The National Football Losers

This will be my third consecutive year in which I haven’t watched the National Football League (NFL). I originally quit because of the thug players who should have been behind bars and not on the gridiron, but when the players started the rukus over the flag, that did it for me. At first, this was hard for me as I had been a fan since the 1960’s, but as each year passes, the NFL was slowly divested from my system and, frankly, I do not miss it anymore. This should be cause for concern to the League as there are many people who feel the same way, as indicated by declining viewership. In my eyes, the institution is corrupt and lacks class. All of the athleticism and heroics of the past are gone, and we are left with nothing but overpaid deadbeats on the field, certainly nothing of interest to me. They simply need to clean house, something they are obviously afraid to do.

I do not want to dwell on the past, such as watching a Dick Butkus tackle, a Ray Guy punt, a Barry Sanders sprint, an Anthony Munoz block, a Joe Namath pass, or the heroics of a George Blanda. I’ll always relish their memory, but it is time to move on to something else more meaningful.

Fortunately, I have Little League, the only true remaining spirit of baseball. Their World Series concludes this Sunday and it is always a pleasure watching all the kids from teams around the world compete at this level, playing their hearts out. If it’s a choice between Little League and the Majors, the kids win hands down. The MLB is a lot like the NFL in one sense, it is no longer a game; now it’s a business, which is why I prefer watching the youth programs and farm clubs.

Over the last couple of years, I have found myself gravitating to college and high school football as opposed to the pros. It’s always a pleasure to watch such games, particularly my high school alma mater, Wyoming HS in Cincinnati. Whereas the pros take a knee during the national anthem, my old team proudly carries and waves the flag as they take the field. As an aside, we have high expectations for my high school team this year. They were good in 2017, but could very well win the state this year.

As to college football, I enjoy the SEC down here in the South, but there are many other fine schools with football programs in Florida, including USF, UCF, Miami, FSU, and UF. I also keep an eye on Ohio State and the Big 10. My college alma mater, Ohio University, is part of the Mid American Conference (MAC) and I relish any victory they can muster.

Following the high school and college football seasons, my interests turn to hockey and we are fortunate to have the Tampa Bay Lightning in our area, a true contender. By the way, they do not seem to have a problem with the American flag or national anthem at their venue.

So you see, I’m not going to be at a loss for football or sports this Fall. The NFL certainly hasn’t got a monopoly on it. If anything, they are going out of their way to deter people from watching it. So, how do I spend my Sundays now? That’s simple, I would rather mow the lawn than watch the National Football Losers.

Keep the Faith!

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