The cult of celebrity is a flaw in American society.  It bespeaks of a lack of seriousness in what people see as important in life.  And when Hollywood "stars," singers, and athletes, many of whom are quite frankly undereducated airheads, are given prominent space in the public dialogue and taken seriously by many, you know something is amiss with society. 

Focusing on sports, you cannot help but see that football and basketball have taken on a disproportionate importance in America. This is a sign of decadence in our society.  Currently, the National Football League and National Basketball Association are degrading themselves by bowing to the racial winds blowing from groups like Black Lives Matter.  The impetus for this is clear.  A large majority of players in both leagues are black, and to keep internal peace, the players will have to be placated.  Little else matters.  It's as simple as that.

This mindset has seeped down to the college ranks.  The National Association of Basketball Coaches is now urging colleges and universities to drop the Scholastic Assessment Tests (SATs) and American College Testing (ACT) because the tests are...you guessed it...racist.

Why?  Because objective tests prevent too many blacks from enjoying the college life.  So instead of addressing the deficiencies of minority candidates, it is easier to cry "institutional racism" and force standards to be lowered.

The group's committee, chaired by South Carolina coach Frank Martin and Harvard coach Tommy Amaker, said in a statement that the tests "no longer have a place in intercollegiate athletics or education at large."  The elimination of the tests, they said, would be "an important step towards combating educational inequality."

Really?  Oregon State coach Craig Robinson obviously thinks so: "We feel it is prudent for college athletics to address a standardized test structure that has long disproportionately negative impacts on low-income and minority students."  What will be next, the college coaches demanding that exams be eliminated because the ill prepared students who were allowed into college when the SATs and ACT were eliminated are flunking disproportionately?  You know it will.

Many of these coaches have compensation packages that far exceed those given to world-class professors.  After all, what's a Nobel Prize in chemistry worth against, say, a conference championship?  As if that were not bad enough, now the coaches — coaches, I remind you — are trying to set education policy for the country to accommodate their sport and by extension their rice bowl. 

Where do these jocks get the nerve to do this?  They possess no great wisdom or insight.  Yet they are on a pedestal as far as the media are concerned.  No, it's that sports have far too much prestige in American society.  At too many colleges, sports have become the tail that wags the dog.  It's long past time for colleges to de-emphasize sports and focus instead on reclaiming high academic standards.  But that can't happen.  High academic standards run against the grain of Black Lives Matter and identity politics in general.  Until the fans start putting sports into proper perspective, coaches will reign high and have an inflated sense of importance. 

The National Association of Basketball Coaches has a final recommendation for America's educational system. It suggests that students be required to take "black history" courses in high school to be eligible for college sports.  See, it never ends.