BETWEEN THE LINES: ‘March Madness’ a much-anticipated diversion
The year is off to a dismal start. The newly elected Republican House majority is at odds with the president over raising the debt ceiling and bickering over Obama’s budget recommendations. Oil prices have shot up 20 percent since the beginning of the year, thus reducing our ability to buy other goods and services. The Middle East is in turmoil, including the ousting of Hosni Mubarak in Egypt and a civil war in Libya attempting to overthrow the three-decade reign of dictator Muammar Gaddafi.
To add insult to injury, Mother Nature dealt Japan a severe economic blow with a historic earthquake registering a whopping 8.9 on the Richter scale, triggering a deadly tsunami with waves as high as 30 feet that travelled inland up to six miles in certain locations.
Nuclear reactors have been damaged and could possibly cause a meltdown, while the resulting death toll could be staggering.
It seems trouble is everywhere, as state legislatures around the nation face significant budget shortfalls and are responding by addressing their largest budget expense — namely education. The focus of attention has been on Wisconsin, but it is just a prelude to the difficult job of reducing the financial woes across the public sector. Simply put, public spending is a zero-sum game. It spends what it takes in taxes and is incapable of generating a profit. Consequently, there is a limit as to how many employees can be put on the payroll, especially in light of the pay and employee benefits being demanded by unions.
As my mother repeatedly told me in my youth, “Money doesn’t grow on trees.”
Back in Roman times, government officials turned to entertaining the masses in the Coliseum when things got bad, eventually feeding the Christians to the lions. Things haven’t yet reached that point, but the brain can only absorb so much bad news at one time before shutting down and seeking relief through more appealing distractions, such as the basketball frenzy known as "March Madness."
As a former player, coach and referee, this basketball junkie looks forward to the games that will be broadcast in the coming days. Each year is remembered for the classic upsets and last-second winning shots, as we watch one bench empty and swarm the court in jubilation, while the other leaves the court dejected, knowing their opportunity for fame will have to wait at least one more season.
My passion for the game remains unabated. I find myself yelling at my TV such memorable phrases as, “What kind of shot is that?” or “Where is the defense?” It doesn’t seem to matter if I am a fan of that team or not.
As a basketball purist, I am disappointed the fundamentals of the game have deteriorated over the years and have been replaced by raw athleticism, but I still admire the miraculous athletic moves players make these days.
The Texas men blew an excellent chance of being a top seed by going into a funk down the stretch, and ended up with a No. 4 seed in the West regional rather than being a top seed in the Southwest regional, which would have been in San Antonio with the finals in Houston this year. Maybe they can regain the magic touch, but experience tells me otherwise. Look for the ‘Horns to continue to struggle.
More than likely I will adopt a Cinderella team because of my penchant to usually side with the underdog.
Whatever the outcome, at least it will keep my eyes off the front page of the news for a few days. As they say, “No news is good news.”
Laughlin is a Christian Libertarian. He is an economist, teacher, father, husband and most recently a grandfather. He has written a weekly column for The Tribune for 12 years. He and his wife Gina reside in Meadowlakes. To contact him, e-mail ablaughlin@nctv.com. He is an independent columnist, not a staff member, and his views do not necessarily reflect those of The Tribune or its parent company.