Reporters called James Carville “Captain Cue Ball,” and critics considered him a buffoon, blinded by friendship. Yet even his political enemies had to admire his unswerving loyalty to Bill Clinton.
Loyalty is rare these days. The kind of go days. The kind of gothrough-the-fire loyalty that defies reason or logic. Loyalty that says, “I’ll stick with you simply because you’re my friend. Because I made a commitment. Because even if I believe you’re wrong, I believe loy altyis right.”
There are exceptions, even in pro sports. Steve Yzerman, popular captain of Detroit’s Red Wings, has spent his entire career with one team rather than selling his services to the highest bidder.
Unless you can find … loyalty, you cannot find unity and peace in your active living.
- JOSIAH ROYCE
Broadcasting hasn’t been immune to the loyalty lag. Traditionally a correspondent with ABC, NBC, or CBS remained with the network for life. Now, like all free agents, journalists move easily from one network to another in search of the best deal.
Yet the best deal never includes loyalty. You can’t buy that with money. All you can do with money is pay the salaries of a research team to study the problem. That is, until they quit to take a better offer.
Loyalty that goes to the highest bidder is loyalty that has no real worth.
