BC Vs. MJ: Who Really Rules America? By Richard Craig January 16, 1999

There has been no greater recent example of how our national priorities have changed than the reaction to the two biggest events of the last couple of weeks.

Everyone's heard about the first one. For only the second time in U.S. history, a president has been impeached and put on trial by the Senate. The scandal that led to this has been dominating the news for months, and there promises to be more intrigue as witnesses are called to testify.

The other story was that a basketball player retired.

Which is more important? No contest, right? A historic moment versus just another athlete hanging up his sneakers and going home.

So why is it that America can't be bothered with the impeachment trial but has gone gaga over Michael Jordan's retirement?

It's not supposed to be this way. We're supposed to be able to tell the difference between the serious and the trivial. The reasoning side of our brains tell us that national and international affairs should take precedence over fun and games. We know that there's no comparison between the importance of a Franklin Roosevelt and a Yogi Berra.

So what's happened here? Call it a leadership vacuum, or perhaps call it a desire to regain some sort of true pride. Sure, most people recognize that President Clinton has done a good job on certain important issues facing the country. It's just that we've had to hold our nose an awful lot in exchange for those good doings. Ever since he was first elected, there's always been an uneasiness, a fear that something would come along and devalue everything good he's done. Lo and behold, in the wake of the Lewinsky scandal, it's going to be hard to ever look at the presidency in quite the same way. It's been compromised.

So what does this have to do with Michael Jordan?  The answer is that there is no compromise with Michael. Try as they might, people see no real down side to Jordan's greatness. He's performed remarkable athletic feats without the slightest hint of wrongdoing. As has been widely observed, each of the last six seasons Jordan began with the Chicago Bulls ended in a parade. And we haven't heard a single peep about cheating, lying or otherwise breaking the rules. No shocking stories about paying off referees or opponents, or point shaving, or steroids, or anything else to compromise the value of his deeds.

Simply being honest may not sound like too much to ask, but it's a measure of us as a society that unblemished integrity has become so prized. Even last year's feel-good athletic story had a down side -- Mark McGwire's use of the nutritional supplement Androstenedione. At a time when it seems that nobody achieves anything without bending the rules -- whether in business, politics, sports or society in general -- Jordan managed to become the greatest icon of his age as a straight-arrow. Say what you will about Jordan, but he's no phony.

This is why his retirement is being bemoaned in so many circles, and not just by the manufacturers of the products he endorses. Sure, he's not a perfect person, as his gambling and baseball woes will attest, but nobody's ever called him Slick Michael. He earned his legend through lots of hard work, and we all watched him do it. His retirement both calls upon us to reflect upon that hard work and to bemoan the fact we won't get to see him play on TV anymore.

Compare this to the impeachment trial. We can't wait until it gets off TV, and you know why? Because the smell of disingenuousness is overpowering on both sides. Both Clinton's backers and bashers make the same tired arguments over and over again, transparently mugging for the cameras in hopes of brighter futures. To make it worse, this is all taking place in spite of the fact that the verdict of the trial is a foregone conclusion -- the Republicans don't have enough votes to remove Clinton from office.

So why are we bothering with the trial?  To serve the vanity of a few Congressmen and Senators, and to give the news media lots of material to bore us with. Hardly the most noble use of tax dollars in the history of the republic.

In the meantime, Jordan rides into the sunset with people clamoring for more. This seldom happens in these days of televised pseudo-events like the impeachment trial. Perhaps that's an advantage that sports have over real life these days -- we're not sure how the games will end. Ask Karl Malone if the outcome of Jordan's final game was a foregone conclusion.

Clinton would do well to learn from Jordan in a lot of areas -- most obviously how to conduct one's personal life when in the glare of the media spotlight. Jordan showed that if you work harder than everyone else and don't let external factors distract you, you can accomplish amazing things.

On second thought, Bill, don't stick your tongue out. It worked for Jordan, but it might have unintended consequences for you.
 

©1999 Richard Craig. All rights reserved.

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