Optics. After President Obama recently spoke about the unrest in Ferguson, a Wall Street Journal editorial writer suggested the President was more interested in how he looked, rather than what he was doing. He said the President was playing with optics. I thought about that word watching the #JackieRobinsonWest Little League team last night. You want some optics? Take another violent summer in Chicago. And the complicated case of Missouris Michael Brown, who was just five years older than many of the players we are watching on ESPN. And against that backdrop, enjoy the real life drama of....a little league game. See the smiling faces, see the tension and the tears. And after a home run celebration, watch the Chicago kid voluntarily walk over to the other teams bench and apologize for his exuberance. When a Pennsylvania player hits a home run to bring them to within one, Chicagos first baseman high fives that batter as he trots by. Frustrated that he gave up a big hit, the Jackie Robinson West pitcher can barely contain himself on the mound. His coach admonishes him, look at me. And he does, begrudgingly, the way your kid would in the same situation, the way YOU once did in the same situation. And see the cheering crowd, moms and dads, present and rooting for their kids. Their far south side kids. In the stands the catchers mom and dad talk about their sons love of the game and that his favorite player ever is Johnny Bench. Play after play, you see these young representatives of Chicago focus and execute and succeed, or, failing that, try again with enough confidence that the next time they will not fail. You dont turn a double play on 60ft base paths without having practiced a lot and without faith in your teammates. You dont hit a fastball whose major league equivalent is 90 mph without having dedicated yourself to hours of swings, far from the glaring lights of Williamsport, PA. And after a win - there have been 14 in 15 games now - wouldnt it be great if one of those little ambassadors told the television audience that they couldnt have done it without the support of their community. Well, one of them did. You want optics? Chicago needs a story like this. A visual of generous, talented, confident kids, playing Americas game. And yet for all the skills they are displaying, the impression that right now feels most lasting isnt of what they are doing but who they are. Had they not succeeded on this international stage and won our hearts, they would still be living on the south side. Near the bullets and poverty and despair. Invisible to you and me. That such chipper kids can well up from that, that theyve been there all along, now THAT is something to cheer.
Posted on: Fri, 22 Aug 2014 14:49:43 +0000
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