In Shirley Jackson's short story "The Lottery", a small town convenes for a lottery. The town does this every year because it is a tradition. Each adult in the town picks a paper from a black box. The paper with the black dot on it represents the "winner" of the lottery. However, by the end of the story the reader learns that the "winner" of the lottery is stoned to death by the other residents of the town. The towns people do not see the cruelty or the idiocy of this traditional and annual practice. In fact, some residents think that the town will struggle if it abandons this crazy tradition. The lesson of the story is that traditions must be examined from time to time. In some cases, traditions must be replaced with new practices.
The symbolism of the story is strong. It can be applied to so many things: theology, politics, family practices, workplace routines, medical practices, laws and so many other things. Sometimes dismissing a tradition can lead to improvement. Being open minded to change can improve a situation. Sometimes we are surprised at how much better something can be.
This does not mean that all traditions are bad. Sometimes traditions provide structure and guidance. Sometimes tradition can give meaning and direction to people and communities. All traditions should not be rejected. Some should be continued because they have born good fruit and helped people for decades and even centuries in some cases. However, in some cases traditions need to be replaced or at least improved upon.
It's always good to try and improve things. Our knowledge and technology is always improving. In the past, people thought the world was flat. We now know that it is round. The first cars were much
more primitive than the vehicles today. Our understanding of travel has improved. Paper maps have been improved upon by map quest and GPS devices. Through blood work, doctors can determine a lot about a person's health. MRI's and other forms of x rays can help doctors determine what injuries athletes have. Injuries are much more accurately diagnosed today. In a word, knowledge and technology has improved in many areas. When knowledge and technology improve this can lead to changes in traditions or customs. It does not always need to lead to change, but it can.
One wonders what the future holds. How will society change in the future? Will technology continue to improve?
Saturday, March 25, 2017
As Tony Romo prepares to leave the Dallas Cowboys, he can hold his head high
After the Dallas Cowboys defeated the Cleveland Browns 28-10 in the opening weekend of the 2008 season, the team flew home to Dallas. During the game, Tony Romo suffered a split chin that required 13 stitches. On his way home, Tony Romo spotted a couple who were stopped on the side of the road because of a flat tire. Romo stopped and helped the couple replace the tire. According to the couple, over 100 cars drove by without stopping. Romo did not tell the couple who he was, but they recognized him as the Cowboy quarterback. The grateful couple alerted the Dallas Morning News about Romo's deed.
During the second weekend of the 2011 season, Romo lead the Cowboys to a 27-24 comeback win overtime against the San Francisco 49ers. Romo played the game with broken ribs. Romo finished the game with 345 yards and 2 touchdown passes. Some believe that this game exemplified Romo's time in Dallas.
Romo has distinguished himself both on and off the field. As he leaves Dallas to join another team, he has every right to hold his head high.
Romo was a non drafted free agent. All 32 teams passed on Romo multiple times. Only the Cowboys and the Denver Broncos offered Romo a free agent contract. The Cowboys offered Romo a $10,000 signing bonus. The Broncos offered him slightly more. However, there were two reasons Romo chose Dallas. Number one, the Cowboys had a unsettled quarterback situation, as Quincy Carter's future in Dallas was uncertain. Conversely ,at the time, the Broncos were committed to Jake Plummer. Secondly, offensive coordinator Sean Payton was a fellow Southern Illinois alum.
Payton convinced coach Bill Parcells to give Romo a chance. During his career, Romo has become one of the most sucessfull non drafted free agents in NFL history.
Statistics don't tell the whole story. However, they can be an important part of evaluating an athelete's career. Romo' stats are very good. He has led 25 fourth quarter comebacks, which is tied for the 15th most since 1960. Romo has often played his best in the 4th quarter. He has managed the offense well when it mattered most. He has a knack for finding the open receiver in the waning moments of a game. He has played with poise and determination in the 4th quarter of games.
Romo has a career record of 78-49. While a Romo only has two playoff wins, he has a good winning percentage in the regular season. He has put the Cowboys in position to make the playoffs often. Four times he has lead the Cowboys to the NFC East Championship. Without Romo, they would not have won those titles. For three straight seasons the Cowboys were 8-8. Without Romo, they would have finished with a worse record. Since becoming a starter in 2006, Romo has elevated the Cowboys.
Romo has a career completion percentage of 65%. Romo has thrown 248 touchdowns . His 2014 completion percentage was 69.9%. He actually fell one completion shy of a 70% completion percentage that year. In 2014, Romo was the NFL's highest rated passer with a rating of 113.2. Additionally, Romo has passed for over 34,000 yards. Romo has thrown for more touchdowns than any quarterback in Cowboys' history. He has a higher quarterback rating than Don Meredith, Roger Staubach, Danny White and Troy Aikman. His completion percentage is the best in team history. Only Aikman has thrown for more yards.
Unfortunately, injuries have plaqued Romo's career. He has had two back surgeries and broken his left collarbone three times. He has suffered a myriad of injuries which have kept him sidelined for part of his career. He has left two of his last four regular season games with a serious injury which kept him off the field for multiple weeks. Additionally, he suffered a serious injury in his last preseason game.
Houston and Denver have been mentioned as potential landing spots for Romo who will likely be released within the next two weeks. However, Romo is scheduled to make 14 million dollars next year, so it is unlikely a team will trade for him. Instead, Houston or Denver may sign him when he becomes available. Once he is released, either team could renegotiate his contract. If he decides to retire, Romo could join Fox or CBS as an analyst. Many view Romo has a potential quarterbacks' coach as well.
As Tony Romo's time as a Dallas Cowboy draws to a close, he leaves behind a proud legacy as a Cowboy quarterback.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)