The following is the opinion and analysis of the writer:
Jeff Hartman
I once witnessed a commuter ferry boat lose engine power at the last minute and crash into two other boats while approaching a dock. That’s how the newspaper described it: as a crash. But it looked more like a slow-motion crush that simply sandwiched two yachts between the big ferry and the massive rock breakwater, more like a pancake crusher slowly flattening a car. Many spectators watched it happen, unable to do anything except stare at the destruction and marvel at the power of the ferry’s momentum.
That’s how I often feel watching the news these days: like I’m watching a slow-motion crush that everyone sees coming and there’s nothing we can do about it.
Take the recent changes in NCAA sports. I understand how the legal decisions and the massive television football contracts drove the NIL movement and forced conference realignment. However, we did not have to end up where we are, with a conference system that makes no sense for the athletes and fans of all the non-revenue sports, especially when there was a simple and obvious way to resolve the issue.
The obvious solution was to somehow separate college football from the other NCAA sports because the money involved in football dwarfs everything else combined and because professional football does not have a developmental league to offer professional opportunities to athletes who do not want to attend college, effectively using college football as its farm system.
Many serious and knowledgeable people offered alternatives, but they were never taken seriously by the media or the decision-makers, who were either blinded by self-interest or couldn’t see a way to stop the momentum long enough to create a new plan.
That’s how it feels with politics as well. Like there’s no way to stop the crazy momentum long enough to consider any reasonable alternatives.
The next political ferry crush I see coming is the battle to renew the Trump tax cuts. As far as I can tell, the public isn’t asking for it and most economists think it’s a bad idea, but we’re going to get it anyway. The GOP establishment has already made it clear that tax cuts are one of its priorities. Big money momentum is already in motion and the media is making it seem like a done deal. There are many singular voices out there debunking the economic rationale for these tax cuts, but I think it’s a done deal unless there’s a huge public mobilization that I don’t foresee.
It occurs to me that both these examples feel a bit like watching a loved one with a drug addiction heading down the road toward self-destruction. The NCAA will continue to let football drive all the decision-making until there is another landmark court decision or the football television money implodes. Big billionaire money will continue to push for tax cuts that will predominantly benefit the ultra-rich and ultimately undermine our government’s ability to effectively function until there is a real populist revolution.
So what can a person do? Clearly define your boundaries and get ready to surf the waves, I guess.
For example, I know the day may soon come when I cease to be a U of A sports fan because I refuse to subscribe to ESPN+, and the quality of the in-person fan experience is continually declining. When that happens, I want to consciously make that decision and move on to a new pastime. I also know the Trump tax cuts will provide a momentary boost to the economy and most likely improve my stock portfolio, and I want to be in position to surf that wave.
I just hope we hit rock bottom without too much more damage and reverse course sooner rather than later.
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