Too Much

Two large universities, the University of California at Los Angeles and the University of Southern California, UCLA and USC respectively, have joined the Big Ten athletic conference. The move illustrates why I find big sports tedious.

I don't intend upon singling out college football here, or college sports in general. The phenomenon is all over the place: add more teams, which supposedly adds more excitement. Major League Baseball has 30 teams and is talking about two more. The National Football League has 32; hockey and basketball have similar numbers. Now college sports are moving into high gear on the bigger is better train, and you just know professional soccer is lathering for the day it can have franchises on every corner. 

It's already absurdly difficult to win a championship of any kind, and now we're making it even harder. And I wonder: are we truly improving things or merely diluting the talent pool and in fact depriving ourselves of better sports and games? 

Why is it done? The answer is found by following the money. It's not about the integrity of the sport. The powers that be want the cold hard cash. Bigger gets that. Earning the big bucks is better than winning championships anyway, for them. USC and UCLA don't care about winning the Big Ten in anything. They care about getting $56 million each, each year as opposed to the mere $20 million they get out of their current conference.

It has me tuning out sports of all kinds at all levels. Why bother? From a practical standpoint, nothing matters except the Big Championship Game (or series). No use investing the emotional capital before then. It's contrived for no other reason than creating a larger pie for already fat cats.

I don't need it. I'm better entertained, better informed, and I'll even add more likely to become a better person, reading a good book or engaging in good conversation. I'll venture that you might be too.