Sports becoming a soap opera

I just returned from our annual family vacation to Hilton Head, S.C. One of my favorite things to do there is work out at the resort fitness facility that overlooks the ocean.
Of course, ESPN is on in front of every workout machine in the place. Even though I work out to ESPN each morning at home, for some reason I seem to listen more intently while on vacation.
I have finally come to realize that the media creates a reality soap opera in the sporting world. The first big story I paid attention to was Shaqille O’Neal’s rap song that puts down Kobe Bryant.
Who really cares about what Shaq does in a bar? Like that’s going to solve anything large in the world like the oil crisis. The story continued to air for two days.
Secondly, Don Imus opened up talking about sports and race. He should recognize that he has no knowledge about the topic. Pacman Jones as a victim is a whole different story.
The daily saga of the Dallas Cowboys continued with the leads of Terrell Owens, Pacman and the great Cowboy leader, Jerry Jones. I heard that Joe Horn may possibly sign with Dallas. Now that will be a true example of “dancing with the stars!”
We also viewed at least 35 times Carlos Beltran getting kicked out of the game. The real kicker was that the umpire was suspended for a game. I guess he made the fatal mistake of taking issue with a pro player who questioned his ancestry.
Another hot topic was Big Brown. He didn’t quit – he lost his shoe. I’m sure taking him off of steroids three weeks prior to the race had nothing to do with his performance?
The two good items of news through the week were that the Royals won 10 out of their last 12 games and the NFL Commissioner has come up with a tremendous concept about compensation of players who have proven themselves in the league. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that first round draft choices out of college really have no concept of what it takes to be a successful pro.
I guess it has taken me almost 58 years to determine that all sports are a reality soap opera. I came to the realization that taking my 4-year-old grandson to the beach to build sand castles is what is important to me in life now.
• It seems like every year while I’m on vacation the Royals get on a roll. Maybe I should move out of town – maybe they could win another world championship.
• Blue Springs coach Kelly Donohoe’s quarterback camp each year is one of the best camps available for youth. The camp is led by a lot of great quarterbacks, but, most importantly, the kids will have fun and enjoy the experience.
• Missouri’s football team is ranked sixth in the nation by one very well know magazine. If they are able to defeat Illinois in the opening game and beat Texas at Texas, they could end the season even higher. USC and Ohio State are “nails” this year.
• My quote of the week is from former NFL coach Bum Phillips (I hope that his son, Wade, has this tattooed on his forehead): “You must win, but you also must have fun or what’s the use? Football is but a small part of all of our lives.”