A meritocracy is an environment in which individuals are rewarded for their ability to produce. An example of a meritocracy is the sports world at large. In the sports world, athletes are chosen based on their raw talent and ability to score points and win games. Nothing else is taken into account before each player signs a multi million dollar contract. Things like, being a college drop out, having a criminal record and being a poor role model is overlooked if the athletes can score points for the team. This one sided selection process, is the epitome of a meritocractic society. The owners of the teams are merely looking for someone who can get the job done, no questions asked.
Initially, sports was not a meritocracy. The public demanded professional sports teams to
Later, sports became a meritocracy. Vince Lombardi's famous quote, winning isn't everything, it's the only thing embodied the complete transition of sports, from our national pastime to the ugly meritocractic society that it is today. The public was no longer interested in the image, all they wanted was to win and have players who could accomplish their tasks. Selection, from then on, was solely based on who could get the job done. The image was no longer the highlight, and it wasn't important to society.
have a certain image. The image of the average ball player , was a clean cut all American and a great guy. Even if the player didn't possess the best character traits, he was perceived as a great guy. For example, Babe Ruth was the all American orphan who lived the American Dream, going from rags to riches.
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