I love metaphor as much as the next guy, but I am convinced that even if the New Orleans Saints win the Super Bowl, the city will not magically emerge from rubble and wipe away all memory of Hurricane Katrina.
Most sportscasters do not seem to share my view. From one side of their mouth, they muse how insignificant sports seem in the wake of human tragedy. But from the other side, they suggest that a win by the Saints or the LSU Tigers could inspire the huddling masses yearning to be dry. I don’t doubt that a Saints win could boost the spirit of a displaced Saints fan, but the sentiment seems too close to sending Rambo back to Vietnam so that "this time we can win."
The same thing happened in the wake of 9/11, with many suggesting that a New York Yankee win in the World Series would be good for America. But it belies the tragedy of these events to try to cast a rematch as Yankees vs. Terrorists or Saints vs. Hurricane. Recovering from these events is complex and impossible to quantify. But that doesn’t mean we should throw our hands in the air and be satisfied with "Saints win."
I guess it shows that even in times of national crisis, we can find a reason to throw our unqualified support behind enormous corporate interests. I don’t find that comforting.
No comments:
Post a Comment