Thoughts on the key highlights of President Obama’s first Oval Office Address on the BP Oil Disaster…

Going into his first Oval Office address to the American people and the concerned world, President Obama has received a big dose of warranted and unwarranted criticism from increasingly frustrated gulf coast residents who depend on the fishing and oil industries as their lifelines. Stack on the predicted refusal of Republican leaders to work with the President and the Democrats on an energy bill to begin the transition away from deep sea drilling to alternative energy, the complex politics and catastrophic nature of the BP oil disaster becomes apparent. With no guarantees on plugging the leak other than the drilling by BP of a relief well due best case in August, the President is in the precarious position of having to reassure the American people that things are under control while also being realistic in diverging the true scope of the disaster at hand. That being said, here are KTI’s key observations and highlights from the President’s 18 minute speech.

Appearance
Tired, but purposeful
Very clear and concise
Determined to clear the air of rumor
Hopeful, invoking faith at close

Federal Response
Assembled team led by Stephen Chu
Experts for Academia and other Oil Companies to brainstorm solutions
Appointed Thad Allen to head cleanup, largest effort of all time
17,000 National Guardsmen need to be activated by Governors
5 ½ million of boom, barrier islands are being deployed presently
Complex response can never be perfect, will do best to fix all operational problems
More oil is coming, must accept reality of spill and go to battle against oil
Independent 3rd party will distribute claims
National commission to determine cause of disaster
6 month moratorium on offshore drilling until cause of breach is found

BP
Caused and liable for the worst environmental disaster in US history
Spill is an epidemic, fighting and recovering will take months to years
BP will pay for all restoration and cleanup efforts
BP will finish relief well by end of summer, weather permitting

Promises
BP will pay
Feds will do whatever is necessary to help stop, cleanup, and recover
Recovery will be key role of government, troops
Long term gulf restoration plan will be paid for by BP
Taking steps to assure disaster does not occur again
American people deserve to know what happened
Cleaning house at MMS, changing corporate culture
Pace of reform will be heightened, new oil industry watchdog appointed
Drilling today entails greater risk, 2% reserves, 20% of consumption
Oils days are inevitably numbered, must accelerate our innovation in energy
We must seize control of our own destiny and transition from fossil fuels
Can’t afford not to change how we consume energy
R&D in alternative energy must be increased
Inaction on the ground and administratively will not be accepted

Overall Impression
Tonight’s speech, while necessary and purposeful, will be dismissed by opponents of the President as playing politics with energy by using the oil spill as an excuse to pass an energy bill this year. But, this is a shallow argument based on the same kind of “just say no” games we saw during the health care debates. Despite their own acknowledgement of the importance of curbing our addiction to oil and other fossil fuels, these same Republicans are opposing the very premise of putting our resources into the widespread implementation of a new energy policy that promotes common sense theories that they support in principal. They are so scared to give Obama a political victory that they are willing to appear cynical and hypocritical in the name of petty partisan politics. Therefore, despite the Presidents best efforts to clear up the air and push America forward with the disaster as a source of momentum in the imminent transition to alternative energy sources, many on the right will try to politicize and capitalize on the anti-establishment sentiment rather than to work with their peers to move America forward. Overall, the speech was well delivered, but in today’s hyper partisan environment it is likely that his words will fall short of the impact of any positively viewed step towards progress on the ground, the sea or in capping the leak.

Thoughts on whether star scholarship athletes should receive additional royalties while in school…

Following the NCAA’s revelations concerning the USC Trojans, sports society has found itself stuck at a crossroad between the old school and the new school with regards to the relationship between collegiate athletic department revenue and the financial incentives of the modern star scholarship athlete. Additionally, in many recent cases of NCAA violations by various programs, the star college athlete has become a cash cow for the numerous universities in question. Whether it’s in football or in softball, the scholarship athlete is often left in the precarious situation of being idolized by their peers while at the same time facing reality as financially stressed, persuadable college student. Without the benefit of proper family guidance, and the support of interested professors and coaches, it’s easy to see how a naïve star student athlete could seek outside help to uphold a certain image which they believe matches their popularity and stigma for an athlete of their stature. As has been the case in the recent past, should a star player desire to upgrade their property with the aid of “boosters” or non-existent jobs, some athletic directors have chosen to look the other way in the name of short term revenue, at the expense of their schools long term reputation and the NCAA rules governing agent and booster contact with athletes.

The argument against paying athletes centers on the powerful fact that those on scholarship are already getting their education plus room and board paid for, and that alone is payment enough. In theory, since the purpose of attending a university has traditionally been to learn first, play sports second, this argument has great weight on its own. But, when you consider that a star college football player in 2010 could net an athletic department hundreds of thousands to even millions of dollars in additional revenue, the argument begins to fall flat from a practical economic perspective. At what point does the athlete have the right to step in and say “wait a minute, don’t I deserve a piece of the pie I created for you?” In the case of USC, no doubt Reggie Bush felt this way, and his sense of entitlement, coupled with the ignorance of the athletic director and coach Pete Carroll, led to their current predicament. Think about the millions in revenue created by Reggie Bush for USC. Think about the millions generated by Vince Young for The University of Texas. Think about Tim Tebow at Florida. These guys are cash cows who literally skyrocketed their athletic programs to the stratosphere of college sports. Bottom line, without the star player, the university can’t fill the seats or entice deep pocketed sports boosters to write checks. Ultimately, the AD in 2010 must act as the CEO of a for profit sports organization where the athletes are merely actors in a greater game of who has the biggest revenue amongst elite schools.

Therefore, the time has now come to explore ideas that advocate for the rights of the student athlete. Ideas such as scholarship contracts for 5 star level, 4 star level, and 3 star level athletes. Similar to professional contracts but without signing bonuses, they could incentivize athletes to reach benchmarks or goals that would qualify them for additional scholarship money in the form of performance and revenue bonuses. If a player’s jersey or image is used for profit, and the revenue from sales reaches a certain breakpoint, there could be ways to provide royalties in the form of increased money for room and board, transportation, and additional expenses. This money could be issued in a controlled manner through the athletic departments of each school, under the oversight of the NCAA, and within the ethical guidelines determined in the implementation process. In addition, in order to become eligible for a scholarship contract, the student athlete would be required to enroll and participate in a money management class for potential pro athletes. This class would be administered by the NCAA through a participating universities business department, and would be aimed at easing the transition and fending off the temptations involved in the evolution from college star to pro athlete.

The reality is that today’s student athlete has grown up in a sports world where excellence on the field of play is expected to be repaid by both traditional praise and real or perceived material gain. The current scholarship system sets star athletes up to be pawns in a big money game run by powerful donors and financially driven AD’s. Despite the relative success of the traditional academic/sports scholarship, and the acceptability of the basic room and board set up provided to scholarship athletes, the time has come to explore a smarter system that retains the integrity of the scholar athlete while rewarding the exceptional money making star athlete with the kind of treatment worthy of their stature as a financial contributor to the university in question. Until then, we can expect more of the same kind of USC style violations and illegal, behind the scenes behavior that has become increasingly prevalent in the big money world of modern day college athletics.

Thoughts on the state of American soccer phobia…

The 2010 FIFA World Cup begins tomorrow in South Africa, and although there is some tangible excitement in the air for the USA vs. England game this Saturday, there is simply not a unified love for soccer that equates to that of football, basketball, and baseball in the mind of the average American sports fan. In fact, there is still a portion of the US population that simply dismisses soccer as irrelevant, even as the rest of the world relishes in the greatness of the biggest sporting event on the planet. Going even further, I would argue that as a society, we tend to tune in to World Cup soccer and the MLS out of courtesy, not out of a true love for the game.

The basic reasons for the general lack of respect for soccer in the USA greatly revolve around old school nationalistic ideals and a fear of embracing outside ideas that aren’t made specifically in America, a form of unintended sporting protectionism. As big as our NFL Super Bowl is in the minds of the American public, there is simply no sporting event that comes even close to matching the nearly billion viewers expected to witness this year’s World Cup via TV, smart phone, online, and on radio. Simply put, by ignoring the significance of soccer, those who chose to blindly dismiss the sport are choosing to miss out on an opportunity to create a deeper bond with the global community.

This assertion may appear exaggerated on the surface, but when you consider the positive globalization of sports like basketball and baseball, the integration of sports into our relationship with foreign countries can serve as a source of unification between cultures that may otherwise not share any true common interests. Of course, team sport can never replace political relationships, but the chance to engage those whom we seek to know, but have trouble approaching, exists with an event like the World Cup that can provide a unique avenue to introduction and cordiality on a global stage. In reality, the inherent sporting protectionism present in American culture will never allow soccer to trump American football, baseball, basketball, or even Canada’s hockey, in popularity. But, there is no reason for us as a society to act like soccer is off limits to our kids and culture. Sure, we have the MLS, but the majority of the fans of these teams are only in their seats to see the best foreign imports from the European leagues, and not the next LeBron James of soccer.

The ultimate irony of the soccer phobia is that the very same anti-soccer contingent that hates on soccer whenever it comes up in conversation then suddenly expects our team to reach the final 16 of every World Cup. Even as they give the sport of soccer the shaft for the other three years of the four year cycle, these people, in the name of popularity, act as if they have a right to comment on the state of American soccer. It’s time for America to finally embrace the world’s sport. Maybe then team USA will take it to the next level. Till then, they will be as good as our support for the sport nationally.

Thoughts on Israel’s predicament at sea…

Today, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke at a press conference aimed at clearing the air following the globally viewed raid of an aid flotilla headed for the Gaza Strip. The controversial events that took place aboard the supposed Gaza bound aid ship two days ago have triggered an angry response from Muslims around the world. The Prime Minister’s primary claim centers on Israel’s right to self-defense from what it sees as a threat from Iran via Gaza bound vessels disguised as aid ships. This claim implies that Israel’s traditional, and only major Muslim ally, Turkey, allowed the flotillas in question to leave port with weaponry destined for transfer from Iran to Gaza’s Hamas leadership. The fact that many innocent Turkish citizens were onboard the vessel when the armed Israeli commandos fell on board from the night sky, has ultimately led to a condemnation of Israel by the entirety of a usually divided Turkish Parliament. It is considered an insult by the parliament and the citizens of Turkey that they are considered to be party to alleged weapons transfer to an internationally recognized terrorist organization. Therefore, despite its passionate claims that these raids are taking place in the name of national security, Israel now faces an increasingly serious predicament in dealing with Hamas, Iran, and now Turkey at sea.

Israel’s policy currently calls for the interception of every vessel headed to the Gaza strip, a tactic which basically amounts to a blockade and headache for those who seek to transfer aid to the innocent people of Gaza. The fact that Hamas uses the humanitarian efforts as cover to smuggle in weaponry is an unfortunate byproduct of the independence of Gaza and the international waters of the Mediterranean. Turkey has every right under international law to send aid to nations it deems in need of its assistance. Israel, by not adhering to these basic rights, has put itself in a position where it is further isolated and surrounded by nations who are weary of its intentions. Though Turkey acknowledges that Iran intends to arm Hamas at Israel’s expense, it will not tolerate the death of its citizens in the name of a perceived threat by Israel. Whether warranted or not, Israel ignored the sovereignty of Gaza at the expense of Turkish lives. By not trusting Turkey to secure its ports and inspect outgoing cargo, Israel is at risk of losing the support of its only true advocate in the Muslim world.

Israel’s predicament at sea further complicates an already tense situation facing the United States and its coalition partners in the region. President Obama, already knee deep in two wars, a recession, and the worst oil spill in the history of mankind, must now help ease tensions between Turkey and Israel. As a key ally in the Middle East, Israel must understand that these kind of events, whether warranted or not, only serve to inflame the radical citizenry and the terrorist groups they seek to control. Hamas is empowered by actions which are perceived as unjust by even Israel’s oldest allies. Going forward, with more aid ships on the way to Gaza, Israel must take a hard look at whether, given its superior military capabilities, attempting to board ships preemptively is a good move from a national security perspective. Hamas knows it will never have the weaponry to challenge the Israeli Military, so wouldn’t it make more sense for Israel to work closely with Turkey and other Mediterranean countries to secure the cargo of outgoing aid ships to assure no weapons are on board? Instead of heightening tensions by risking armed confrontation, why not trust your allies to act in the best interest of peace in the region?

Until Israel understands that the greater security of the region lies in demonstrating a commitment to peaceful resolution of the region’s biggest problems, there is no reason to believe that Hamas and the Palestinian Authority will back down from their efforts to arm themselves as Israel itself has with the aid of its allies around the world. The bottom line is that until territorial respect, at sea and on land, is restored in the name of long-term peace and aversion of war, Israel cannot expect to see a decline in challenges to its naval blockade by both aid and weapon loaded ships. Israel is now at risk of embarrassing itself by appearing to bully aid ship crews in attempt to find a needle in a haystack. In addition, given the awareness of smugglers of the intent to board ships by Israeli commandos, there is no reason to believe that these foreign weapon suppliers will continue to use the sea as their primary means of delivering weaponry to Hamas. Without the aforementioned effort to engage its allies in the name of port security, avoidable, deadly raids at sea are destined to continue in the name of Israeli national security. Should this be the case, there is a great risk of a larger Mediterranean Sea front opening in the war against global terrorism and WMD proliferation. Let’s hope brighter minds prevail, and through discussion, and not conflict, there can be a resolution to the elevated tension caused by this and other ocean theatre events.