Idle American: Life by the numbers

Whether we bow in reverence to statistics or grow nauseous dealing with the barrage of numbers dealt with daily, most of us value peace and goodwill wherever we can find it. Foundational to both is Christian commitment for guidance on life’s highway.

The beginning of baseball brings conversations about statistics to the fore. Later in this piece, I will cite an unbelievable former sports star worthy of a one-of-a-kind recognition. The proposed honoree is one Bobby Richardson.

He lives in his hometown of Sumpter, South Carolina. Now age 90, he has been married to wife, Betsy, for 70 years. They have five children, three of them ministers and another a nurse. Betsy has been ill for several years during which he has provided 24/7 care.

I know. Service-oriented, real life heroes don’t find their way into sports statistics. If such were true, Richardson would be a hands-down winner.

Old-timers remember this storied major leaguer (1955-1966) as a stellar New York Yankee second baseman. Except locally, few fans knew of his deep Christian faith. Great as he was on the baseball diamond, even more is revealed in his life story.

It is worthy of golden entry into the Lamb’s Book of Life.

Unashamedly a preacher man, his approach to life continues to inspire. He’s a pillar in his community, and positively remembered by aging baseball fans in general and Yankee fans in particular.

A spotlight shines even more brightly on his personal life than on the sport he loves; let’s turn to the spiritual. A Christian since childhood, he has survived life’s storm-tossed challenges. And, he’s had the courage, determination and strength to smile through catcalls from envious critics. Consider this: For all of his deceased Yankee teammates - and most of them are - he has conducted their funerals.

One was for the great Mickey Mantle, a heroic Yankee teammate who accepted Christ on his deathbed, with Richardson nearby.

On another sports topic, how I wish two combatants could fight to a draw, spending their hundreds of millions of dollars in the process, perhaps leading to infusions of common sense.

I am sickened by most recent major NCAA decisions. They favor perhaps 1% of players and coaches, and the rest can but shake their heads.

Having discussed NCAA matters with several friends who are coaches (or have been), I am in no way surprised that ALL of them are critical of what the NCAA has become.

They’re 100% critical of bloated coaches’ salaries, as well as NIL (name/image/likeness) endorsements that makes a small number of athletes instant millionaires before games have begun!

Shame on  the NCAA; instead of “Collegiate,” the “C” should stand for “Cash.” Disenchantment, generally, is that the NCAA has lost its moorings, particularly with policies that are contrary to the purposes of character development, teamwork, commitment and loyalty; distinctions that used to matter.

New to the list is gambling. And rapidly-increasing gambling companies now are sponsoring athletic contests. Surprisingly, the NCAA is suing one gambling company, DraftKings, for copyright infringements.

Stay tuned. Maybe - if both sides should run out of money - a truce could be fostered, then the NCAA might again be true to its name. For some D-1 schools, there’s little collegiate about their teams.

Perhaps ignition  for unjustified and unimaginable salaries began 44 years ago at Texas A&M University, where Coach Jackie Sherrill signed a seven-year contract worth a total of $1,700,000.

That’s petty cash these days for a double handful of coaches, and maybe four handfuls of athletes.

More, more, more screams drown out other sounds at major schools where too many athletes already have too much.

Finally this  random notice. Netflix is increasing its monthly charges. Yes, it’s but a buck or two, but such announcements come often.

Netflix, of course, is valued by millions.

If the steady increases continue, maybe it should be re-named. How about calling it GROSSflix?

Dr. Newbury, longtime president of Howard Payne University, lives in the Metroplex with Brenda, his wife of 60 years. Website: www.speakerdoc.com. Email: newbury@speakerdoc.com