7
Things Football Teachesby an observer in desperate
need of exercise David L Lewis
"For when the One Great Scorer comes to write against your name,
He marks - not that you won or lost - but how you played the game."
Grantland Rice, 1880-1954
Although never was a real athlete, nor received any sports award, I’ve always suspected sports greatest thrill must be the Olympic Gold Metal ceremony. Second greatest thrill, of course, would be winning a SOUPER BOUL (Have to be careful how you say it, a certain Foosball Legion might sue for royalty payment!)
In two weeks it will once again be SOUPER BOUL SUNDAE! After 32 teams played 640+ games, the two who have won right to compete on February 11th are San Francisco 49rs and Kansas City Taylor Swiftees. Smart money is on KC.
If you follow the game, watch for what it unintentionally teaches...
Football Is Made for TV
It defies good sense that anyone pays a lot of money to sit half-mile from field in freeing rain to watch a game. Millions of us much smarter folk -- including me & Kenny -- stay home and watch the perfect TV game, Football! Football telecasts more of real life than ‘reality’ TV. Whether you care who’s playing or not, something happens on every play which effects intangible outcomes – which keeps us watching.
Interesting Is Not Always Historical
It has become popular, particularly among those with something to sell, to refer to what happens on any given field of professional sport as “history”. It is not history, but trivia. It is of interest for the moment, but makes no lasting difference in the lives of any but those who participated. Believe it was Willie Mays who called them games played by boys for entertainment of people too old to play their self.
Any Given Sunday
It is axiomatic that on any given Sunday any team can beat any other team. The team which goes 1-15 wins one Sunday afternoon. The underdog may be more highly motivated. The game may be evenly matched; but the ball bounces to the left, or to the right; it flies 2 inches too high, or 3 too low. One team may play badly and not deserve to win, the other simply loses.
Somethings Can’t Be Changed By ‘Thoughts And Prayers”
On some extremely remote occasions, just maybe, God actually cares who wins, or at least has some higher purpose in mind. If I’ve learned anything about sports and real life it is that watching the game does not change the score – only fighting in the trenches, by the rules, brings both victory and defeat with honor.
The Last Whistle Blows
Games are played with known rules, by people who play to win and hate to lose. Then, as with most of life, an ending point is reached. A horn sounds, the last man is out, the final whistle blows. The worst thing about sports is that somebody loses. Somebody who dedicated their lives to this moment loses. Somebody who’s compelling story deserves victory loses. We complain about some official’s call, blame it all on one bad decision, cry ‘next time’. But, in the end it is what it is, and that is life, too.
Gentleman's Response
At game’s end watch for what makes football be football, shows sportsmen as sportsmen, reveals good people are good people. Watch as they who have played hard, hit hard, and trash-talked for three hours will search out opponents with smiles, handshakes and hugs. That is how to play the game, how to live a good life.
Monday Morning Comes To All Mankind
Every
football player, every athlete, every human eventually learns that
good or bad, win or lose, historic or incidental, any given Sunday is
followed by any given Monday. And life goes on, I forget why.
World peace
is as elusive as ever;
Earthquakes –
real and metaphorical – occur daily;
Children
still suffer around the world, in America, in Indiana.
Heart failure
in one way or another gets us all some given day.
Until that given Monday life and football continue to teach men how to live; and The Great Scorer continues to put a mark against our name.
On any given Monday, as with any given Sunday, it is about how you played the game.
Just writing for some future generation’s SOUPER BOUL SUNDAE!
theOldTimePlayer!
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