Henry James and the Raiders

Last Tuesday, I was in a discussion with a tutorial group about Henry James' Washington Square. For those who haven't read it it is good--I am not particularly fond of Henry James, which may well be a failing in literary taste on my part, so I was not overwhelmed by the story, but it is good. Part of the discussion in the tutorial was on the question: are parents obligated to think highly of their children? For example, if a daughter is rather plain and not particularly intelligent, is it OK for a father to think his daughter is plain and dull, and is it OK for a father to say his daughter is plain and dull? The students were unanimous that parents are supposed to think their children are wonderful; even if nobody else thinks they are wonderful, a father who loves his children will naturally think they are wonderful even if nobody else can recognize that beauty.

During the discussion, I was wondering if this is true or not. It is hard for me to know--my three daughters are all very good-looking, brilliant and wonderful in every way. So, I didn't know how to figure out what I would think if they weren't so wonderful.

Then I was watching the Raider game today. Now on so-called objective factors, the Raiders are horrible this year (and, to look at the statistics, for the last half-dozen years). Today, if one listened to the announcers, the Raiders were cover-your-eyes awful. They lost 44-7, and the game wasn't really that close. I love my Raiders--I have loved them since I was 10. And even watching them get systematically dismantled, I still am there, thinking, they really aren't this bad, they cannot, simply cannot, really be this bad. Next week, maybe, just maybe it will all click. Now I know better--I have watched a lot of football and I know when a team is truly bad. But while part of my brain knows this team is hopeless, the other part of my brain just sees them and thinks they are wonderful.

So, then I realized that it was rather strange for the good doctor in our story to think ill of his daughter. I could never think about my Raiders like that.

While I was typing this Peyton Manning (the greatest QB ever) just led the Colts down the field to score right before half-time. Wow, the Colts look good. I think The Raiders could beat them though if they could just get a little pressure up the middle and if the receivers had a little more experience (both starting WRs for the Raiders are rookies) and if the OLwasn't so injured. The Raiders could beat the Colts. I know it.