I remember as a boy watching the rough and tumble of the NFL up close and personal. I was fortunate to attend a number of games and the violence was astounding and the protection was minimal. But the same was true to a much lesser degree even in high school ball and while no one wants to see injuries, you can't play a rough contact game without the bad coming with the good.
Today, the NFL had been wimpified to the degree that it is hardly recognizable. Quarterbacks are given such an advantage by the rules that stopping a passing game by a good team is almost impossible. The old rock em and sock em game brought people out in all types of weather to rough it against the elements. Today, unless there are corporate club seats and sky boxes the game would be out of existence. But the common man, the inspiration for the "tough guy" attitude that made football so great has been pushed aside.
But even worse, when the money got so big that the game was really only the sideline aspect of the endeavor, much of its honor went with it as well. Let's face it, folks, there is no honor in football anymore. Players who are treated like kings lose respect for everyone and everything, including their own wives and cheating is common place. I have no doubt that what happened with the deflated balls of the Patriots is common place. It's just that no one wants to do anything about it because of the money value.
So I think that part of the Low T problem in the game is lack of living up to the responsibilities of manhood and personal responsibility, maybe it's time to deal harshly with the outcome. Instead of making the rules so wimpy that we can't even see a good "rumble" anymore regarding tackling and hard hits, how about dealing hard with honesty. If you are going to hammer away at a player like Ray Rice, who now has his wife at his side and supporting him, why not also deal hard with cheating on the rules. If you are caught, you are caught and you need to pay the price.
Now don't worry, I'm not one who believes the Patriots should be disqualified, after all the Colts couldn't have beaten them under any circumstances on Sunday. So let them play in the Super Bowl and I expect them to win. Having said that, however, make the punishment meaningful to the team. Football teams and stars are looked up to by our youth. If teams are allowed to cheat and flagrantly violate the rules, then just another justification for doing what feels good instead of what's right has been given.
So why not give the guilty party a huge fine, say a million dollars, the forfeiture of several first round draft picks, and the benching of the starting quarterback for the first two or three games of the next season. It will at least make them think about the ramifications of what they do before they do it again. And warn them that a repeat offense will be doubly tough.
And then, let them play ball. Traditional tough ball, for the players know the dangers and chances of the game and they make the choice to play. They also are handsomely rewarded for the risk they take. They know it's a violent game played by huge men who often come from very tough backgrounds. And if you don't like it, don't play or don't watch and tell the pretty boys at ESPN to go back to something the know better in a different media: pushing liberalism.
Sorry if that was brutally honest, but I always loved the game of football and I don't watch it any longer. The ads are now better than the game. Bring back real football, just realize it is what it was meant to be. Nothing more and nothing less and its sorely missed. We can't legislate every aspect of life and insure that no one gets hurt while maintaining the game in any semblance of its earlier glory. Let's bring it back.
Today, the NFL had been wimpified to the degree that it is hardly recognizable. Quarterbacks are given such an advantage by the rules that stopping a passing game by a good team is almost impossible. The old rock em and sock em game brought people out in all types of weather to rough it against the elements. Today, unless there are corporate club seats and sky boxes the game would be out of existence. But the common man, the inspiration for the "tough guy" attitude that made football so great has been pushed aside.
But even worse, when the money got so big that the game was really only the sideline aspect of the endeavor, much of its honor went with it as well. Let's face it, folks, there is no honor in football anymore. Players who are treated like kings lose respect for everyone and everything, including their own wives and cheating is common place. I have no doubt that what happened with the deflated balls of the Patriots is common place. It's just that no one wants to do anything about it because of the money value.
So I think that part of the Low T problem in the game is lack of living up to the responsibilities of manhood and personal responsibility, maybe it's time to deal harshly with the outcome. Instead of making the rules so wimpy that we can't even see a good "rumble" anymore regarding tackling and hard hits, how about dealing hard with honesty. If you are going to hammer away at a player like Ray Rice, who now has his wife at his side and supporting him, why not also deal hard with cheating on the rules. If you are caught, you are caught and you need to pay the price.
Now don't worry, I'm not one who believes the Patriots should be disqualified, after all the Colts couldn't have beaten them under any circumstances on Sunday. So let them play in the Super Bowl and I expect them to win. Having said that, however, make the punishment meaningful to the team. Football teams and stars are looked up to by our youth. If teams are allowed to cheat and flagrantly violate the rules, then just another justification for doing what feels good instead of what's right has been given.
So why not give the guilty party a huge fine, say a million dollars, the forfeiture of several first round draft picks, and the benching of the starting quarterback for the first two or three games of the next season. It will at least make them think about the ramifications of what they do before they do it again. And warn them that a repeat offense will be doubly tough.
And then, let them play ball. Traditional tough ball, for the players know the dangers and chances of the game and they make the choice to play. They also are handsomely rewarded for the risk they take. They know it's a violent game played by huge men who often come from very tough backgrounds. And if you don't like it, don't play or don't watch and tell the pretty boys at ESPN to go back to something the know better in a different media: pushing liberalism.
Sorry if that was brutally honest, but I always loved the game of football and I don't watch it any longer. The ads are now better than the game. Bring back real football, just realize it is what it was meant to be. Nothing more and nothing less and its sorely missed. We can't legislate every aspect of life and insure that no one gets hurt while maintaining the game in any semblance of its earlier glory. Let's bring it back.
RSS Feed