Football

I'm planning to write a final analysis of the Kaepernick decision, but I haven't had the time (and I'll need it).  But I caught this little news today: the Giants released Ahmad Bradshaw.  The guy is 26 years old with a history of injury problems.  As you see in the article, he is noted for being one of the toughest guys on the team and one who always played through injuries.

I hated playing Bradshaw.  I thought he was a really good running back and always very effective against the 49ers.  But this is how toughness and skill can be rewarded in the NFL - cast out on your ass.  It's the economics of the game, and I get it, but it nonetheless makes me feel a sense of tragedy about the way the world operates - how it can punish people who do things the right way and reward those who do foolish things just by virtue of luck and timing.  It isn't fair, is all I mean to say.  And it comes as no surprise, but I think this matters that we understand the world in this way - as an essentially tragic place - because it matters in how we conceive of public policy.  The opposite of a tragic viewpoint is a utopian one and I think this is very dangerous and stupid.  It gets us into situations where we justify all sorts of decision making because "that's the way it should be" as opposed to seeing the world for what it is.  This is rather theoretical, but as we begin to pay for Obamacare and witness our unemployment stagnate at a too high rate while the government acts as daddy deep pockets to companies who get into trouble, you begin to see how utopian visions of the world are problematic.

In any case, here's to Bradshaw.  A baller even though I hate his team.  I'm sure someone will sign him.