WARNING: Sports Rant…

As a lifelong fan of the NFL and diehard Vikes fan I have to admit that my interest is fading fast.
The behavior of these millionaire children just continues to get more and more out of control.
The highest rated five hours on TV every year and probably the the biggest sporting event in the world, the Super Bowl and we get to see Baldwin catch a TD pass and to show his excitement he uses the ball as a prop and pretends like he’s taking a dump. During the Parade in NE, Blount, the Patriots running back who was let go by the Steelers for walking off the field, showering and boarding the team bus while the game was still being played. He held up a t-shirt that said “Bit@#h Mode” with Lynch’s #24. Gronkowski is opening beers with his teeth and pouring em down his throat getting more on his chest and slamming the cans on the street. All this while dads have their kids on there shoulders to see their “heroes” Lynch is too childish to answer questions regarding the sport that puts millions in his pockets. A cornerback tips a pass and has to stand there with his arms crossed like, look what I just did. Manziel doing his money thing with his fingers, could be the biggest bust of all #one overall picks. Goodell is so blinded by greed he can’t make a rational decision. He’s actually toying with the idea of having the Super Bowl halftime entertainers PAYING the NFL for the oppurtunity to be there. Now in April, Winston, the QB and accused rapist from Florida will be taken # one overall.

I know there are great stand up men that do great things in the community but they are becoming more overshadowed with each passing year.
Why don’t we see this in the NBA,MLB or NHL, at least not to this extreme.

Sorry for the long winded rant! Just curious how others feel about this.

Am I overreacting? Sportsmanship and class seems like a thing of the past in the NFL.

If you really wanna puke pick up the sports page today of the Mpls. Tribune.

Edina now has traveling basketball teams for FOURTH GRADERS. Yes thats right 4th graders. We no longer can let kids be kids and play a game. We need to have traveling teams so communities and parents can puff out their chests and proclaim how proud they are of little Johnny for winning a basketball game.

Seems like just 40 or 50 years ago kids were allowed to play sandlot ball and have fun. Kids were allowed to play multiple sports year around.

While some pro athletes are disgusting i’m finding parents and schools to be more revolting for not letting kids be kids.

I agree to a certain extent but most of this is because this is what the media reports. There has to be a 10 to 1-good vs bad, but nice guys don’t make the National news very often. Good guys that help neighborhoods, visit hospitals, volunteer time at functions/nonprofits make the local news and many times don’t want to be the headliner for Sports Center, Fox News, etc. to dump on.

Such is the trappings of a prosperous society, humans given the opportunity to display their success will amp it up to best what others have done. Kind of putting their own personal touch on it. We as a society have lost humiliation and know no bounds. Or have we, it seems the entities you are addressing are the vast minority. It is just that the media chooses to broadcast their exploits over quite frankly boring behavior that the majority exhibits. Sorry, the monies generated via advertisers trumps decency. Renew your faith in humanity and attend the church of your choice, or turn the TV off and close the laptop and gaze into your beautiful grandchildrens eyes and smile.

castle-rock-clown wrote:

Such is the trappings of a prosperous society, humans given the opportunity to display their success will amp it up to best what others have done. Kind of putting their own personal touch on it. We as a society have lost humiliation and know no bounds. Or have we, it seems the entities you are addressing are the vast minority. It is just that the media chooses to broadcast their exploits over quite frankly boring behavior that the majority exhibits. Sorry, the monies generated via advertisers trumps decency. Renew your faith in humanity and attend the church of your choice, or turn the TV off and close the laptop and gaze into your beautiful grandchildrens eyes and smile.

You’re absolutely right and I know I kinda went off on a tangent! For some reason it got under my skin today. None of this has any direct impact on me or my family. My new auger does though!

Dutchboy, remember sliding your mitt over the handlebars of a stingray and heading out to play ball?!

I find that I am less and less interested in football. It used to be I would be glued to the TV on Sunday to watch the game. Growing up my dad was a die hard and Sunday was football day. Pretty hard to cheer for some of these guys now.

I remember stuffing a liter bottle of soda in the snowbank at the local skating rink and playing all day long on Saturdays………..after shoveling the rink first!

I remember breaking SEVERAL of the neighbors windows playing ball in my youth.

And yes bat, ball & glove traveled every where on that bike.

It’s a little long, but what he says at the end is fantastic

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000466408/article/thomas-davis-named-walter-payton-man-of-the-year

I agree, it pathetic. These so called hero’s are not setting a very example for the young players. What gets me is when a team is getting beat by 4 touchdowns and make a play and then beat on their chest as if they are winning. What happened to humility? Lost total interest and may be watch 3-5 games a season.

Yes I agree it’s getting really bad..I thought they were professionals and this is how they act..makes me wanna puke!!!

Just remember, there are no hero’s more important to kids then their dads and grandpa’s.

Athletes should never be role models.

Ratings and interest have never been higher!
I commend your convictions but you none of you will be missed.

I can’t remember who said it but he was a high profile athlete…. he said he did not sign up to be your kids role model, that’s the parents job. They have a thousand times better probability of turning out like you, not me.

Don’t take the game too serious people, it is just a game and you shouldn’t allow it to ruin your weekend.

I remember watching a High School basketball game on TV, maybe 20 years ago….. a guy dunked on another guy and just got in his face and was celebrating… the other guy pointed at the scoreboard…. the camera panned over and the dunker was down by 28 points You should have seen the quick end to the celebration.

big_g wrote:

I can’t remember who said it but he was a high profile athlete…. he said he did not sign up to be your kids role model, that’s the parents job. They have a thousand times better probability of turning out like you, not me.

Don’t take the game too serious people, it is just a game and you shouldn’t allow it to ruin your weekend.

I completely get that and have never looked to these guys as role models. In fact I don’t know anyone personally that has ever looked at athletes as role models. For me, I’ve always been a big fan, I enjoy the bantor on here regarding rivalries. The enthusiasum has just all but dissappeared. Again, this is just me personally and just wondered who else felt the same way. I’m not out on the ledge or anything…

Well manziel wasn’t the #1 overall pick so at least you don’t have to worry about him bein the worst bust of all time. Sounds like you need a new sport. There are idiots in the sport but a lot of good guys too. Just like in most professions, however they are just under the spot light more.

I grew up a HUGE Vikings fan and remember all 4 Super Bowl losses. I think there was a period of time (in the words of Ron Yary) “I would have given my right arm” as a trade for just one win. I lived and died on Sundays for these guys.

One day, I woke up in my 30’s and listened to KQRS in the morning talk about the “police blotter” and there were 3-4 NFL players over the weekend with arrests. Pretty soon this became a regular segment with Mike Gelfand and others.

People, this is not a new phenomenon – NFL players have been thugs, felons, dorks, etc for decades. 76% have 1+ DUI’s, half of those have 2 or more. Drugs, rapes, assaults, Love Boats, dog rings, it never ends. And it won’t as long as its the #1 sport in America.

Then there’s the injury thing – average life span of NFL players is in their late 50’s. Many have head injuries or other debilitating injuries they got for our viewing pleasure.

I found myself unable to watch these guys 20 years ago. I don’t think its 1 in 10 are bad and give the others a bad name…I think its 8 out of 10. And they will keep doing what they do as long as we watch.

I turned off the NFL in about Denny Green’s second year as coach. It was REALLY hard to ignore the game as a former fanatic for about 2-3 years. Now I don’t miss it at all. In fact, some of the best fishing I have had in the past 20 years, has been on beautiful Fall Sunday afternoons on the lake, river, etc. No other boats because they are inside watching football.

Ok, how did I do? I tried to rant as well as I can. Hard for me to get lathered up about many things any more, but I don’t know why more people don’t turn their back on the NFL. I really I’m in the minority here since the sport is at its all-time high in popularity.

I’ll go take my medicine now ~

Yeah, I realized my Manziel error after I posted it

As far as needing a new sport…that was my point.

I’m on a take it or leave it basis. If there is a good game I’ll watch most of it. Bad games I find something else to watch. Best thing is I’ll never go to another game in person. I’m middle class (at best) therefore I won’t be able to attend Viking games in Ziggys new palace. I’m only required to help pay for it. Maybe I’ll get to see it on TV.

Haven’t watched the NBA for years for the reasons you list.

I guess I’m just a baseball guy.

I know pro sports and most big college sports will ever get a dime of my money. I have a 12 yr old son who just discovered football and wants to go see a Packer game. The HOF maybe, and a practice in August, maybe. Instead I took him to see UW-Whitewater’s last win before winning the Stagg Bowl. We bought tickets for less that $10 each I believe and sat on the 50 yard line and saw 2 great teams and 2 great coaches. Game was decided by a coaching move to quick huddle and pound it. 3 plays and failure by the opposing coach to recognize the move and call a time-out resulted in game winning come from behind TD. Why pay more to spoiled pros to support that? It’s a game and should be treated as such, and paid as such.

Lying Brian got caught in a non-criminal lie done while not reporting news and lost his job and pay for 6 months. Same pay category, held to different standards.

The fight at the end of the Super Bowl was a first class act by those we pay millions to be American heroes.

Bread and Circuses

YUP

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And now the little league baseball team from Chicago gets their title stripped for cheating.

That is 100% on the adults for allowing it.

I understand what a lot of you are saying, but I think the media likes picking up the negative stories. Its what gets attention. John Sullivan going to the hospital and playing with a kid with Leukemia doesn’t make for a great read in today’s world. Erin Henderson getting 2 DUI’s in season last year and showing up hungover/drunk to practice does make a good story. Matt Cassell staying in town after his injury and showing up early and staying late at the Vikings facility to help Teddy Bridgewater (take Cassell’s job in 2015) doesn’t make a good story. AP abuse charges do.

Of adult males in the US, 9.4 per 1,000 get DUI’s. NFL players get 8.7 per 1,000.
9.6 per 1,000 adult males will get arrested for Assault, 7.4 per 1,000 NFL players will get arrested for assault. 10.4 per 1,000 adult males will get arrested for a drug charge, 4.2 per 1,000 NFL players will.

Obviously I’m biased though. I love the NFL and don’t miss a Vikings game. I rarely miss a game that’s on TV when the Vikings aren’t playing at the moment either.

Additionally 99 percent of those who say they are done with the NFL are not.

NFL player’s salaries make them all a negative story and they should be held to a higher standard, it comes with the job. So, 1 in a 1000 arrested is still too high. I’ll watch the NFL as long as it remains a free broadcast on my antenna TV.

I AM done with football (and gambling)
Of course I wanna go fishing
But Orwell had no way of knowing how internet porn would be available to replace the football obsession

big_g wrote:

I can’t remember who said it but he was a high profile athlete…. he said he did not sign up to be your kids role model, that’s the parents job. They have a thousand times better probability of turning out like you, not me.

Big G:

I believe that was Charles Barkley…

Mark

What about that “SOB” Ray Lewis, he has a show about instilling the virtues of morals; kinkiness; and sportsmanship to youth coaches.

It all went down hill after the Jerry Springer,show was canceled.

mbenson wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>big_g wrote:</div>
I can’t remember who said it but he was a high profile athlete…. he said he did not sign up to be your kids role model, that’s the parents job. They have a thousand times better probability of turning out like you, not me.

Big G:

I believe that was Charles Barkley…

Mark

That’s being a hypocrite. He’s paid as an athlete entertainer. His career and pay (which most young people desire to achieve themselves) make him a role model. I’m thankful I didn’t turn out like my parents nor parent like them. They influenced me alright but I wouldn’t call them my role models.