Deal or No Deal

The game show “Deal or No Deal” first appeared in America in December 2005 and ended in 2009.  The show was big hit with over 10-16 million viewers each episode during its first full season.  During the game, one contestant chooses one briefcase at a time from a selection of 26.  Each briefcase contained a cash value from $.1 to $1,000,000.  To start the game the contestant would select one briefcase that would remain on the table by them. 

It was over the course of the game that the contestant would begin to eliminate a few of the other briefcases at a time by having them opened by those holding them.  Periodically and after the opening a few cases the game would be stopped by the host and the contestant would be presented with a money “deal” from the Banker who was located upstairs in a darken room and would call the host by phone with the offer.  The Banker would make an offer to the contestant to stop now and take the money before continuing on with the game.  The offered amount would be based upon what the remaining dollar amounts left in briefcases not opened.  Then the contestant would have to make a decision to the take the “deal” or say “no Deal.”   

The process of opening briefcases would continue throughout the game and as more brief cases were opened the “deal” and amount of money being offered by the Banker would go up or down based solely on what the remaining dollar amounts where in the unopened briefcases. As time as time when on and more briefcases were opened the tension would build and the contestant would have to seek out help from the audience, family members and friends.  The question remained “do I take the money and quit or should I go on and believe that the first briefcase I selected is the right one with a lot of money?    

Similarly, it feels the same as if we were on the game show... with this new proposed sports arena for downtown Milwaukee.  Each week something new and another briefcase is opened and adds more to the mountain of information; public financing, timelines to make a decision, public input, promotion, county, state and city government.  All we can hear is ... “let get this arena deal done.”  The real sad thing about these kinds of situations or deals is that it is a recurring theme that is echoing all across America... it’s another city, difference people but the same music.  Don’t get me wrong... I am for progress, economic growth, job creation and moving forward... it’s not the overall concept of the “deal” that concerns me and others...it’s the specifics that may be a cause for alarm.  What do you think?             

Dr. Andrew Calhoun, can be contacted at andrewiiicalhoun@gmail.com, and Facebook.   You can hear Dr. Calhoun each Sunday at Grace Fellowship Church, 3879 N. Port Washington Rd. Milwaukee 414-688-4964.