The fine line between sanity and sports

Ghandi once said, “An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.”

Sadly, this timeless lesson never made its way to the town of Kingston, Tenn.

In observance of coach Lane Kiffin’s abrupt departure from Knoxville one year ago,, the owner of the town’s shooting range, concluded that there was no better way to satiate the state’s bitterness and hatred toward the fleeing coach than to destroy bobblehead dolls bearing a likeness of Kiffin’s face for target practice.

When news of this decision made its way to my door, needless to say I felt like Peter Finch from the film Network: “I’m as mad as hell and I’m not going to take this anymore.”

Whether you are for gun control or against it, whether you loved the job Kiffin did in his first year or were left dissatisfied with his overall performance, this should upset you, too.

It should anger you as a student and as a Trojan, but most importantly, as someone who seeks to protect the sanctity and, for that matter, the sanity of sports.

This column isn’t going to dissuade you from your personal beliefs, nor am I intending to sit here and dissect the still noticeable ignorance that sometimes impedes what we consider social progress in our society.

Though Williams and the Frontier Firearms range were forced to shut down plans for their Southern-style shoot-out this weekend, the idea itself still doesn’t sit well with me. Such vengeful plans should not even be up for debate in the first place.

The mere notion that firing off guns, even if aimed at replica dolls, is acceptable payback for decisions made in the sports world is alarming to say the least. It threatens the integrity, values and social significance that the games of our youth have had in this country for centuries.

Not to mention, in the wake of the tragic shootings in Tucson, Ariz., which took the lives of six people, injured several others and left Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords in critical condition, it reeks of apathy and tastelessness.

I recognize that sports in some manner have a cult appeal, that people live and die by the moves made by players, coaches, athletic directors and owners, on and off the field.

It’s the reason I can’t walk even a few feet this week without seeing a No. 6 Jets jersey around campus or find myself amazed yet terrified when Angelenos choose to celebrate a Lakers’ championship by destroying whatever they can get their hands on around this city.

So maybe this is a natural coping mechanism, part of a state or regional grieving process that takes more time than many of us can even comprehend.

Nonetheless, I ask, why in this manner?

Why does one move of perceived disloyalty deserve such a despicable response one year later?

The question might be rhetorical.

In fact, I might be searching naively for an answer that likely will never come my way from Williams, the fine people of Kingston or any sports fans who find Kingston’s behavior and intent of action laudable.

But where did we go so wrong in our prioritization of sports that a man who calls plays for a living has become so hated, even his resemblance drawing such maniacal attention?

I get how watching your team fall short in a playoff game or seeing a coach flee cross-country for his dream job hurts to no end, but sports at their core are nothing more than an entertainment-driven diversion.

That’s what makes them so addicting. They have that rare ability to allow followers to become a part of something that is bigger than themselves.

But to be honest with you, just because you fanatically attach yourself to an organization and its fan base, doesn’t mean you are entitled to retribution, especially through violent means, if the business end doesn’t transpire as you envisioned.

“Sometimes what sounds like fun or a good idea just isn’t, and as we have said all along, no one wishes harm to coach Kiffin,” Williams told Foxsports.com regarding the range’s decision to shutdown the event.

Unfortunately, the 2,000 miles separating Los Angeles and Kingston may have blurred the lines between what is comical and what is moronic.

It appears that the unsurprisingly trite Williams and his gun-toting minions don’t seem to understand how his grand scheme didn’t seek just to harm Kiffin.

It sought to harm the entire USC community, including its fans, alumni and those like myself, who still choose to believe that the beauty of sports exists in spite of its well-documented flaws.

All of you have suffered through the tremendously difficult year this university’s athletic program has endured.

Yet, the disparity between how you handled the sanctions, the basketball and football seasons without a bowl or Pac-10 tournament appearance, compared with Tennessee’s reaction to Kiffin’s departure, is mind-boggling.

As for the Volunteer State, Williams and the Frontier Firearms range, my advice for you in the coming year is to take Ghandi’s message to heart.

Being a sports fan isn’t an easy title to take on, but if there is one thing that can make life a little easier, it’s knowing when to simply move on.

Lane Kiffin has, and so should you.

“For The Love Of The Game” runs Wednesdays. To comment on this article, visit dailytrojan.com or e-mail Dave at [email protected].