Violence and Football

"It's not whether you win or lose; it's how you play the game." -- Grantland Rice.

"Winning isn't everything. It's the only thing." -- Vince Lombardi

   Football is an inherently violent business, so it's no surprise that at its most violent level, its employees -- also known as "players" -- take that violence with them to their private lives. Result: These gladiators are quick to react to provocation, even from those they supposedly care about and claim they love.
   One of the most recent news stories shows a video clip of a footballer punching and knocking unconscious his fiancee. And at first, the consequence of his action was minimal as the league executives denied knowing about it. Until, that is, more video became public.
   When sport becomes a business, profit kills sportsmanship. The National Football League (NFL) in America is a business, not a sport.

   Moreover, it may well be that the popularity of football, with all its violence, is a reflection of American culture. Boxing is still popular, as is hockey, with fistfights on the ice common among the most successful teams. Computer games -- the more violent the better -- also reflect a cultural preference for violence. Hollywood indulges this taste through vivid special effects that become more vivid and violent with each year.
   In addition to all this, there is the issue of gun violence. The National Rifle Association insists that the Constitution guarantees the right of every individual to have a firearm, but they conveniently ignore the opening phrase of the Second Amendment basing that right on the need for a "well regulated militia" to ensure the security of a free state.
   Nowhere in the Constitution is there mention of unregulated, individual "rights" to have a personal arsenal.