I watch more football than I should. It may have something to do with the ability to see any game or any highlight on DirecTV in real time. Or perhaps there are few parenting responsibilities with my 19-year old daughter attending college 60 miles south of our Orange County home. Or maybe it’s a semi-conscious desire to avoid working out at the nearby LA Fitness.

Regardless, I could barely keep my eyes open during Monday night’s contest between the Colts and the Panthers. Tedious? I thought it was a “Snooze Fest.” I found myself cheering more for a Kia car commercial than the yawn producing match-up on the field.

In case you missed the advertisement, the camera focuses in on a father who is beaming with pride. His son’s team has just finished an entire season without losing a single game. The dad asks his child to see the trophy and it reads, “Participant.” Disdainfully, he proceeds to remove the flimsy tag and write in the word, “Champs.”

Yes, I am one of those old school thinkers who believes that participation is its own reward and that it does not need to be acknowledged. You should get an “A” for performance, not for effort. You should get a raise for what you bring to a conference table beyond your backside. “Showing up” is not deserving of the same pay, the same grades or the same accolades as those who are achieving more.

My ideas of morality and social sensibility notwithstanding, there are times when things still get out of whack. Imagine a classroom where two standouts receive “As” and thirty-two others receive “Fs.” Where are the Bs, Cs and Ds? Chances are, a teacher is failing his/her students. Similarly, picture a company with three executives earning tens of millions and three thousand employees earning minimum wage. Where are the highly compensated folks, the relatively well-paid skilled producers and the modestly compensated workers? In this scenario, the extent of the income inequality is likely to end in revolt.