Flyby

Know what I hate? (No you don't, so let me enlighten you.) I hate flybys. Namely, flybys in association to sporting events.  You know, like when those fighter jets fly over some event that you're at. Here's why I hate them.

No one remembers them. Have you ever seen a Dodger game and thought the highlight was when some F-18 flew over Chavez Ravine? "Hey man, that catch by Ethier in the outfield was pretty sweet." "Quiet, dude - I'm still full of civic pride from that flyby earlier."  They last mere seconds. Here, watch this video. How long did that flyby last?  10 seconds? You're lucky if you can whip your head around fast enough to catch 3 seconds at most sporting events.

It's also a waste of money and fuel in an already tight economy. This article on Yahoo! sports estimates that the flyby at Super Bowl XLV may have cost $450,000.  Oh yeah - and the fucking game was played in a dome stadium so NO ONE in attendance could see the jets fly over. The article goes on to assert that the Air Force paid for the flyby out of its own budget, uses the flight hours as training and is somehow a marketing tool.  The first two points are valid but the third is absurd. Right because, 3 seconds of a flyby is far more effective than athletes running around in Nike shoes for over an hour.

It's no surprise that nearly every NASCAR race features a flyby, so it can combine my least favorite sport with my least favorite "patriotic" activity.  If I was President, the first thing I would do is outlaw  flybys over sporting events.

I'm Chris and I need your vote. Thank you.