The Speciousness of Football

There are a couple of points in Ben's post that I want to highlight and expand upon: First, the international expansion of football is certainly a problem for the sport. However, from a purely economic standpoint it is one of, if not the best, run league in the gamut of American Sports. I find it particularly funny that the World at large was playing Futbol long before Football was ever concocted. Why did we think that we could get away with giving our brand new sport the same moniker as Europe's storied pastime? Regardless, the name of the sport alone presents a considerable challenge to the hope of making the sport international. And I think it is a significant to note that Football is not played in the Olympics and probably never will be. But I Digress....

Secondly, Ben is spot on with his mention of how ephemeral the life of an NFL career usually tends to be. For every Brett Farve there is a plethora of no name players who now face life changing injuries and medical predicaments. I remember reading a Sports Illustrated article that highlighted these post-career injuries and the one that stuck with me was a linemen who had to have his foot amputated a few years after he retired. I hope that in upcoming posts that we can discuss steroid use in sports and baseball, so let me get in a plug now...one of the main arguments against steroids is that it kills the body. The drugs ravage your insides for a potential increase in power and endurance within the game. Two scenario's: 1) a football player who is willing to use his body as a weapon in a way that other players refuse to do, and in such a way as to make him a better defender than all other players and 2) a baseball player who takes steroids to increase his ability while at the same time knowing that his body will pay a hefty price. Again, I digress....

Unfortunately, I have to go to work right now, but I will be expanding on this post tonight. The main thrust of the entry will be to claim that Football isn't valued (in a typical American mind) as a sport, but rather as an event. As to the difference between a "sport" and an "event" please check back later.