I used to be a big football fan.
When the chill of Colorado's fall was in the air, I knew that my Sunday's were going to be spent in front of the TV watching pro football. I even went to some of the games at Mile High stadium and watched the old AFL Broncos play. Over the years I had my heroes, Johnny Unitas, Walter Payton, Bart Starr, Brett Favre, John Elway and even O.J. Simpson to name a few. They seemed to be good sports, tried to be good role models for kids and it looked like they enjoyed playing the game. There were a lot of players like them, and I respected and admired them.
Then for me, things gradually began to change. Maybe it was just my turning a blind eye to the faults of my heroes, (like O.J.) but I began to wonder about all of the mocking, strutting, and in-your-face taunting that was becoming more and more common in the games. Instead of tossing the ball to the ref and returning to the sideline after a touchdown, the scoring player felt obliged to do a dance, or in some cases, before they outlawed it, an entire vaudeville routine. After a good tackle or block, we have to endure chest beating, taunting and bragging. How often now do we hear the announcers mention “sportsmanship” or “humility” or “gentleman?”
It seems to me that the higher the player's salaries go, the more repulsive their behavior becomes.
Their idea of being an off-field role model is to dress like a pimp, get busted for drugs, drunk driving, wife-beating or murder, and then use their high priced lawyers to beat the rap. On the field they act like the over paid, primping, posturing, publicity seeking, selfish, steroid popping prima donnas that they are.
There are still lots of players who are good role models for our kids, but I'm afraid they're getting harder and harder to find in the media. I guess one of the problems is that the good players deeds are overshadowed by the bad press that the prima donnas make.
Oh well, maybe I'll watch a little bit of of the Green Bay Carolina game. After all, Bret Favre is one of the good guys. (Or maybe I'll go up to JC's and watch the Seattle game in Hi Def.)
Now even the refs are getting stupid:
ReplyDeleteNFL Referee Does Dance After Perfectly Called Penalty
After having his call upheld on review Monday night that Vikings defensive back Devonte Edwards was not down by contact on an interception return, lead official Walt Anderson ran to midfield and performed a 15-second, gyrating dance routine to the delight of the crowd.