True Colors

Friday nights, my father often walked or drove over to Talman Savings and Loan, at the corner of 55th and Kedzie, to cash his check from work. I liked to tag along. On the way out, we might pass a member of the Salvation Army. My father would smile, make a donation and give me the copy of War Cry that had been handed to him. He liked the Salvation Army for how it went about its business without drawing much attention. My father hated anything that hinted at self-promotion. On Sundays at Mass, he didn’t use the collection envelope. Instead, he’d fold paper money over and over again until it was no bigger than his thumb nail. When the usher came to our pew with the collection basket, it was impossible to tell what, if anything, my father was putting in. That’s how he liked it. If I’m his son in more than just appearance, my father probably felt about the charity activities of rich people the way I do—give until it hurts, don’t let anybody know. Of course, Chicago sports’ teams do just the opposite. It seems that every penny that gets donated receives oversized media coverage. Oh, how our teams love to boast of their generosity. I just checked online, and both the Cubs and White Sox have posted pictures that make them out to be the saviors of Thanksgiving Day dinner. I suspect the Bulls, Hawks and Bears are doing the same. And, since it’s the start of the holiday season, how about some pictures of players visiting area hospitals to give out gifts? If only the Sox were still playing, fans could indulge in that “split the pot” raffle, with the team portion going to charity, don’t you know? So much giving by our teams, the letter to the editor in yesterday’s Tribune would seem out of character, if only the giving were heartfelt. No, what matters is the bottom line, that and the over-under. By signing their names to that letter, the owners of the Sky; Bulls and White Sox; Cubs’ and Hawks admitted as much. The above teams, unless they’ve stated otherwise and I’ve missed it, are all interested in on-site sportsbooks, for the fans, of course; the Tribune recently ran an editorial opposed, not for moral reasons, mind you, but as a way to provide a kind of monopoly to a big city casino, should one ever get built. And I thought Bingo was bad. All these moguls wanting to take yet more money out of the pockets of their fans, how unsightly. Especially now, with all the attention being paid to players doing charitable things in the name of their teams. Maybe the Sky et al can bankroll a gambling addiction facility among their future charitable enterprises. With my dad, it was just the Salvation Army and church.