Posted by
Daniel's Typical View on Wednesday, August 30, 2006 5:21:02 AM
So what would compel a young man to join high school football and thus participate in the brutal two-a-day practices in the oppressive August heat. To allow himself to be pummelled both physically and verbally. Rite of passage? At this point, a young male is going through certain changes both physical and emotional. At this point, his view of life and what's ahead is reaching a crossroads. He's seeking to possibly change or elevate his status in life. Athletics certainly plays a major part in elevating that status. What football player doesn't yearn for that special attention especially during a prep rally when all eyes are cast upon his person. He hears the cacophony of cheering and the band playing. His emotions build. His heart is made stout as he readies for the battle on the gridiron.
Perhaps peer pressure is a factor. What young man wants to walk the hallways of his alma mater and receive the unyielding looks of consternation or maybe hear the disdaining whispers of why he chose not to risk life and limb along with his fellow buddies out there in the football field. I know for a fact that that consternation can be there.
I remember one time that we were all sitting in the gym and the head coach had announced that a certain player had quit the team so he could sing in the school choir instead. He announced that with a smirk which was our cue to at least laugh or snicker along with that.
Whether it is perceived or real; never the less, the pressure is there. No one wants to be ostracized or be an outcast. Now if he's participating because of that pressure, then it won't be long until frustration sets in and a whole new set of problems emerges. Now just about everyone in that gym knew that there was nothing wrong with that player quitting so he could do something he really wanted (after all in the most part, entertainers do make a lot more than the average athlete), but the fact that we were all in there together as a group brought to the forefront that we were still expected to react in certain way in that closed environment. Yes, we were probably expected to guffaw and be relieved that we no longer had a "sissy" in our midst.
No, high school football or any other type of athletics is not for everyone and not everyone can do it for the entire four years. In my case, I played because I wanted to, and despite the practices; I still enjoyed playing the game.
So then the next factor which comes into effect is tradition. Ah, such an archaic word to many of us. Still, a just and honorable one. Similar to the rite of passage in a sense. However. a certain protocol is implied for tradition, a certain order.
Now it is a plain fact that young males seek to emulate their favorite athletes, particularly in football. More than that, it is a tradition that whether he gets it from athletics or wherever, the young male comes to the realization that somewhere along the line he'll have to endure some sort of trial by fire. He'll have to go through a chiseling process to prepare him for life's endeavors. Definitely a daunting undertaking. Traditionally, football has been a stepping stone in that process, which brings to bear some lamenting thoughts I have about where some traditions of the pro game have gone.
I am still of the steadfast thinking that pro football should still be played outdoors and on grass even though teams such as the Steelers and Cowboys have shown otherwise that you can still be a dominating team in such venues and win super bowls. Still, there is still no reason to keep dousing the head coach with water or gatorade after a victory especially with the wind chill below zero. That insidious practice started in the eighties with the Giants and it's stupid. Why can't the winning super bowl coach be carried off the field especially if we're still going to be referring the game as a battle or war. Then let's show a clear victor. Let the world know there is a winner. Oh, but we say, "That's not nice." That's true, but life just isn't always nice. Comprende! For some reason today's culture wants to suppress that winning spirit. We're all supposed to be homogenized into one same thinking abyss, which leads to this next point.
Why, oh why did the New England Patriots have to start the practice of being introduced as whole team before their SB game against the Rams. We want to see the faces of these individual stars as they stand there in the tunnel waiting in anticipation for their name to be called. Then launch themselves onto the field being welcomed by the adulating cheers of the fans! Yes, we want to see that real people are playing this game. Don't you? Of course you do. So make sure you write your representative.
How about the end zone celebrations? What happened to just simply spiking the ball and just leaving it at that. Now I did enjoy watching Elmo Wright of the Chiefs with his high stepping jig after a touchdown and Billy "White Shoes" Johnson' s wobbly kneed performance. So a moderate dance is okay now and then ( I'm not all that prudish), but we do not need to continually witness cell phones being pulled out from under the goal post or see cpr being performed on footballs. And please. please, please (I asked nicely now), no more marriage proposals to cheerleaders. Stop inundating our senses with all this tasteless gruel. It has worn out its welcome. And I could go on and on about other things such as why does there have to be so may playoff teams. But I' ll leave that for another time.
So pro football, let tradition and its dignity return. Please let it be done soon before the federal government has to step in to do it. Salutations.