- Philadelphia phenom: This Guy
While I would love to celebrate the victory of our very own Philadelphia Soul in Arena Bowl XXII, it sent my mind in a different direction. Two weeks ago, the Associated Press ran a story that was the cover headline on the Bucks County Courier Times: “Leaders Running Out of Economic Options.” In other words, “Panic now! The apocalypse has already started.”
I know that our present economic malaise has hurt many and I don’t mean to trivialize this. However, I have trouble believing that we have hit rock bottom when our society has enough discretionary income to support the Arena Football League. There are only two conclusions that I can draw from this:
1) We are actually extraordinarily wealthy and we have hit a minor bump that no longer allows us to consume everything we want, only most things.
2) We have a huge income gap in America. If indeed, our economy is collapsing, it is only collapsing upon the poor. The economic elite apparently have enough cash that, in Philadelphia alone, we can afford to be entertained by the Phillies, Eagles, Sixers, Flyers, Kixx, Soul, Wings, Phantoms, and a Major League Soccer team to be (entertaining you in 2009!). I have not heard of any actual plans to change our entertainment habits, so there must be plenty of money still floating around, just in the hands of a select few.
I am happy for Bon Jovi, the Philadelphia Soul, and my city that is so desperate for a championship that we care about Arena Football. I just don’t want to be sedated by the continual public offering of bread and circus.
