By David Rose
Football season used to end with bowl games on New Year’s Day. They were always played in sunny and warm places like Florida or Southern California.
As the baby-boom generation began to show interest in the sport, things escalated. Now the football season extends all the way through January and the games are played on tundra and permafrost.
At the current rate, Super Bowl Sunday and Easter Sunday will come into conflict somewhere within the next decade. That could cause serious problems. Having to choose between God and football will put a lot of pressure on the congregations here in the South.
Commercials dominate the TV football landscape. They’re all pitching junk food, beer, soda pop, and drugs I should ask my doctor about. For the most part I tune them out, but the pickup truck adds seem to get my hackles up – those of you under 30 might have to google “hackles.”
As my friend, Steve Mross, points out, every truck is rated best in class in every field: payload, fuel economy, dependability. They can’t all be best, can they? Aren’t some more best than others?
My problem isn’t so much with the false claims as it is with the way they market the trucks. Manufacturers are trying to sell $70,000 trucks by showing rugged looking guys engaged in labors that pay, at best, minimum wage.
Having spent my working life engaged in manual labor I’m here to tell you it’s not the road to riches. Any job that involves concrete blocks, short handled shovels, logging chain, 50 lb. sacks of anything, or the back end of livestock is not a job that will net you enough to buy a truck. At least not a new one that costs more than the average in-state college education.
