Yesterday, an all-too-common event happened in professional sports. This one may or may not denigrate the optics of the PGA Tour and cheapen the product. Regardless, it compromised the veracity of the Commissioner of the PGA, Jay Monahan, and the league. The event is called “Hypocrisy” and after two years of maintaining that the PGA Tour would never sell out to the Saudi owned LIV Tour – The PGA Tour sold out to the Saudi owned LIV Golf Tour.
To lay insult to injury, the Commissioner, Jay Monahan, a year or so prior had addressed the families of 9/11 after some PGA players had defected to the LIV tour and began working for the Saudi’s who funded the attacks, by saying this:
“I have two families (of 9/11) that are close to me that lost loved ones, so my heart goes out to them. I would ask any player that has left, or any player that would consider leaving, ‘Have you ever had to apologize for being a member of the PGA Tour?”
https://www.sportsnet.ca/golf/article/pga-tour-boss-monahan-regrets-not-speaking-to-families-of-9-11-victims-prior-to-merger/
In addition, “PGA Commissioner Jay Monahan co-opted the 9/11 community last year in the PGA’s unequivocal agreement that the Saudi LIV project was nothing more than sportswashing of Saudi Arabia’s reputation.”
Yesterday, this was his response after the PGA was sold to PIF (The fund that owns the LIV Tour and now owns the PGA Tour):
“Well, I, ummm… I read Terry’s (member of 9/11 Families United) comments. Ahhh, I, uh, I, you know, obviously I acknowledge her loss and completely understand her position.”
Puff Daddy wrote a song back in the 90’s called, “It’s all about the Benjamins”.
It’s what fueled hypocrisy in the NFL and specifically with the Commissioner of the NFL, Roger Goodell and its Board Members when they partnered with the Casino’s after maintaining for years that gambling had no place in professional football. The lure of the “almighty dollar” was too much for the NFL to overcome and now NFL communications look like this:
Historically, the NFL had a strict anti-gambling policy due to concerns about the integrity of the game. The NFL was one of the major plaintiffs in the legal battle against sports betting in the United States, supporting the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), which effectively prohibited most forms of sports betting.
However, in May 2018, the Supreme Court of the United States struck down PASPA, opening the door for individual states to legalize and regulate sports betting. Following this decision, the NFL’s position began to shift. The league recognized the changing landscape and the potential economic opportunities associated with sports betting.
There is a saying that I know you have heard and it goes like this, “Follow the Money.” It emphasizes the notion that financial incentives or gains can shed light on the motivations and actions of individuals or organizations.
It suggests that understanding the economic aspects can help uncover underlying truths or expose questionable practices that may not be immediately apparent.
If you follow the money, it might lead you to multi-national corporations that exploit low-wage labor in developing countries and disregard worker safety to those that commit environmental exploitation and destruction that endanger the public health, or to pharmaceutical companies that charge exorbitant prices for life saving drugs, limiting access for people that can’t afford them to those that create public health crises by downplaying the highly addictive nature of their drugs, or to financial institutions that engage in hyper-risky ventures that lead to economic crises.
You know, I have sat here for well over an hour trying to figure out how to finish this narrative. This has never really happened. My process for writing these narratives has remained consistent since number 16. Two nights before, during meditation, I download the topic and the next day the narrative evolves. And, for 53 narratives I have gotten a clear picture on how to connect the dots. Then, on the third day, I sit down and author the entire narrative in a 2-3 hour session. The information flows through me. Infrequently do I ever go back and review the content. This one is different. I haven’t figured out how to thread it together with a metaphysical or philosophical theory that ties it all nicely together into a beautiful tapestry.
Not sure how to proceed.
Our world and everything in it, is in a moment-to-moment battle to find balance. And, since we live in a universe that is forever searching for balance, we are able to experience all the beauty and tragedy that life has to offer. Without this duality or contrast, our experiences would never have the power to incite growth or evolvement.
Without cold you would never be able to understand heat. Without suffering you would never be able to understand bliss. Without greed we would never understand selflessness, goodness or self-sacrifice.
Maybe this is the thread that weaves it all together. Throughout history, events of greed, selfishness and materialism have ignited real change. Monarchies, governments, corporations and organizations have all risen and fallen because of this imbalance. And, the message very well might be that the PGA, NFL and the many others that have followed this path are in store for meaningful change.