Three reasons why I love football:
Reason No. 1: The comeptitive nature.
Pep talks, bulletin board material and just plain calling out the opponent is cool. It’s a sport where “put up or shut up” is in play all the time.
Coaches look for any edge. Traditionally, what the other guy said about them are some of the things that get guys to compete. They leave it on the field. They are spent mentally and physically.
The deisire to dominate another man physically is always a challenge at any level, and to watch the battle is one that we all envy in some manner.
Reason No. 2: Marketing.
The marketing arm football has is unlike any other. They don’t miss a beat when it comes to promoting a product. Everything is stategically located on the field, on the players, on the coaches and anyone else who is in view of the fans and the camera. To be a partner in such a venture has to be rewarding, and the TV ratings prove that someone is watching.
Gone are the days when a player being interveiewed on the field before a game warming up would have on his favorite cap or lucky T-shirt. If it is not league-approved, here comes a big fine from the league or conference. There is a lot of money to be made, and they want to make sure they sqeeze every nickel out of it.
Reason No. 3: Every game counts.
Every game on the schedule has meaning. A two-game losing streak could cost you your season. Take a weekend off or disrespect an opponent, and you might be history.
Normally, there is a week between games and coaches utilize every minute to prepare for the next game. No stone is unturned, nothing is taken for granted. Hesitation can be lethal to a team. Not knowing your assignment could cost you, hence mini-camps, OTAs and training camp are all essential because the other guy is doing it and you have to keep up.
Football coaches are the most anal creatures on the planet. They worry about everything. In some cases, they worry about the unemployment line.
Three reasons why I wonder about football:
Reason No. 1: Competitive nature.
Few compete like they used to. This whole pep talk, get them worked into a lather, is almost comical.
How is it that grown men have to resort to tactics of motivation that borderline on something that would be seen on a schoolyard playground? Want some motivation? Try making the millions of dollars you are afforded for a such a short time in your adult life doing something else. Can’t get the guys up for the big game? Remind them of what NFL really stands for … Not For Long, if you can’t get it together.
If this a league of competition, then why do so many players take downs off? Why does Ray Lewis stand out so much these days? Why is there not more hustle on the field? Instead, we have the “look at me” generation, where it is not about the team, it’s about them. Those players normally watch the post-season on TV.
Reason No. 2: Marketing.
Is there nothing sacred? The football marketing machine has taken the fun out of the game with everything being so structured. Wear the socks too high? It’s a fine. Not the official shoe of the university? Get lost.
It’s amazing at the end of the day how little the players at the pro and amateur level share in the fruits. They think they do, but they don’t. Why not take a portion of the proceeds and put in an account where, when players leave the league or college, they would have something to start their next life with.
The sponsors who sink millions into football get exposure for sure as their logos are placed where needed. How much do they realize in return? You never hear that number because in most cases they don’t know. There are very few Michael Jordans who can play and sell at the same time. From a marketing standpoint, football should be commended for having the gullible buy-in.
Reason No. 3: Every game counts.
Really? Is that why the preseason is meaningless when the starters for the season don’t play – and then when opening day of the regular season goes haywire, you wonder?
Or how about the college level, when you have teams that go out of their way not to play any real teams on their non-conference schedule as if that makes them a contender?
Last week, you actually had some teams that played some tough teams. Kudos to Miami, Florida State, Penn State and Oregon for going on the road and playing teams that are from good conferences. While they all lost, they get credit for trying, along with the fact that you can have a loss to a good school in September and still have a say-so later in the season on what bowl game you play in.
I really like football. I just don’t like the yarns that are spun as if the quality of the game is all that. It’s not. It’s fun, but let’s be real. Football is for the somewhat insecure. The ones who live vicariously through these players in hopes that they can display their own toughness in some way shape or form. Unfortunately, the participants and their handlers do not live up to expectations.
