I'm not a fan of 'so long, nice to know you' dismissiveness of player, coaches or anyone, really. It really objectifies people into insignificance. Sure, they make realms of money and live with no job security at all. But when they work for the team you support they are part of the collective whole and work towards the same objective. If someone is beaten out, fine. It's the nature of the business. Ruthless competition. But that doesn't diminish their contributions, efforts and presence. And it can't be much fun to invest emotionally in people that at any moment might likewise be beaten out by someone else and therefore also become a non-entity. Fame and athletic prowess are fragile and fleeting, so it's nice to appreciate each contribution and treat the individual with some dignity. Even if any number of them are lousy. And they often make great sources of nostalgia later on. With the passage of time, even the hapless can provide a wry smile upon reflection.

GT, man you contribute an amazingly eclectic body of knowledge on a regular basis.

Win, I've been pawing around my books and suddenly realize my classic sociology section is not what I thought it was. Too many downsizes over the years. I'm looking at Durkheim, Parsons, Mills, Mannheim, Goffman, Reiser, Mead, Simmel, Sorokin, Goodman, Gurvitch, Allport, Berger and a stack of stuff buried under a table. No Veblen. Unless he's somewhere on another shelf in another room. I did read that book years ago though and it made an impression. But since I'm now upstairs I guess it's an excuse to do some dusting and cleaning.

Last Edited By: Arnold49 01/13/13 02:21 AM. Edited 2 times.