To be honest, I am not a fan of football. I have tried getting into it, but I just do not have the attention span necessary to sit through even one entire game, let alone an entire season. In fact, being a true fan requires more than watching one’s favourite team play. One must also watch all the other teams play to know how they compare to one’s favourite team. The idea behind this is of course to get to know the enemies of one’s team, including learning about their weaknesses and strengths. And a true fan must also watch sports commentators and keep up with rankings, statistics, and other information.
Once the season is over, a true fan does not get a break from football. During the first few months, further analysis is conducted of the performance of all the teams. Assuming that one’s favourite team did not win the Super Bowl, the purpose of this inquiry is to find out and reflect on what went wrong, to find out how the team can improve its performance, to know which strategies worked and which ones did not, to decide whether there are any players whose contracts should not be renewed, etc. Drafting is then the next major event that a true fan must keep up with. Drafting is important because new football players are recruited through this event, and the worst teams of the season get to choose first. Accordingly, a true fan will want to know whether his/her favourite team scored a super star player that may bring some renewed hope during the upcoming season.
Even after the draft is over, a true fan must continue monitoring the news because one never knows when a football player will get into trouble causing him to lose his job. If the discharged player was a good one, a true fan will then have to keep informed as to who will be the replacement and constantly reflect on how this change will affect the team. Of course, discharges are not exclusive to the off-season period. A domestic dispute between the player and his spouse, a racial or homophobic slur, or any other kind of questionable, immoral or illegal behaviour may result in a player being discharged thereby potentially crumbling a team’s prospect of ending the season victoriously. Accordingly, a true fan must keep informed 24/7, especially nowadays with the existence of social media. You never know when the next big news will break.
Personally, this relentless demand for a person’s time represents a major turn-off. The way I see it is that being a football fan involves surrendering way too much valuable time while getting absolutely nothing in return. First, it is not as if watching every single game and keeping up to date with all relevant information will help a team in one way or another. A team is good whether or not a fan devotes 100% or 0% of their time to the sport.
While I do not claim or want to be an expert, I am nonetheless constantly hearing about football and at times discussing it. Although most discussions are totally boring, I must confess that the NFL can be a source of pretty entertaining news that can lead to heated discussions.
One source of constant discussion has been the arrest of former New England player Aaron Hernandez. There are so many bizarre details in this story and so many twists that a separate article is needed to cover them all. The list includes the latest developments linking Hernandez to a drive-by shooting in Boston that killed two people back in 2012.
Players engage in a number of questionable behaviours all the time. However, it is always surprising to hear news alleging that the NFL has engaged in or condoned acts of homophobia, bullying and discrimination.
The stories are surprising for a few reasons. One, I always assume that there is no more room for such attitudes (at least in North America) because we are supposed to know better. Two, even if some people may not know better, the fact that society in general no longer condones such attitudes has been sanctioned by our legal system. Three, even when it is impossible to prevent people from having such attitudes, it has been long recognized that when it comes to employment relationships, these attitudes should not be tolerated. Finally, if an employer chooses to act on or tolerate such attitudes even when it is forbidden by law and even though society has condemn it, it is perfectly well-known that the legal consequences can be costly. Yet, we see examples of these attitudes within the NFL all the time.
One example is the case of Miami’s football player, Jonathan Martin. A couple of months ago, Martin apparently had to leave the team after he had a breakdown that was allegedly caused by being the victim of incessant harassment. One of the alleged perpetrators, football player Richie Incognito, has responded to the allegations by saying that this is not bullying but just normal locker room behaviour. It has been said, for example, that some teammates forced Martin to contribute $15,000 for a trip to Vegas. Indeed, the fact that Incognito has been suspended shows that his behaviour has gone beyond mere innocent pranks. Some criticize Martin as weak and say he should stop acting like a baby and man up.
Another example is the case of Chris Kluwe, a former player with the Minnesota Vikings. A little more than two years ago, Kluwe was approached by a Minnesota group that was seeking to defeat an amendment that would see marriage as the union of heterosexual couples only. Kluwe accepted the invitation and began to work with the group doing things like public speaking and contacting politicians. Even though Kluwe had obtained permission from the team, his coach later supposedly told him to sever his ties with the group. However, Kluwe continued to voice his opinion about same-sex marriage and show his support, but he supposedly faced increased hostility from his superiors. After last year’s season finished, Kluwe was told that the team was releasing him. No other team has signed him up.
The NFL is certainly a fascinating world. The players get paid exorbitant amounts of money. Yet, they seem to be expected to sign their mind and soul. They are expected to keep their opinions for themselves and tolerate harassment. It is agreed that the sport is for tough men. But, physical strength is separate from mental strength. The NFL can demand its players to withstand tough physical demands, but there is no justification for subjecting players to harassment and emotional distress. And whatever happened to freedom of expression? Given the salaries and perks, one wonders whether it is okay for players to be subjected to such employment conditions. Is the NFL above the law?