What is the irony in This Side of Paradise?

In Book II, Chapter V, Amory's lecture to Ferrenby's father shows more about his own character than it does his knowledge of socialism or his commitment to social reform. Though Amory has come from a privileged background, he equates himself with the working classes who have struggled to attain equality. The greatest irony of this speech is when Amory mentions his failure to make the Princeton football team based on the decisions of the coach. It seems quite strange that a failed football player from an Ivy League university might illustrate the problems of the working class and shows that Amory's discussion of socialism is much more related to his own sense of failure and low self worth.