From Publishers Lunch’s weekly e-mail:
Former Virginia governor and senator George Allen’s THE TRIUMPH OF CHARACTER: What Washington Can Learn from the World of Sports, drawing on his experiences in both fields (he played football and rugby at the University of Virginia and is the the son of NFL Hall of Fame Coach, the late George Allen) to show what Washington could learn from the enduring principles found in athletic competition and team sports, and how ‘characters with character’ in the meritocracy of sports can provide principled, competitive examples of the ways to surmount challenges facing America, to Regnery, for publication in June 2010, by Writers’ Representatives.
So George Allen believes that there are parallels between football…and politics. Fascinating! Perhaps he can use football as a metaphor for politics (if I may be so bold). And who knew his father was an NFL coach? This should be very revealing.
(O, the irony of the title! Allen lost because of his character. People saw his character, they despised it, and they rejected him.)
The first thing that sprang to mind: http://lmgtfy.com/?q=%22the+triumph+of%22&l=1
This isn’t even a political jab, either. It just seems like an awful name when this is the first thing that springs to mind.
Then again, I don’t think I’m his target audience.
See, I think that Allen is kind of missing the point of sports as a meritocracy. It’s not about whether you are a good person or a gentleman or anything like that. It’s about how good you are at your sport. Look at Michael Vick. He will probably be back on a football field within a year or so. Mike Tyson was a convicted rapist who was welcomed back to his sport with open arms after getting out of prison, because he was an amazingly talented boxer. Ty Cobb was a racist, evil asshole whom even his teammates hated. Ty Cobb smacked a black elevator operator because he was “uppity.” When a black security guard got in the middle of it, Cobb stabbed him with a knife. And yet he had records in baseball that stood for half a century.
Sports history is full of complete assholes who succeeded in spite of their bad character because they were very good at doing something with a ball. That’s part of the nature of a true meritocracy.
Yes. This, combined with rumors that Sarah Palin has a book deal* will make next summer’s list of Light, Unintentionally Hysterical Weekend Reading awesome.
* Maybe she will compare politics to moose-hunting and include a photospread of “Russia, as seen from my house.” If only we could be so lucky!
Ben C.: First thought that sprang to my mind was that very same connection.
“The Triumph of Character” — it must be the story of how Jim Webb won Allen’s Senate seat.
Jack,.excellent point. And let’s remember that Babe Ruth was fat drunk who was a discipline problem from Day One and that O.J. was one hell of a running back and Pete Rose was a great leadoff man. I guess that was due to their sterling characters.
While there may be merits to the team-building nature of American football for training warfighters, it has little value to governance. And before Allen rewrites history it is important to note that he quarterbacked some of the worst football teams that the Hoos ever fielded. In fact, as I remember it, the school and the students resolved to be done with the sport in the mid ’70’s, presumably to end the embarrassment…that, and the boorish behavior of losers like George F. Allen.