Saturday, February 10, 2018

A Rant

It wasn't all that long ago that when their teams were losing Ivy League students and bands were known to join in a chorus of:
That's all right,
That's OK,
You're gonna work
For us some day.
I can also recall hearing it at Hanover High School when the children of the well-to-do Ivy League town were losing to nearby Lebanon. I didn't like it when I lived in Lebanon and I didn't find it funny after moving to Hanover.

Thankfully the chant has largely gone away, both on Ivy League campuses and at our local high school.

That came to mind yesterday when someone sent me an email about the Ivy League adding Porsche to its list of sponsors. Honestly, I thought it was a joke. At least I hoped it was a joke. It wasn't.

From a Bloomberg report (LINK):
Porsche will become the official car of the Ivy League, starting next month, with its logo on prominent display at league championships and across its media channels.
Talking about that yesterday with a former Ivy League athlete I greatly respect the term "tone deaf" was used.

Consider this. Central Connecticut State University has announced it is dropping its men's and women's golf teams and eliminating 35.5 scholarship as a cost-cutting move simply to be able to remain a Division I athletic program. At the same time the Ivy League, which is scheduling more and more contests against Central Connecticut and its brethren, is announcing it will join forces with a luxury automobile company and is crowing about it. From an Ivy League release (LINK):
“I am delighted to welcome Porsche as a partner of the Ivy League,” said Executive Director Robin Harris. “Our student-athletes thrive on challenge and push themselves to be the best they can be on and off the field. We are excited to work with an organization that shares our values."
I'm sure the athletes at Central Connecticut athletes thrive on challenge and push themselves to be the best they can be. Now imagine them squaring off against an Ivy League team and seeing that familiar Porsche gold, red and black logo staring back at them.

It brings to mind another once-popular variation of the old chant:
That's all right,
That's ok,
Your gonna pump
Our gas some day.
It's business and I understand. That doesn't mean I have to like it.

End rant.