The word has changed

Barack Obama promised change during his presidential campaign. The word was everywhere – pictures, posters, and buttons.

Furthermore, everyone was into it.

Potential voters, even those who had never voted or hadn’t in years, were excited in the possible alteration in the political system they jumped on his promotional band wagon pushing for change and hope.

When Obama was elected president in November and sworn in Jan. 20, Obama said change had come to America and declared, “The world has changed.”

This slogan and campaign of and for change is fantastic, but has been over publicized and became more of a catchword than goal.

What began as clever political tool has devolved into an unwelcome cliché.
“Change” has invaded every facet of life and has become an overused annoyance.

During the NBA All-Star game on Sunday night, TNT sideline reporter Craig Sager commented twice on Obama bringing change to the NBA. Sager even took a little shot at Republican presidential candidate John McCain (R-Ariz.) if the firing of the Phoenix Sun’s coach was the kind of change Obama meant. This, however, was after he used it when talking about a pair of shoes.

The next day, the bottom scroll of ESPN showed the USC men’s basketball coach complained there was no freedom of speech in college basketball or when dealing with referees and continued by asking if Obama would be able to change that.

If the sports world was polluted at least three times in two days by the popular political platitude, it’s only a guess how often it has been used, or overused, since it has been introduced.

If real change is to be achieved, taking the word and using it when talking about games, which pale in comparison to actual struggles, needs to come to an end.

Want to change something? Stop saying it.

bAbel.