Kantianism , Utilitarianism, and Patriotism

While the Patriots may have won the forty-ninth Super Bowl, a question about their integrity still remains.  If the NFL investigation comes back conclusive that the Patriots willfully attempted to deflate the balls in the AFC Conference Championship game against the Colts, ethics offers America two ways to view the crisis. In Kantian ethics, the Patriots are guilty even if they won by thirty-eight points; however, a different result occurs if they are to be judged with Utilitarianism.

The fundamental rules of Kantian ethics are based in the conscious choice before the action, no matter what the outcome of a person’s choices yield. Even if a man loses his leg from frost bite because he jumped in a freezing lake to save a drowning child, and that child dies, the man is still considered heroic. If these ethics are applied to a guilty Patriot franchise, then they should be viewed as cheaters because they desired to cheat. Kantian ethics describes the desire/purpose behind an action as the ethical weight of the action. All that means is even though the Patriots blew out the Colts, they still cheated. In addition to their guilt, they should be punished by the NFL. Following Kantian thought, the Patriots are morally wrong (because cheating is morally wrong). They should be disqualified for cheating if they willfully deflated the footballs.

A different school of thought, Utilitarianism, offers a different view of moral justice. Utilitarianism is best described as the greatest amount of pleasure for the greatest number of people. So in this case, morality is determined by how the action affects the happiness of the world. So if deflating the footballs and winning the game brings about more happiness than not, then deflating the footballs was the right choice by the Patriots. Unfortunately, the number of Patriot fans does not equal the number of Colt fans and other fans that take offense to their alleged actions. So, the actions of the Patriots, if they are found guilty, are morally wrong in this scenario as well.

Ambiguity prevents this debate from being solved. Until the NFL returns with their verdict, a cloud of doubt and ethical ignorance surrounds the American cultural event known as Super Bowl XLIX.

The Super Bowl: America in an Afternoon

While not many aspects of the spectacle known as the Super Bowl can be looked at through objective eyes, one aspect of the event can be. The Super Bowl is one American event that can allow anyone ignorant of American culture to learn everything they need to know about the USA in a few short hours. From the half-time show, to the commercial breaks, and even to the game itself, the Super Bowl captures America in a way little else can.

First, the half-time show showcases the average musical taste of the country, which is fast-paced, mass-produced pop. While these songs are artwork in their own aspect, they are a far cry from the music humanity has listened to over the past centuries. The pop-flashiness of the half-time show and even the songs themselves demonstrate that most Americans lack an appreciation for classical music and a patience to listen to longer songs. The modern teen and even the modern adult does not have the patience to listen to classical music that takes over five minutes to build chords and interest. Even though this is just an aspect of preference, it is important to protect classic works as America evolves and explores new forms of audible art.

In addition to the musical showcase during the half-time show, many Americans claim to love the commercial breaks the best. These commercials showcase the comedic and sometimes empathetic side of culture. The use of both comedy and empathy establishes the modern Super Bowl commercial as a snapshot of varying aspects of American culture; furthermore, they can showcase anything from a parent-child relationship to a celebrity showing themselves in a new light.

The final aspect of the Super Bowl is the game itself. Arguably, the second most celebrated American holiday (Christmas being the first), the Super Bowl has evolved from merely a football championship to a battle of metropolitan cultures; a battle of athletic talent; a battle of melodic, comedic, and empathetic relevance. The game itself adds only to the legacy of the franchises and to the NFL brand. The team that wins showcases their journey to the top and what they have to do to survive sixteen games and a post season.

The Raven

While many shutter at the recent activities of certain NFL players and how they behave themselves in elevators with their spouses, danger and even horror is not unknown to the city of Baltimore. In fact, the very team that Ray Rice belongs to attained its name from a poem by an icon of American literature. The Raven, a poem by the famous Edgar Allan Poe, was the inspiration for the NFL franchise located on the Chesapeake.

Poe’s life was marked by tragedy. Many of the women in Poe’s life died in the same way of tuberculosis. First his mother, then his foster mother, and even his wife contracted this terrible disease. Poe’s relationship between the women he loved and more specifically his wife can be seen in his poem Annabel Lee. During Poe’s last poem, he explains in painful detail the amount of sorrow he will feel after his wife passes (Annabel Lee was written after his wife had contracted tuberculosis but before she had died). While many see only morbid prose and poetry at their first glance of Poe, a second look can often reveal a deeper meaning to his stories. For example, in Annabel Lee, Poe reveals a character that cares so deeply for his beloved one he cannot bare to part with her. His love was so deep that he would weep daily at her tomb. This love is a reason Poe should be viewed as more than just the founder of the modern horror and detective genres: he is an icon.  He personifies the American life in a realistic way that many authors before him would rather ignore by revert to an unrealistic happy ending. Even though his work is revered now, Poe struggled throughout his life as a writer financially and eventually died in Baltimore.

His death was shrouded in mystery; furthermore, some historians believe his death to be a homicide. Perhaps a correlation can be draw between the negative media attention Ray Rice brought to the Baltimore Ravens and the sad life of the author of the team’s namesake. Perhaps Poe’s sad life was never meant to be magnified by his modern success as an author. Perhaps any association with Poe will bring about the misfortune that plagued the life of Edgar Allan Poe. Fortunately, the Baltimore Raven’s Super Bowl championships in 2000 and 2012 disprove any curse-like association to the team. Fortunately, Edgar Allan Poe’s status as an icon of American prose and poetry almost atones for the misfortunes he endured during his own life.

Victory and Rivalries

Sports play a pivotal role in the culture of America. As with any sport, the main goal for a team or individual is victory; this desire to win fosters an incredibly competitive spirit of rivalry within American society. These rivalries are born out of the desire to win and become the best. Rivalries and the road to victory, otherwise known as the playoffs, influence culture both negatively and positively.

Many problems arise with the intense rivalries in America. Among these are divisions among the populace that cause social strife, ranging from teenage rivalries to regional hatreds. Unfortunately even young children are exposed to this conflict. This practice is further heightened in high school athletics. Necessity for victory and intense rivalry is found in almost every high school sport, from cross country to volleyball. But the sport most guilty of increasing the emotions of players and fans to an uncontrollable level is football. With this passion, fans are prompted to riots, fighting, and sometimes murder. These intense feelings begin as early as children’s Pop Warner leagues and continue to the NFL level.

While these rivalries may be taken too far, they can have another effect besides segregation. While one team’s winning will not unify the nation, these intense feelings associated with victory can unify a small microcosm of those related to the team. A high school playoff game can unite an otherwise apathetic school body. Many activities vie for the attention of the school; from band to cheerleading to other interests, a school can become divided very quickly. However, the school is still unified by one identity and one name. School pride can spread across a campus like wildfire and unify a divided campus.

The positive and negative effects of pride, rivalries, and a drive to win are woven deeply into American society. American culture puts a great emphasis on victory above all else. If one is able to understand this part of the American psyche, they will better interact with the community they live in.

The Head that Wears the Crown

Since the United States emerged from English colonies, many parallels between British and American culture exist. British hierarchy can expose itself in unique areas of American culture. One example could be the crowning of a king during the high school homecoming game (usually the quarterback). High school culture reveres its quarterback, just as England reveres its royalty.

In the average American high school, no one is able to achieve mass popularity quite like the quarterback. He is the revered leader of the most celebrated team at a high school. He receives praise and popularity for four hours every Friday night. His peers are lead to believe that he is a powerful, decision-making leader; however, the truth is that he has as much power as the Queen of England. While the world has fallen in love with the British royal line, they do not yield any political power in their state. Their role as royals is a mere tool employed by the true British government to bolster the public image of Great Britain as a whole. In a similar way, the high school quarterback does not wield any real power. The coach implements the quarterback as a tool to score points and bolster the team’s public image.

The argument can be made that no matter what play is called, the quarterback has to be the one to implement it. Implementation is not the same as decision. A quarterback will fight for victory, but without his coaching staff he cannot be as successful. In a similar way, Prince Harry fought bravely for his country in Afghanistan, but he did not decide to go to war. That power in England rests with Parliament and the Prime Minister. Without the plays of the high school coach or the strategies of military generals, Prince Harry, like the high school quarterback, would not be successful. 

The quarterback is treated like a hero in his school, for the mere fact that he plays on a football team. Very rarely is the personality or actions of a quarterback reflected upon. Conversely, the British royal family is scrutinized daily. That is why they should be allowed to wear the crown. The pedestal society has placed quarterbacks on is over rated. Since they are cultural icons their overall character should be scrutinized as closely as their on-field prowess. 

Football: Hallucinogen of the Masses

Karl Marx, the father of Socialism, called religion the “opiate of the masses”; however, modern America has been given a new prescription. Some say football is the new opiate, but it has evolved into more than that. Football is the hallucinogen of the masses. It not only pacifies the population, but also portrays false images onto society. 

News has been dominated by the return of American football. The return of high school, collegiate, and professional teams has overshadowed all other problems seen in the media. Has America forgotten its border crisis where thousands of children are without a home and a family? Has America forgotten the Ukraine where a new cold war is waging in the Balkans? Has America forgotten the Middle East where an eternal Holy War still rages on? All America contemplates is football. This addiction makes Americans appear hypocritical. Americans have long viewed themselves as a global peacekeeping force; however, this fundamental principle is being forsaken for a leisure activity. 

The hallucinogen, football, projects false images onto society. Safety and unity are being sacrificed in pursuit of football glory. The National Football League lives in a fantasy land where as long as children keep their “heads up”, they imply that injuries will be lessened. Furthermore, they have the audacity to imply this to the children and their parents. Football is not a safe game. The NFL and the NCAA put profit before safety. The more children that play football, the more the industry will grow. It has gotten to the point in America where football has become a part of everyday life. One would assume that this would make football a national tool to fuse opposing cultures together; unfortunately, this is not the case. This creates more divisions between the American people and its cities. Rivalries do not promote healthy competition; they promote division and brutality. Division is on a national and local level. Children are brought up in school districts to loath their rivals and anyone associated with the opposing school. 

 Anything can be good in moderation, but America’s fixation with football needs to be addressed. The Romans had gladiator fights which are now considered barbaric by modern society. Will America’s obsession with football one day be viewed as barbaric as ancient Roman gladiatorial practices?