How the National Football League Compares to Politics and Government

Performance or promises? Players cannot simply claim they can run 40 yards in 4.4 seconds or complete a standing jump of more than 30 inches. Yet politicians vie to be their party’s candidate based on promises of what they will do if elected.

On January 19 at Levi’s Stadium, the San Francisco 49ers will host the Green Bay Packers in the NFC championship game. The 49ers last won a Super Bowl in 1995, so they are definitely overdue. On the other hand, it’s never anybody’s “turn” to win the Super Bowl.

The game must be won on the field of play, after a grueling season with the possibility of injuries. This marks a contrast to the election of 2016, when Californians were told it was a woman’s turn to be president. Even if true, the woman would have to win the election, which she failed to do.

The 2016 candidate for the Democrats,  Hillary Clinton, was formerly First Lady. By contrast, nobody plays for the San Francisco 49ers, or any other NFL team, because one of their relatives was president, or a senator. Recall that Frank Murkowski was a U.S. Senator from 1981 until 2002, when he ran for governor of Alaska. At that time, Murkowski resigned his Senate seat and appointed his daughter, Lisa Murkowski in his place.

By the count of Wikipedia, nearly 50 women in the House and Senate widows took over from deceased husbands. The ranks include Debbie Dingell, widow of Michigan Rep. John Dingell, and Doris Matsui, widow of California Rep. Robert Matsui.

On the other hand, nobody gets to play for the 49ers because their daddy or mommy owns the team, or because mommy or daddy is wealthy. Every player on the 49ers is there because team management wanted them. The 49ers, like all NFL teams, select players strictly on the basis of merit.

For example, quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was not selected because he is of Italian heritage. The 49ers wanted Jimmy on the team because of his ability to pass, run, and manage the game, skills he demonstrated with the New England Patriots.

If Garoppolo or any NFL quarterback consistently throws interceptions, fumbles the ball and loses games, he will be benched or traded. The team will not respond to low scores and losses by building a new stadium, raising ticket prices, or increasing the salary of the entire team.

Fans might compare that with government monopoly education, where firing bad teachers is practically impossible and all teachers are paid the same, regardless of results.

On the performance side, players cannot simply claim they can run 40 yards in 4.4 seconds or complete a standing jump of more than 30 inches. The players must prove their skills in various tryouts and scouting combines. By contrast, politicians vie to be their party’s candidate based on promises of what they will do if elected.

Most NFL players played in college for no money, and could not even market their own name and image. That’s why some talented high-school players jump right to the professional teams, who are glad to have them. All must play by the rules, which marks another contrast from politics and government.

For decades, Elizabeth Warren claimed to be American Indian and Cherokee. Those claims have been proven to be fraudulent, but instead of resigning Warren is running for president.

Likewise, high-ranking members of the FBI and DOJ deployed the FISA court to target candidate and President Trump. The criminal acts included forgery and perjury, but to date none of the conspirators has suffered a criminal penalty.

It’s not like that in the National Football League. When a player commits a penalty, the game does not continue until the referee marks off the yardage and moves the chains. But in the end it’s the players, not the referees, who determine the outcome, and that is as it should be. Meanwhile, the 49er-Packers matchup has a back story of sorts.

Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers, a Super Bowl winner and MVP in 2010, was born in Chico, California, and played college ball at Cal. Rodgers and his squad now face the 49ers, looking very strong of late. Should be a great game.