This piece that I'm about to write is greatly if not all inspired by somebody in my life that is near and dear to my heart. I kind of think that this guy is one of the most forward thinkers of our generation and if you ever have a chance to chew the fat with this guy I highly recommend that you do so. You will be a better and happier person for it. The person that I am going on about right now is none other than Drew "The View" Hooper. This piece stems from so many conversations that we have had over the past year and a simple and bold decision that he made.
It's funny the ripples that a simple decision like the one that he made has had on me. Over the past month or so I find myself thinking more and more about his decision and how that decision has changed the way that I view and think about things. And seeing how football season is literally right around the corner there really is no better time than right now to write this blog. And now that I've gone on and on about this I guess it's about time to tell you all out there the decision that he made that has changed me. My friend Drew Hooper, the OU Sooner, Dallas Cowboy loving football fanatic that he is has decided that he will not be watching a single minute of football this year. (I know most of you reading this minds were just blown)
I'm not going to get into all of his reasons, because truly and honestly that is for him to talk about. And believe me I will not be able to do his words justice anyway. I do invite any of you that know him, or that don't know him to ask him about it. Because the conversation that you have with him just might change you for the better too. And now for the meat and potatoes of it all.
Let me start out by saying that I like so many of you out there love football. When I was 5 years old I wanted to be Joe Montana. I have fond memories of playing peewee football. Every year I play in a fantasy football league that is one of the great joys of my year. I am a die hard 49ers fan and when they lose I am deeply effected. It really is quite disturbing.
I say all of these things to let everyone out there reading this just how much I love football and how I didn't come upon these words or these thoughts lightly. So after talking to Drew and making through the entitle shock of hearing him say that he isn't watching football this year and making fun of him for a minute. I must say that the way he feels about things are pretty right on the money and I myself am having second thoughts.
Now I know that I will still be watching football and even participating in my fantasy league, but I must say that I have great pause at this moment and I've even gone so far as the bring it up to other people when I go out and the topic of football comes up. Now anybody reading this knows just how much I love baseball, but I think we can all agree that football is America's sport. People just can't get enough of it. And after talking to Drew and recent events that have happened I've come to the conclusion that there is something very wrong with the culture of football in this country.
Let us first start with compensation. Football is by far the most popular sport in this country and is a billion dollar industry and people just can't get enough of it. Every year the owners are trying to add more games and yet these players get paid like shit! And I know that some of you out there are going to talk about how these guys are millionaires and there are getting payed to play a game and blah blah blah. The truth of the matter though is that for what these players go through. The injuries they sustain. And the shortened life expectancy that they have, they really aren't getting paid shit. Especially not in comparison to the other two major sports in this country.
All you really have to do is look at the terms of someone like Dez Bryant and what he means to the NFL and how much he had to struggle to get the contract that he got that people will act like is this great achievement. And then look at an NBA player like Reggie Jackson and what he means to the NBA and what he just got payed. You look up those two contracts and there terms and get back to me.
I mean for god's sake what other place of business do you sign a contract and the amount of money that is in that contract isn't even all guaranteed? And don't even get me started about the fact that most of these players are going to die long before old age sets in because they are spending so much of there lives running full speed into other people. And the sad thing is that we value this violence so much. I mean really what does it say about us as a society? Why do we love the violence and the injuries and the pain that these guys go through so much? And we all say that we don't but who are we kidding, that's why we watch this shit.
And you know what, I'm just going to say it right here and now. These college players playing today need to be compensated. And I really don't know how and I'm not necessarily saying that they need to be payed out right. Maybe have some sort of trust for these players but lets be real with ourselves, they deserve better. I know a lot of you at this point are rolling your eyes and will inevitable make the claim that, "they are getting a free education." To that I just want to say stop it!!
There is nothing free about that education. With all the time and hours they have to put into football the education becomes nothing more than an after thought and everyone knows it. They are making these universities and coaches millions and billions of dollars and people really want to say well they are getting a free education. Listen I played sports in college, I know how hard it is. I struggled and I consider myself to be a decent student. I would have went to college with or without sports. But most of the kids out there on that field wouldn't. Most of them barely make the grades to get into college and the only reason they are there is because of what they can do on that football field. And coaches and counselors and advisers often times direct them to easy majors that take little to no effort to pass because they know just how much time they have to put on the field and they don't want a thing like school work getting in the way of that. Not to mention the fact that most of these guys have note takers and people that are practically willing to take their test for them so that they can stay eligible and play on Saturdays. So don't talk to me about the "education" that these kids are getting, because nobody, not the coaches, not the administration, and not the NCAA give a damn about these kids futures as long as they stay eligible for games and help the school to keep bringing in money.
Then there is the overwhelming culture of belligerent assholes that are football players that think that they are invincible and that they can get away with whatever they want. And we are doing nothing but feeding this flame. It is just so very disturbing the number of acts of violence that football players engage in against women. It seems like every time you turn around there is a football player getting arrested for domestic abuse or there is a video tape of a football player punching a woman in the face. And then there are always those few that try to come out and defend it. Like it's ever okay to punch a woman in the face. I mean I'm 30 damn years old and I've never remotely came close to punching a woman in the face. But when it comes to football players you might want to pin a damn medal on a guy that's made it that long without doing so.
How freaking pathetic is that. And you know what I don't think that these guys deserve second chances. I'm starting to see that this is the problem with this whole group. For a football player life is nothing but a second chance and really and truly I'm kind of sick of it.
Like I said before I'm a die hard 49ers fan and if you didn't know Alden Smith just got cut from the team. After getting his 4th DUI!!! So finally after already getting 3 chances he finally got cut from the team. The guy is a freaking millionaire that wants for nothing, but he's not smart enough to hire a driver so he doesn't get a DUI. And if nobody else will say it, I will. He belongs in jail. Because sooner or later he's going to kill somebody driving drunk and it could have been avoided. But because he was a football player he gets to keep on doing stupid shit like this. And the really sad thing is that some other team is going to take a chance on him. And people in football will say isn't it great that he is getting a second chance, but you know what? I'm fresh out of second chances for football players. Give those chances to people who deserve it and will make the best out of it. Kids look up to these guys and they don't even seem to take that responsibility seriously.
Geno Smith gets sucker punched and his jaw broken by a guy during training camp and the Jets cut him. The very next day the Buffalo Bills pick this guy up to be on their team. The very next day!!! What kind of message does that send to kids out there that are paying attention to this? How can we really and truly live with ourselves when these are the types of things happening within our society today. It's just too much for me. It's been building and building and I'm just sick to death of this culture that football has brought about.
And what seems to be the most ridiculous thing that I've seen in the last couple of months in the terrible show by the name of BALLERS. I mean first of all the show just completely sucks and anyone that tries to convince me otherwise, well I guess I would say they don't know shit. I mean the show is basically a shittier version of Entourage and that is really saying something. But really all the show does is glorify this whole bullshit culture of football that I've been talking about. With players driving fast cars with their mistresses, having a "fun" house where they go to party, do drugs, and fuck random girls without their wives knowing about it. And all the while they have The Rock running around saying, "such and such is a good kid, him doing coke off a girls tits shouldn't ruin his career." Are you really fucking kidding me?
I know I'm just one person, and even if you do read this you are going to tune in and watch football all season long this year. Hell I know I'm going to watch my fair share of games. I know what football means to most of you out there, because I know how much it means to me. And I'm not saying that any of you are bad people. All I hope in writing this is that maybe you stop and think for just a minute the next time you turn on a football game. Maybe it gives you pause for just one second if what you are watching really is the best thing for you as a person and us as a society. Because I know that I've been thinking a lot about it.
I wanted to write this blog to pay homage to one of the most forward thinking guys that I've ever known. It's okay if you don't agree with anything I said. I'm just happy that I finally said it. I guess I just wanted him to know that the things that we talk about matter a whole lot to me. And that I feel as though he has changed me for the better. This blog is about how one man has changed the way I think about things. And I hope if you are reading this that you have a friend like I do that can help open your mind up to so many different possibilities that the world has to offer. Thank you Drew Hooper.
