Great piece. My oldest regrets that he didn't play high school football, but I think it was a good decision since he broke his wrist and clavicle playing middle school football.
I grew-up loving to watch the game (and suffer long dry spells by loving the "Iggles"). . . But as Chuck writes about how his Mom and Dad met, when his Dad received a football scholarship to play for a certain college, it reminded me of an American icon who also received a football scholarship from Columbia University in NYC.
. . . From Lowell, Massachusetts, Jack Kerouac was a formidable running back when he received the scholarship. Not one of us can recite any of the "achievements" Jack racked up on the gridiron. But we do know about "On The Road", "The Dharma Bums", and other writings from Jack. . Without the Columbia University connection, Jack wouldn't have met Alan Ginsberg and other "beat" poets of his generation. . Football made it all happen for Jack, and countless other men from all races and backgrounds. . Jack became a part of the scene in New York because of football.
. . . I thought about this with conflicting emotions while Damar Hamlin's life was hanging by a thread last week. And I poured on the criticism toward the NFL commissioner for the way the league initially handled the situation. But that was just a diversion from a larger truth before me . . . I was left with the dilemma facing me squarely in the eyes about my "moth attracted to the flame" obsession with watching this violent game. And when I see so many young men pounding it out on the college gridiron I only see bright futures for all of them who are fortunate enough to make it to "the show." I know it is more complicated and dangerous than that, but it is what keeps a lot of us coming back for more.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and actual experience, and for being accepting of those who are having problems in justifying watching and supporting the sport. That’s very understanding and empathetic of you. I try to keep my feelings to myself and let others support the game as they choose to and don’t try to use that as a way to otherwise hold judgment of them.
Great piece. My oldest regrets that he didn't play high school football, but I think it was a good decision since he broke his wrist and clavicle playing middle school football.
Great piece, Hobbs!
I grew-up loving to watch the game (and suffer long dry spells by loving the "Iggles"). . . But as Chuck writes about how his Mom and Dad met, when his Dad received a football scholarship to play for a certain college, it reminded me of an American icon who also received a football scholarship from Columbia University in NYC.
. . . From Lowell, Massachusetts, Jack Kerouac was a formidable running back when he received the scholarship. Not one of us can recite any of the "achievements" Jack racked up on the gridiron. But we do know about "On The Road", "The Dharma Bums", and other writings from Jack. . Without the Columbia University connection, Jack wouldn't have met Alan Ginsberg and other "beat" poets of his generation. . Football made it all happen for Jack, and countless other men from all races and backgrounds. . Jack became a part of the scene in New York because of football.
. . . I thought about this with conflicting emotions while Damar Hamlin's life was hanging by a thread last week. And I poured on the criticism toward the NFL commissioner for the way the league initially handled the situation. But that was just a diversion from a larger truth before me . . . I was left with the dilemma facing me squarely in the eyes about my "moth attracted to the flame" obsession with watching this violent game. And when I see so many young men pounding it out on the college gridiron I only see bright futures for all of them who are fortunate enough to make it to "the show." I know it is more complicated and dangerous than that, but it is what keeps a lot of us coming back for more.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and actual experience, and for being accepting of those who are having problems in justifying watching and supporting the sport. That’s very understanding and empathetic of you. I try to keep my feelings to myself and let others support the game as they choose to and don’t try to use that as a way to otherwise hold judgment of them.