Tough choices

There is no better time than Christmas to realize how commercialism has very casually creeped into and penetrated our everyday lives.

Even if one intentionally tries to stay out of the maddening rush in the hope of preserving their sanity, the nightmare traffic happening around the malls is almost like a wake up call reminding us that it’s that time of year again.

The commercialism we are experiencing today has taken us away from what is truly essential and real in almost everything in our lives.

The way it had affected sports is quite interesting and I feel worth looking into as well.

Let us take examine the worlds of tennis and golf.

The amount of tournaments scheduled in both these sports each year is amazing. With cable television, we get to a chance to see our favorite players compete almost on a weekly basis. The sponsors of these events have given their viewers an enjoyable way to pass the time. And with all the other sports going on in between, you could almost stay glued to the set all day long!

Doesn’t it sound like we have a great thing going here? Unfortunately, nothing in this life comes for free. Someone has got to pay and ironically one of them is the athlete. (The other is us the viewer, but that topic altogether makes for another column.) "Really?!?" Some of you may say. "They have everything to gain!" I tend to think that many things in life are not always as they seem. Let me explain why.

Even though it is the athlete’s choice to over-extend himself and join every tournament there is available for exposure purposes, to gain more points in the system or because it is part of the contract he signed with his sponsor, the result of this could mark a turning point in his career. Either injury or burn out and yes maybe a win could be the result of this and most of them take their chances.

There are very few Tigers and Rogers who can actually call their shots and can choose not to sign up for a tournament when they feel they are not in shape. As it is, Federer played the last tournament of the season already recovering from an injury. And Tiger for his part has announced his withdrawal from the Mercedes Benz Championship next year.

Could it be that some are beginning to wake up to what is happening and realize that they are not a machines or commodities and with a little oil and tune up can perform all year round at the level expected of them by their sponsors and audience?

The temptation that the sponsors have dangled in front of every aspiring athlete is almost impossible to pass up. (The stores have done the same in enticing us to purchase things we really do not need.) The athlete has to be quite awake to the material greed fueling managers and sponsors in order to not over-extend himself and perhaps make him forget his love for the game which inspired him to reach the level he presently finds himself in.

The temptation of prize money, media coverage and endorsements have actually perpetuated the athlete to perhaps bite more than his body and mind can chew. And unfortunately there have been burn outs and injuries that have ended many careers.

Perhaps a striking a balance between the needs of the athlete and that of the sponsor who does in fact feed him could be met. An awareness of what is actually happening here and what it is that is motivating both parties could be a starting point. Failure to do so may eventually kill the goose that lays both of them the golden egg.

Athlete or not, none of us are really spared from falling prey to the commercialism we see today. Maybe one of the "gifts" that Christmas brings us is that it leads us to make a choice on whether to give in to it or not.

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I’d like to take this time to thank all who may have read my column. It has been a wonderful experience for me to be able share with you my thoughts and feelings about sporting issues. I will be taking a break for the rest of the Christmas season and will resume again on January 2006. Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year to all!