I fight a daily battle within myself to try to keep the cynical side of my personality in check. It's very easy for me to start to see only the negative in things and start acting like one of those crotchety old men who insist everything used to be better in the old days. The obvious problem with this mindset is that in addition to irritating the hell out of the people around me, it also makes me miserable. So I actively try to find the good in things, if for no other reason than just to keep myself afloat. This summer has been the ultimate test of my ability to stay positive. It seems that most everything I care about has found itself in trouble lately.
The sports world, which usually provides a wonderful escape from all of life's worries, has been beset by a laundry list of scandals. From my intense disappointment with the NBA's decision to ruin the Spurs-Suns series with their thoughtless suspensions, to Barry Bonds' shameful quasi record chase, to the Tour de France becoming a mockery, to the Michael Vick dogfighting indictment, to the Tim Donaghy fiasco, this summer has seen one disaster after another. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for the entertainment of a good scandal every so often, but to see every major American sport embroiled in such controversy all at once is extremely disheartening.
Unfortunately, I haven't been able to fully enjoy immersing myself in my other favorite distraction either - television. The summer TV lineup is always pretty lousy, but this has been the worst. Aside from the recent emergence of Flight of The Conchords and Rock of Love, I've been stuck watching nothing but TLC and cable news murder mysteries. I like TLC and all, but there are only so many episodes of Miami Ink and shows on 700 pound people that I can stand. I miss The Office. I can't wait for season three of House to come out on DVD. Same with season two of My Name is Earl and season three of Lost. I want, I need.
And forget about finding any refuge in current events. Our current president has already cemented his position on the short list of the worst presidents in our nation's history, if you turn on any cable news channel you're treated to the same insufferable blowhards having the same useless debate about the Iraqi quagmire over and over and over again, and I can't stand any coverage of the upcoming election because nearly every single presidential candidate nauseates me. At this point I am planning to vote for Obama strictly because he has the least baggage. His lack of experience in our broken political process is the most appealing characteristic of any candidate in the field. How disappointing that the political discourse in our country has reached a point where I feel compelled to cast my vote based solely on who is the least disgusting. Local news offers no help either. On a good night I count four negative stories for every positive one. All you hear about are disasters, accidents, scandals, crime, corruption, and greed. Who cares about anything positive that may be happening in the community? Scandal sells!
So the cynic in me finally won out. I had to declare my frustration in print. Even my beloved college football continues to be a source of controversy. How can anyone defend a system of crowning a national champion in which over half of the teams in D-I are mathematically disqualified from consideration before the season even starts? But I still find being a college football fan to be an overwhelmingly positive experience. Sure, the BCS is crap, and sure, many programs cheat with virtual impunity, but there is a certain purity in all NCAA sports that is lost in the professional ranks.
I know I've gone off the deep end here. Things are never as bad as they seem when you find yourself in a funk. Three weeks from now I will be watching season three of House, anxiously enduring the last hours before football season, and bubbling with excitement at the start of the new school year, so I know my disillusionment is only temporary. But sometimes it just feels good to vent. In fact, I feel better already.
-T