My Annual I Hate Football Rant « Baseball

The only good thing about the Stupid Bowl, or as some call it, the Toilet Bowl, is the fact that Spring Training is right around the corner. This year the early date is February 14. (The first version of my annual rant was published on February 18, 2015.

I admit it. I loath football. It is increasingly a profession of psychopaths, narcissists, pedophiles, wife-beaters, liars, cheaters, and hidden steroid use. It is a ‘sport’ that is literally dying, a little more, each year. Just the other day I was reading that pediatricians are now recommending that children not be allowed to play tackle football – at any time. It causes severe cognitive problems with memory as early as 10 years of age. Every time a child is tackled or tackles, and uses their head, they lose just a little bit more of their ability to think. It is a major cause of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease – because of brain injuries. Yet, like the ancient Romans, Americans line up, every week, to either attend high school, college, or professional games, and do everything but give a thumb’s down. In many ways, they don’t need to. The game is a death sentence for many of those who play it. I suspect, 20 years from now, the game as we know it today, will no longer exist. If it is, the only people playing it will be young men who need the money for a college education (what a joke) and a professional career.

There is no more disgusting display of futility in this country than the Super Bowl. I suspect, if one were to poll those watching the game, and the hype, they would find that they don’t give a rip about football, only the hype. Advertising demands this nation come to a halt for several hours while we watch over-paid men literally destroying their futures by ongoing brain damage. If it weren’t for the hype, would anyone even bother watching it? I doubt it.

The betting is deplorable. There is a ritual involved where people bet on every little thing. It isn’t about which team wins – except for the fans of those teams. Please, tell me all those millions of individuals watching the game are fans of either team? They aren’t.

Critics of baseball complain that people don’t watch the World Series like the once did. There’s a reason for that. Baseball is not about hype, it is about lore, legend, history, and a game of skill. One of the reasons people aren’t watching the World Series is because the average baseball fan watches THEIR team. We watch our teams, and keep an eye on the rest of the Series, but that’s about it. Teams with a bigger fan base attract bigger audiences. We baseball fans don’t do hype.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

SJ Reidhead (aka The Pink Flamingo) is a writer based in New Mexico. The author of two published novels, both westerns: Dust Devil and The Second Mrs. Earp and two published works of non-fictions: TRAVESTY: Frank Waters Earp Agenda Exposed and A Church for Helldorado, Endicott Peabody's 1882 Tombstone Diary. One of the leading authorities on the life of Wyatt Earp and Tombstone during the Earp years, she is writing a series of murder mysteries set in modern day Tombstone. The author is also working on a book about fashion in the Wild West. When complete, there will be over 2100 unpublished antique photographs dating from 1855-1910.

The author's work has appeared in Wild West, True West, Blogcritics, and The Tombstone Times. Recently the author has had to deal with a father who succumbed to Alzheimer's Disease. This is leading to a book dealing with the frustrations of dealing with the frustrations of the disease, finance, legal, health-care, and things no one bothers telling families about it. A portion of the book will contain entries from a blog she kept, detailing the struggle with her father's AD. She is also working on a murder mystery series set in modern day Tombstone and Cochise County. Several books of essays on Christian living are currently in edits. A book of essays and revisions of articles about Wyatt Earp has been completed and will include her latest work detailing her theory about the murder of his second wife, Mattie.

SJ Reidhead has been involved in Republican politics since she was 'a little kid'. During the Reagan years she was a lobbyist working with various non-profit organizations who were attempting to salvage NASA and the American space program after the disastrous Carter years. In spite of ups and downs, and numerous disappointments, politically, it is obvious the only political hope for this country is via the Republican Party. Along with politics she is an opera fanatic, has been known to stalk baritones to the point of being a baritone junkie, and loves baseball.

The Pink Flamingo went on line on October 4, 2005.

THE PINK FLAMINGO STORY

It started out as a joke. During the seven years I worked with the girls of my parish, leading a youth group, one of the things that I stressed were manners. Part of having manners, the way I see it, is to know how to set a proper table, host a party, cater it, and clean up afterward. I was fortunate enough to have a group of very talented girls in my youth group. They learned how to plan for, and execute large church functions, very properly. During one such function I noticed there were several incredibly tacky pink flamingos sitting on the table. Knowing the girls were up to something, I said nothing. A few months later they did the same thing at a function I was hosting at my home. I said nothing. They had a birthday party for me. More pink flamingos appeared - and a joke was born.

Thanks to the girls, all of whom are now grown, I have a collection of pink flamingos. It has become an ongoing joke. When I began working on my political blog, I realized the only possibly title was The Pink Flamingo!