in which I piss off the world with my views on Pro Football

The Superbowl crowd

So, did everyone enjoy the Superbowl?  Did you even watch? I am very ambivalent about football.  I think sports are a wonderful tool in school to teach discipline, teamwork, sharing and a lot of other moral values and skills required to be a well-rounded adult.  But, personally, I think pro-ball is just stupid. Please don’t throw things at me before you hear why.. then I’d prefer you still not, but if you insist!

Here we have guys playing football for millions of dollars for a few years, right? The fans have seen the Superbowl tickets go from around $20.00 when it first started to now the cheapest seat is $600.00.  The fans like to complain all the time about the cost. Also, you practically have to wait for someone to die to get season tickets to the regular games. We’re not EVEN going to talk about what season tickets cost.  The fans complain about the cost. When the football players decide that $190,000 per game or whatever it is, isn’t enough to play 4 quarters of football…they strike for more money. 

You go to the stadium.  You buy your $90 worth of food (hot dog, a beer, maybe a pretzel and a souvenir)  You’ve already probably shelled out $60-$100 for a seat, if you are lucky.  You sit down and lo and butthole, there’s a fan from the other team…the “enemy” sitting next to you.  He’s swilling beer like his wife never lets him drink. As the game progresses, his team starts losing, he’s swilling more beer and his personality changes! All of a sudden, you are the object of his wrath because a bunch of overpaid grown men in tights can’t keep a mathematically slippery object in their sweaty hands.  Now, it’s all your fault….you, you (insert team here) loving jerk! Next thing you know, if you are lucky, you just get drenched by one of those $7 beers. If you aren’t lucky and there’s a crowd of angry fan-losers around you, you may just wake up in the hospital after being flown through the air down through the stadium.

Don’t tell me it doesn’t happen. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. Pro football  (or any other pro sport, look at soccer) brings out a nasty side of people I really prefer not to be around.  I’ve been to Redskins games and Colts games (back when they were in Balto) and I’ve seen what the “team spirit” rage can do. I’ve even been the object of the violence and only because I wasn’t paying enough attention to the game.  Since when is it anyone’s business what I do in my seat? I paid for it, right?  If I want to sit and talk to my friends instead of watch the game, that’s my prerogative. As long as I’m not interfering with your view, what’s the freaking harm?  You can’t hear the players whispering on the field and I’m not shouting to my friend, I’m just talking. I’ll bet something gets destroyed tomorrow in NY because some fans still have some pent up testosterone.

As I said, everyone and I mean the fans, are always complaining about the cost of the games. Well, folks, if you stop paying those prices, maybe they’ll come down.  You are the ones perpetuating the cycle! Stop going to a few games.  Let them experience a half empty stadium. Organize a consumer strike like the football guys do.  Who is in charge here anyway?

I did go down to the Moose Lodge for the game yesterday, though.  Made a really nice cheese, fruit and salami platter with a red wine syrup for dipping. We had a huge table of friends and more food than you can imagine.  We shoved the tables in a big horseshoe so we could all talk and watch the big screen.  If you look at the picture above, I’m in the brown cowboy hat with my back to the game.  I did turn around for the commercials and to watch Madonna (dang, that woman still looks fabulous, we’re the same age, I don’t look like that!).  But mostly I sat and talked dogs and science with my friend, Brenda.  Some of you may call me unpatriotic or some other such nonsense.  I really think we need to put down the cleats, balls, racquets, whatever… when we get outta college, though, except for personal satisfaction in friendly neighborhood games.  Better yet, get your opinionated, fat butt off the couch and go out and enjoy PLAYING something instead of getting all mad and greasy from the chips while someone else becomes a millionaire off of you!

We’ll return to our regularly scheduled happiness tomorrow, I just had to get that off my chest. 

Oh and on another note...I think I tore my meniscus in my right knee yesterday! I had torn it around this same time last year and went to see Dr Quinn, medicine boy, the Orthopedist about it.  He said at the time it was a minor tear, not operable and I did months and months of physical therapy to strengthen my knee. Yesterday, I was outside with Thistle and I turned wrong and my knee popped like a champagne cork. I can't straighten it and I can't bend it all the way now and it's swollen on the inner side! Hurts like a, well, you know...Luckily, being the accident prone creature I am, I have those great forearm crutches (mine are lavender) to hobble around with until I can get in for an MRI.  Stay tuned, this time I think it will require some surgery and that's ALWAYS fun when you have no immune system....

I’m a big girl and welcome comments on my blog, by the way.