I was watching a talk show the other day. I don't watch a lot of them, but as I surfed the channels, I saw this one with a funny actress whose humor appealed to me. Out of the blue, the screen hazes out and this colored backdrop pops up with some kind of message about interrupting regular programming, I think. I didn't have time to read the words. The screen hazed out again. I felt a knot form in my stomach as I quickly gasped for air. The thought that someone was about to appear with a microphone announcing another 9/11 type of incident came to me.
The screen cleared and there were two people sitting at a table in front of a backdrop with the Boston Celtics basketball team's logo all over it. Boston Celtics. I couldn't believe it. Here I was, worried that our country was in the middle of another attack by terrorists, and Shaquille O'Neal and his coach are being televised for Shaquille's introductory press conference! Again, I couldn't believe it, and yet, I could. Our priorities are out of balance.
Now I realize in the sports world, this ex-Laker joining the Celtics is big news. It is a twist of irony. Does it really warrant that kind of TV interruption though, one typically used to alert the public about national safety concerns? I don't think so. I don't think it is an urgent matter that we see this man hold up his "No. 36 jersey as he became the first player in franchise history to wear the number." I do think, however, that it is an urgent matter for us to know about the airplane attack on the twin towers, though.
So, next time, schedule the conference during the news. Otherwise, people are going to start thinking the sudden screen changes are just another sports announcement instead of a life saving alert.
Putting Sports In Perspective [Part I] - Click Here
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image - http://www.ci.windsor.ca.us/index.aspx?NID=325
quote - http://greenstreet.weei.com/sports/boston/basketball/celtics/2010/08/10/video-shaqs-introduction-to-boston/
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