9:00 AM, Saturday Morning, and the ESPN show is on, a big crowd in the background, they are in Oregon, it is not even sunrise out there yet, and the football show has started.
Not sure of the word I am looking for, that happens a lot nowadays,there doesn't seem to be words to explain what is happening in the world. Football, for a month now, millions and billions have been invested to promote the games. millions and billions have been spent to construct "cathedrals," or stadiums in which to play the games. Millions and billions spent on "scholarships" to attract the best athletes, and to fill those stadiums that generate those millions and billions.
Pop Warner, grade school, high school, then, college, many with the goal to then play in the NFL. I imagine that is the dream of any kid playing at any level.
So, millions and billions are spent on football with the anticipation of playing in the NFL, and, what now, is a concern in the NFL, head injuries. As I understand it, the brain is floating around in the skull, and each hit and tackle, that results in serious contact, perhaps "slams" that brain that is floating around in there, and causes a severe blow to it, which may, in fact cause very serious damage later on.
So, universities are spending those millions and billions on stadiums, elaborate scoreboards, more seating, elaborate up-scale enclosed, decorated boxes, more seating, lower the field and add more seating, generating millions and billions of dollars for the university. Coaches are paid more than the university president, the AD, or athletic director is the BMOC, Big Man On Campus. TV is making millions and billions on advertising. Use your stopwatch sometime, compare ads to actual game time.
We hear all about a player, his life, his family, his accomplishments, his awards, and then, who drafted him in the NFL, and then, after hes career, we hear about his brain damage, his lack of memory, his inability to function as a normal individual.
We rarely hear about Bill Smith, who graduated, went to work for a company, worked his way up the ladder, became CEO, raised a family, became involved in his community, volunteered many hours to good causes. He may even have paid exorbitant prices to attend a game, and see someone he graduated with in college. He probably even donated money to the university to help erect a new stadium.
Brett Favre, played out this whole scenario, now, there are many things he can't remember. He packed stadiums, but, he can't remember it. There has to be a word for this whole process, I just can't think of it.
Where do we put the blame for all these injuries, what level did they start, how about the parents for encouraging them to play? The university who paid their way in to the NFL. The NFL who paid the player millions, and gave him a "venue" to enable him to receive all these head injuries. He was paid BIG bucks, to play a game he loved, and KNEW he could suffer damage, still did it, and then, at the end of his career, he feels that he should seek damages from the NFL for his suffering them. How about college, your high school, your Pop Warner team, your Mom and Dad?
