The End of a Relationship

No More Football.
Photo by Dave Adamson on Unsplash

Dear NFL,

You don’t know me.

But I know you.

In fact, I used to love you.

Eagles Love

Fall Sundays centered around the schedule of my cherished Philadelphia Eagles.

Who am I kidding?

It wasn’t just Fall Sundays that were dedicated to football. I spent hours through the off-season reading articles and watching videos about the Eagles, swallowing up every detail. By the time pre-season arrived, I’d be able to break down the battle for fourth string tight end.

Yeah, I was a fanatic. But it was worth it.

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The NFL Doesn’t Suck

NFL doesn't suck.Is it possible for an organization to have a worse P.R. week and a half than the NFL has? Multiple NFL players have committed or are accused of committing horrid abuse upon defenseless woman and children.

And we the fans (short for fanatic, unbalanced or obsessive behavior according to http://dictionary.reference.com/) continue to watch. In fact, according to onlyagame.wbur.org, NFL Ratings rose.

Should we football fans feel guilty for watching the NFL, despite the actions of the players and the league’s handling of these actions? Should we shrug and say we’re simply out of control fanatics who need our fix of football? I say no.

And that is not only because the team I root for – the Philadelphia Eagles – have begun the season 2-0 despite falling behind by 14 or more points in their first two games. This, by the way, is the first time that has ever occurred.

No, that is not the reason the NFL doesn’t suck. The NFL is a huge organization which includes nearly 1,700 players plus owners, coaches, trainers, and other personnel.  As has been brought to light, some of those associated with the NFL have conducted themselves in ways that they should be ashamed of. However, as everyone has heard many times, don’t let one bad apple spoil the bunch.

Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Devon Still reminds us that not all NFL players are uncontrolled brutes.

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Tony Dungy and What Makes Sports Great

Football/Sports fieldAcross the NFL, teams are beginning training camp. Endless analysis is available about every imaginable aspect of the game. However, the biggest story is only marginally related to the game itself. That story, of course, is the controversy related to Tony Dungy.

Here’s some background for those of you who are not football fans or don’t know who Tony Dungy is. Dungy played briefly in the NFL before becoming a coach in the league.  Eventually, he became a head coach. His first head coaching job in the NFL was with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  He is most famous for his second head coaching job which came with the Indianapolis Colts.  It was with the Colts that he led a team to a Super Bowl victory. Dungy has since retired and is now a football analyst for NBC.

While I don’t know Dungy personally, the sense I get from listening to him and hearing others talk about him is overwhelmingly positive. He comes off as decent, respectable, and graceful. To be clear, Tony Dungy has been a stand-up guy.

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