Published Every Tuesday

GATES GALORE...
Ever since the days of the political break-in at the Watergate towers, we’ve had ‘Gates!’

The press dubbed the break-in, “Watergate” and ever since then any controversy has the term ‘gate’ tacked on to whatever the hub bub is about.

The latest to earn the Gate-phrase is the controversy surrounding under-inflated football’s during the Patriots/Broncos football game. No, they haven’t dubbed it “Underinflatedgate,” but the shorter term, “deflategate.” We’ve had press releases.

We’ve had press conferences. We’ve had denials. We’ve had jokes galore.

All because someone says the football’s used by the Patriots didn’t have enough hot air in them. Course that is never the case with the on-air announcers, who have no end to the hot air they pour fourth during the games.

The sad truth is that pro sports have become such big money tickets that players, coaches and executives use whatever means they can find to gain an edge. Steriod use by the players has been a topic of great concern for years - as well it should be. Ticket prices have skyrocketed to pretty well bar an average family from attending a game. Salaries have blossomed into the stratosphere. The cost of an advertisement during the Super Bowl telecast has exploded to an astounding figure.

What seems to be forgotten in all this race to make tons of money is the sad truth that we (the consumer) pay the price. We may never attend a game in person, but every item we buy that is advertised on TV during game day has some of that cost built in to what we pay when we make our purchases.

Another sad truth is that players and club owners seem to forget that their franchises survived based on fan loyalty. Kids have idolized players since the first football was kicked through the uprights, or batted out of the park. Growing up we knew every statistic for our favorite players. They were our idols. We looked up to them. Sadly, somewhere along the line, money reared its ugly head, and the fans were forgotten as the players headed to their local bank branch to deposit those gigantic paychecks... laughing all the way.

Gone are the days of players who played because they love the game - and who happened to get paid to boot.

This past week, an unsung hero of baseball passed away. Ernie Banks was a consummate baseball player - he was good at everything that had to do with the game. He didn’t celebrate after every home run - cuz that’s not what he was about. He gave his all every time he put on the uniform... not because he had to to stay on the team, but because he wanted to. He was playing the game he loved and that was the most important thing to him - and got him into the Hall of Fame.

As great as he was, he played on a team that wasn’t very good. For his entire career he wore the uniform of his beloved Chicago Cubs. He never complained about the teams performance. He never threatened to quit unless he was traded to a better team. He just went about playing baseball day in and day out with glee.

As a kid, he was one of many of our idols, along with Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle and a horde of others whose trading cards we loved.

But those days of professional sports idols have all been forgotten in today’s world of ‘doing whatever it takes to be better so I can earn more money.’ I’m not on a winning team... so trade me, or else! I’m not getting the money that soand- so gets... so give me a new contract! I’m not getting the endorsements that the other guys are getting... so I’m firing my agent!

The line from the movie just isn’t that far fetched.... “Show me the money!”

Loyalty just isn’t in the cards any more... but cheating apparently is ranked up there with a royal flush. Using under inflated footballs, injecting steroids, intentionally stepping on an opponents hand with your cleats, etc., etc., etc.

Anything to win games, increase your paycheck and get those endorsements.

Yep, welcome to the Pro’s.