My Letter to Roger Goodell

Dear Commissioner Goodell,

Are you familiar with the term collateral damage? How about occupational hazard? Allow me to shed some light on the subject. When one becomes a coal miner, that person is well aware that there are certain inherent dangers that go along with being a coal miner. For instance there is a constant threat of being entombed alive from a collapse and a constant danger to their lungs from all the pollution and unclean air. The coal worker is well aware of these dangers yet every day thousands of people go into the coal mines. If Roger Goodell was commissioner of the coal workers union the world would have far less coal in it. At the first sign of a cough or if one person got trapped, he would suspend all work in that mine for fear of that worker's health.

Now to collateral damage. Have you ever gone swimming on a really hot day? Diving into a pool is incredibly refreshing and satisfying. You could stay in that water all day. Have you ever, after a day of swimming, had water in your ear that you couldn't get out? Or what about those awful wheezing pains you get in your lungs if you've stayed under water too long? This doesn't always happen, but sometimes its the unintended result of swimming. Collateral damage is precisely that, unintended damage that is the result of a separate action. If Roger Goodell was the commissioner of lifeguards, he would make sure someone was to be held responsible for your swimmers ear.

I write this due to the epidemic that has taken hold of the National Football League and that is the "unnecessary roughness of a defenseless player". Now I don't want to come off as an insensitive bastard who wants to see violence and injury. But I am also a fan of the game of football and at the end of the day football is an incredibly violent game. Every single player who is fortunate to play in the National Football League is well aware of the inherent dangers that come with it. Sure everyone wants to stay healthy, and no one would be in favor of injuries, but let's be honest when you play football, people are going to get hurt. It's the very definition of occupational hazard. If you don't believe me here is the Webster's dictionary definition...

Occupational Hazard : A risk accepted as a consequence of a particular occupation.

NFL players are not only well aware of these risks but they are also more than comfortably rewarded for taking these risks. In my opinion its very simple. If you don't want to put your body at risk then you forfeit the opportunity to make millions of dollars playing a game. But that's not the case. And every Sunday we have warriors putting their bodies on the line for our entertainment, and in return they get to cash their very large employment checks. Now of all the sports, NFL players make the least (compared to MLB and NBA) but that's a whole different story. I think NFL players should get paid the most comparative to the other sports mentioned.

If you don't believe me maybe you should ask the thousands of NCAA football players who never get the chance to chase their dreams of playing in the NFL. They get to the top of the mountain, as close as you can get to fulfilling their dreams, only to be turned away forever. Ask them if they would be willing to put their future health on the line for chance of millions of dollars, success at the highest level and fulfilling their childhood dreams. I know my answer. I'd do anything to play in the NFL and if that means I will have arthritic knees and a spotty memory then so be it. At least I followed my dream and competed at the highest level.

I write this because of the rash of "late hits" and "unnecessary roughness" calls that are plauging the league. People like James Harrison and Ryan Clark have had to pony up insane amounts of money for playing hard. Imagine if Dick Butkus or Deacon Jones or Jack Lambert or Ronnie Lott had to play under these rules. They not only would have lost a lot of money, but they also might not have been as dominant of players. Perhaps Jack Lambert would not be a celebrated hall of famer but rather a poster boy for penalties and dirty play. Actions that were celebrated in the 70s 80s and 90s are now being villainized (which may or may not be a real word).

If I was a wide receiver and I took a hard hit over the middle I would milk it, pretend to be hurt and the refs would throw a flag for unnecessary roughness. Why not? It happens like clockwork. A violent hit over the middle in which the defender separates the receiver from the football (something they are taught to do since the first day they played the game as kids) is flagged and the offense is rewarded. What Roger Goodell is trying to do is reverse a lifetime of football instincts and what he is finding out is that it is harder to rid the game of these hits than he thought. If I was Mr. Rooney, the owner of the Steelers, I would personally pay every fine that James Harrison receives. Because Mr. Rooney earned a lot of money off the violent actions of Jack Lambert and the Steel Curtain Defense. Now is watching as an ambitious commissioner tries to ruin the league. Let them play football and stop trying to make it two hand touch.
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PART 2: TEBOW vs BRADY

Since this is my return to blogging I have decided to make it a two part edition. If it's too long for you to read I really don't care. The other enormous topic in the NFL right now, aside from the late hits, is Tim Tebow. I have to say I am a fan of Tim Tebow. Ever since he provided the greatest football speech of all time, and went out and backed up every single word by winning the National Championship, I have been a fan of Tebow's. The guy is a winner, plain and simple and last time I checked winning is all that matters.

But this Tebow thing goes way beyond his performance on the field. It's been one of the most fascinating storylines to come out of the NFL in as many years as I can remember. But why? Why does every media outlet and every radio station obsess over Tim Tebow. I'm not here to give you my opinion on why people love or hate Tebow, that would make me no different from every pundit in the world. Instead what I am here to do is analyze this from a football perspective.

I don't care if Tebow is the lowest rated passer in the league. I don't care if every expert in the world says this style of offense can't last in the NFL. I'm along for the ride and the past 8 weeks have been amazing to watch. It's like he flips a switch and all of a sudden, come crunch time Tebow is a different player. There really is no explanation for it. But what I can see, the tangible element that Tebow brings to the table is his ability to lead. It's a truly rare talent and its something that coaches and GMs search for on a regular basis. Tebow inspires his players, and unless you have played on a team with Tebow you really can't understand it or quantify it. But it just seems like everyone who plays besides him is willing to put in a little more effort and that's a quality that can't be replicated. It's why I want to see him succeed, I want to see his team make the playoffs and see if this unconventional style of play can work in the NFL. And this week is the biggest test.

The most conventional quarterback of the last half century invades Denver this weekend and it seems to me like Tom Brady is out to prove a point. This season, despite putting up record numbers, Brady is being overshadowed by guys like Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees and deservedly so. They are playing at an incredible level. But there's old Tom, up to his usual tricks. It's hard to imagine that the Patriots are 10-3 considering they have the league's worst defense. And besides Wes Welker (who was nothing special in the years before coming to New England) and Rob Gronkowski, there isn't a single offensive player on their team that I would want on my team. Brady and Tebow share something special, and that's the ability to lead a team. You can see how competitive each man is every Sunday and their will to win is unlike anyone else's in the league. Which makes this Sunday's game all the more interesting.

I am curious to see what happens. Logic says that Tebow will be able to move the ball against the league's worst defense. But how will Brady fare against one the top defenses in the league? My guess is he will do just fine. Something happens to competitors like Brady when people begin to forget how good they are or overlook their abilities. It's that desire that every athlete has to prove people wrong. And coming into this Sunday's game, all anyone seems to be talking about is Tim Tebow. I have a feeling that Brady is going to come out firing. Like he wants to prove what a "true" quarterback can do. It almost reminds me of A Few Good Men when Tom Cruise is talking about his plan to crack Jack Nicholson. It's a great scene that goes like this....

I think he wants to say it. I think he's pissed off that he's gotta hide from this. I think he wants to say that he made a command decision and that's the end of it. He eats breakfast 300 yards away from 4000 Cubans that are trained to kill him. And nobody's going to tell him how to run his unit least of all the Harvard mouth in his faggoty white uniform. I need to shake him, put him on the defensive and lead him right where he's dying to go. 

 I think Brady is pissed off about all the attention Tebow is getting and he is just going to go off like Colonel Jessup. Brady is going to deliver the following message to Tebow..

"Son we play a game that needs a quarterback. Who's gonna do it you? You Tim Tebow?  I have a greater responsibility than you can possibly fathom. You weep for the spread option and you curse the pro style. You have that luxury, you have that luxury of not knowing what I know. That downfield passing and pre-snap reads win games. And my existence to you, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, wins games. You don't want the truth because deep down in offensive meetings you don't talk about zone blitzes or four verticles. You want me under center, you need me under center. We use words like hot route, x-under and new mike. We use these words as the backbone of a downfield offense. You use them as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who wins and loses in the league I've been a part of for 12 years and then questions the manner in which I win. I would rather you just said thank you and went on your way. Otherwise I suggest you start throwing downfield and reading defenses. Either way I don't give a damn what you think you are entitled to."

So there you have it. I hope this game is everything that it's been hyped up to be. If Tebow somehow pulls out another 4th quarter miracle then I am officially on board the Tebow express. But like I said, I have a feeling that Tom Brady is out to prove a point this weekend.

The blog is back and I would appreciate any comments or topic ideas going forward. Until next time, as always....STAY CLASSY

The Blog Is Back

This is an official announcement. Tomorrow marks the return of the blog. I have a few topics in mind but if anyone has anything in particular that they would like discussed please comment below.

I look forward to providing the kind of content that can only be found at ETC ETC ETC.

See you tomorrow


-Management

The Loss of a Friend

-I'd like the memory of me to be a happy one. Of happy memories that I leave behind when day is done.

On April 23rd 2006 the world lost an amazing person. Matt Turley was serving in Argentina on a church mission when he was struck by a drunk driver, tragically ending his life. I had the good fortune to grow up with Matt when he moved into our neighborhood in first grade. Right away we formed an amazing friendship, playing baseball and football in his seemingly enormous backyard. We would walk home from school, drop our book-bags off and then meet in his yard for home run derby or "two hand touch" football that always turned into tackle.

It's hard to believe that its been five years already. I try not to think about the loss and how long its been since I've seen my friend, but instead I remember all the good times we had. Like the summer that Matt, Joe Bonanni and I turned badminton into an extreme, no boundaries slugfest. Or the games of football we would play when Matt was the quarterback and I was the receiver. Matt would tell me to just run past the defense and he would get the ball to me. It only took a few games before Matt and I weren't allowed to be on the same team because it wasn't fair for everyone else.

It seemed like we did everything together, from Little League baseball to hours of video games. From nerf basketball in his tiny bedroom to snow forts and sledding. When I think of my childhood Matt is the first person that comes to mind. The memories are forever and on days like today I can think back on so many good times. Like when our 4 younger sisters put on a play in the Turley's living room. It was supposed to be very serious but Matt and I were uncontrollably laughing as if Jerry Seinfeld was in the room and not our sisters. That did not go over well at the time, but it always brings a smile to my face when I think about it now.

I think back on the day Aaron and Ryan Smith moved to Pennsylvania in 5th grade, the saddest day of our lives at that point. We sat in Matt's kitchen and cried for hours, not speaking a word. I even think back to the day that the Turley's moved from Old Stagecoach Road. Even though they were moving 3 minutes away, it felt like they were moving to California. And what should have been a sad day turned into a comedy of errors, from us dropping their refrigerator full of stuff on the driveway, to the moving van getting stuck in their yard.

There are so many things that I can look back on but my favorite memories are playing home run derby in his backyard. Matt's dad Scott would buy sleeves of tennis balls and pitch to us for hours as we tried to launch home runs into the woods. On the days Scott had to work Matt and I would beg him to hurry up so we could play. Their deck provided a great backstop, however each day we would lose a few balls underneath it. We would try to recover some from underneath the deck but some were so far gone that they are probably underneath there to this day. When I drive by that old house and look at the backyard I get emotional. I can still picture the badminton net and batters box next to the deck.

"I have to remind myself that some birds aren't meant to be caged. Their feathers are just too bright. And when they fly away, the part of you that knows it was a sin to lock them up does rejoice. But still, the place you live in is that much more drab and empty that they're gone. I guess I just miss my friend". 

I never got a chance to say goodbye to Matt or even let him know how much I appreciated our times together. It's still hard to think about what happened and I don't believe I'll ever truly be able to articulate his impact on his family, our friendship and all who knew him.

I hope that one day I will see him again and he will be waiting. With an unlimited supply of tennis balls and a backyard that will be big enough for home run derby, badminton and "two hand touch" football. I hope.