards, marketed for TV ratings and having little to do with moral desert.Â
For my own sanity, I decided some time ago that as a fan I should take seriously what Andrew says about these things. Not just admiring his humility but understanding that the worth of a season is measured by tangible human relationships--the bonds of friendship and sense of personal accomplisment that those players feel, and by the affection that we as fans hold for them and their efforts. We know the quality of what we have seen, and they know the quality of what they did. The rest of it is craven public relations that is driven by interests beyond those of players and fans.
For my own sanity, I decided some time ago that as a fan I should take seriously what Andrew says about these things. Not just admiring his humility but understanding that the worth of a season is measured by tangible human relationships--the bonds of friendship and sense of personal accomplisment that those players feel, and by the affection that we as fans hold for them and their efforts. We know the quality of what we have seen, and they know the quality of what they did. The rest of it is craven public relations that is driven by interests beyond those of players and fans.