Showing posts with label Football. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Football. Show all posts

Thursday, May 24, 2018

Memorial Day - A Grave Situation

Look at all those grave markers. Every one belongs to a man or woman who stood for the National Anthem.  Every one of them stands for a man or woman who would never have dreamed of not standing for the National Anthem.

You know who they are.  Brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers. Our friends. Our neighbors. You know what they did?  They gave their lives so that those aggrieved athletes who think that because they want to make a personal statement in public they somehow should be allowed to  dis-honor our flag, our anthem and those who gave their lives to allow them their "right".

Free speech?  Fine.  Say what they will but if they want their jobs and the backing of the fans they would be better served by being more selective in choosing their venue.  The owners, too, and the players union would be better served by considering the depth of feeling behind the backlash that was witnessed last season.  Obviously it went in one ear and out the other for many of them.

I'd like to blame it on the brain damage so many have suffered but that wouldn't apply to the owners now would it.  In their case, and the union's, it would help a lot if they had a brain and actually used it.

Just think of what would be if those men and women and their leaders, in military uniforms - not football uniforms, had passed the buck under some absurd notion it was their right. There would be no National Anthem, nor flag nor any rights what-so-ever.

Nor would there be football. Perhaps that wouldn't be so bad.  Think what all that money could be used for that would welcomed by more than a pampered few.

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Of Facebook, Fans And Winning

Playoff Sunday in Seattle and San Francisco was certainly a surprise.  When a trash talking player gets more press than post game disturbances, it's a refreshing change of pace.  Dare I hope fans are finding visits to the emergency room or the pokey just aren't worth it and doesn't help the home team one bit?

Maybe.  Probably not.  Let's see what happens after the Super Bowl.  That being said, it's nice to see an intense rivalry like Seattle and San Fransisco have an upside.  And leave it to those  who spend more time on Facebook than in the stadium to bring it about!

Pranks between these rivals have been pretty tame and pretty funny.  An example is when the Seahawk fans bought a personalized brick for the new Niner stadium.  Then to fly a 'go Seahawks' banner above Candlestick. In response Niners fans decided to raise money to taunt the Hawks on their own reader board with a sign bearing the image of San Francisco's Super Bowl fruitfulness. Again, pretty funny.

What makes it really great, however, is that the folks who pulled this together decided they'd  donate any funds over and above the cost of the sign to Seattle Children's Hospital.  How cool is that?  They had decided since that's where the prank was played, that's where excess funds should go.

Not to be outdone, Seahawk fans decided to return the favor and began "Hawk Fans for UCSF Children's Hospital" which has wound up pulling in fans from both teams.

As fans know the Seahawks won in a game that wasn't decided until the very end.  It's the way championship games are supposed to be even though the loss probably hurts less of it's a blowout.  But the Hawks weren't the only winners.  Sick kids in both cities won and perhaps will grow up to understand the real meaning of sportsmanship, be it a player, coach or fan.

Forget the trash talk from an over wrought player.  Remember these great fans. The Hawks may have their 12th man, but the kids have a whole lot more. They've got the fans of two great teams!