When Andy Warhol said everyone is famous for 15 minutes during their life, he had no idea of how right he was.

It seems everyone has a desire to be noticed and recognized that goes beyond the norm. Granted, everyone needs to feel good about themselves and be reassured they are on the right track. But lately, everyone and their mother are taking this involvement thing a little bit far.

I, like most dumb high school jocks, live for football, baseball and basketball. I’d probably live for additional sports also, but with less than 300 students enrolled in my high school, there simply weren’t enough bodies to fill the other athletic luxuries.

So, when I could watch a baseball double-header in the afternoon and then a footbal game the same evening, I was in heaven. My girlfriend wasn’t too fond of the idea, but I was in pure heaven.

Sitting down with popcorn on one side of the couch, a six-pack on the other and a big pillow resting on my lap, I was ready for all of the bone-crushing, cannibalistic action.

Perplexed about the pillow? The pillow was a deal I made with my girlfriend and my mom. The only way I could watch the game is if I held on to the pillow. I’ve been told I get a tad bit excited while watching football games and occasionally attempt to influence the decision of the instant-replay officials.

While watching the game, I was intrigued to see that in honor of the 20th anniversary of Monday Night Football, there would be highlight clips of the best the day has offered in the last two decades.

I thought that was a great idea—until I finally saw what the hell they were up to.

They show five plays in the same catagory and then have a 900 phone number that you can call to cast your vote on which was the greatest play.

Just when you thought the media was trying to become respectable again and entertain and inform audiences simply through their presence and commentary, CBS has to jump back down and use a gimmick to get kids, or adults who act like kids, to call and excercise their constitutional freedom through a vote.

Everyone likes to be involved, and more importantly, likes to be mentioned that they were involved. I understand the gimmick is a precise, safe and calculated way designed by business people to get the television audience more involved with the game. I also understand that by increasing involvement, you increase audience and hence increase advertising revenues.

The concept is not new. Print media often try to run a photo or story about children because they can reach every possible audience. Everyone, no matter the age group, enjoys seeing their face or name in print. Mom and Grandma will save copies upon copies to see their little darling in future years when the pages are yellow and torn.

The people that participate in such antics do so for whatever reason, and I’m sure enjoyment tops their list. I just think it’s sad that most people are so shallow that they have an insatiable desire to stand up and be praised through the newspapers in the hopes that everyone will see what a wonderful person they are.

Now Mom says that I need a new pillow to watch Monday Night Football because I have yet another thing to gripe and yell about.

Funny, they make me hold the pillow when I watch CNN, too.