Money, Sports and the Code

Money and sports are in the news again: first, Texas A&M’s decision to pay their coach $76 million dollars not to coach anymore is a big number. Also in the news is the PGA Tour’s decision to allow its players to have some share of the ownership of the Tour, all of which is the result of Saudi Arabia’s money coming into play, so to speak. We are not offering any opinion on these developments, but we do ask, “What does the Code say about these things?” The Code says, “I will give of my time, skills and money as I am able for the betterment of my community and world.” So, our hope would be that with all this money, the coach will be generous, and that the same will be true for the golfers. More importantly, while it’s easy to fantasize about all the good we would do with all their money, the more difficult question is “What am I doing right now?” We may not have $76 million, but we all have the same number of hours in the day, and we all can discover ways that we can make a difference in our life. What project can your team do? Is there a field that needs cleaning up, a stadium that needs paint, or a school gymnasium that needs some help? We become better citizens the same way we become better athletes, by practicing, developing, and trying to make a difference day after day.