Salon: Football Is Evil, And You Shouldn’t Watch It

If you’re looking for bat guano insane on the web, Salon is a great place to start. Regarding a different article, Steven Hayward wrote about Salon

There are days when I wonder whether Salon is for real, or whether it’s an elaborate gag, similar to the theory that all of Paul Krugman’s and Tom Friedman’s columns are actually written by a bunch of madcap interns at the Heritage Foundation wondering how long it will take New York Times readers to figure out.

We get things like Why white men hate unions, How to argue with right-wing relatives: Labor Day BBQ edition!, I never should have followed my dreams, and

The NFL’s toxic lies: Here are the worst excuses fans use to justify watching football
As a recovering football addict, all I want is for fans to stop deluding themselves about the sport I used to love

With pro and college football set to kick off this week, the official Season of Rationalization is upon us again. This is that special time of year when millions upon millions of fans attempt to justify — to themselves and anyone who dares question them — why they watch a violent, commercialized sport that we now know can cause brain damage.

I know this firsthand because until recently I was a football addict. (Technically I’m still an addict, I just no longer use.) And thus I have spent years trotting out these shopworn justifications.

The sad truth is that they’re nonsense. Not one of them stands up to any sort of sustained ethical scrutiny. So allow me to channel my inner defensive fan, if only to set the record straight about how the Football Industrial Complex actually operates.

Personally, I do not attempt to rationalize in the least. I feel no need to justify or rationalize my love of football. I’m not a big fan of college, other than my ECU Pirates, but I’ll watch just about any NFL game. I guess this rationalization thing is a Liberal thing. Much like how they rationalize their failure to give up their own use of fossil fuels and go carbon neutral, along with using every method to avoid paying their full tax rate.

Now, Steve Almond provides a multitude of excuses and then the “reality”, and they all look oh-so-reasonable, but, then, that’s what Lefties do, in order to turn you against something. And we get to the last, #7

Hey, get off my back. I just watch a few games a year!

Reality:

Yeah, I know. I’ve said the same thing for years.

But the bottom line is that the NFL is the force driving the commercialization of the sport at all levels. It derives most of its profits from passive consumption (i.e., couch potatoes like you and me). We’re the reason the NFL can charge the networks billions for broadcast rights.

To reiterate: Without us, the NFL wouldn’t exist.

This is the essential truth that the Football Industrial Complex is forever trying to obscure. When we watch football, even casually, we’re supporting the entire system. If we don’t like the way football operates — the excessive violence, the greed, the dulling of our collective empathy — it is upon us to stop watching.

As a lifelong fan, I don’t say this casually. I’ve been in continuous state of withdrawal since I stopped watching last year. But I’d rather suffer that inconvenience than continue recycling the same lame excuses every season, knowing deep down how full of shit I’m being.

Of course, this is all about pimping his book, “Against Football” (no link for you!)

Suburban Sheepdog – This simply has to be a parody. No human body could contain this much sanctimony and sustain life.

Sadly, no, this is Liberal World. Going back to the Steven Hayward link

Today Salon outdoes itself with “Why Uber Must Be Stopped.” Be sure to take in the artwork nearby of how they understand the story pictured nearby, but also savor the indignation that Uber and Lyft might stoop to unscrupulous practices to gain a competitive edge over each other:

What is Uber? A paragon of free market efficiency and technological innovation serving the greater convenience and comfort of the general public? Or living proof for why capitalist societies require regulation?

You won’t really have much trouble guessing where Salon comes out on this last question will you? Anyway. . .

Yeah, Salon totally is against free markets and start ups. And would probably prefer that you spend your Saturdays and Sundays protesting instead of watching football.

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3 Responses to “Salon: Football Is Evil, And You Shouldn’t Watch It”

  1. Conservative Beaner says:

    I’ll bet those clowns at Salon and other liberal publications vote yes every time to build taxpayer funded stadiums to support their local team. The argument every time is it will create jobs. Of course if they don’t build it the team owner will move the team to more friendly cities.

    I’m waiting for Rollerball to become a national, uh I mean a corporate sport. Long live Jonathan E.

  2. John says:

    Did you read that the average life expectancy of an NFL lineman is mid 50s ?

  3. Deserttrek says:

    don’t watch the nfl .. find it to be boring, too into itself and I have better things to do. also why any conservative would support hem is beyond me. they are a 501 under the tax code, which is bad enough and the taxpayer finances the security for the playoffs and stupor bowl…. in my opinion the nfl is no better than acorn or any other taxpayer welfare cheat….watching them means you support theft from the taxpayer

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