Interesting last few days as we ponder violence in football. Issues in the NFL have sprung to the forefront. At issue: whether refs are so quick to toss flags on possibly dangerous plays, it's unduly affecting outcome of games. Outcome of games is so important to fans. Fans are totally protected from the violence as they munch snacks and watch.
Here in Morris we got a clarion call on these questions. Let's backtrack to the closing stages of our MAHS Homecoming football game. The Tigers hosted Minnewaska Friday. Pleasant game that went well for the Tigers for the most part. I mean, we won. America gets its juice from the ethos of winning, n'est-ce pas?
So for yours truly to be anything but exuberant about this, makes me an outlier, someone who deserves to be scorned right to his face. I have experienced a lot of that through the years. I have never been cowed by the teachers union and its friends in this community. That particular issue was at its zenith in a former time. My impression now, though I'm detached from the newspaper these days, is that the atmosphere in our public school is pretty positive, pretty idealistic.
But I was saddened to see what happened on the football field at Big Cat with about four minutes left. I felt the game announcers glossed over the incident. A member of the Tiger defensive unit threw down the Minnewaska quarterback. It is possible to give some slack to the Morris kid, as we can suggest he was caught up in the intensity of the moment. Besides, he's just a high school kid - "some slack" always applies.
I have never played football but I have to wonder if the Tiger player knew he was using unreasonable force. His name: Hunter Gibson. The Minnewaska QB: Paul "PJ" Johnson. I criticize the game announcers for not at least speculating on whether an unsportsmanlike penalty should have been called.
Fast-forward to Sunday: We saw in the NFL a basically identical play. It was in the Falcons/Buccaneers game. In fact, if you compared this play to the one at our Big Cat, I would say our local incident was an even more violent smack-down.
The NFL players are paid a lot to take punishment. Yet a flag was thrown on the NFL play. Some thought it was overreaction. But the ref made the judgment. The NFL refs are now under increased pressure to protect player safety, especially safety of the quarterbacks. So it's quite the priority at that level. A big reason is money. The marquee quarterbacks of the NFL are so important to keep healthy.
Great. But what about the student-athletes who perform on the high school fields all across the state? The Tigers will host Paynesville on Friday. So we're supposed to be focused on that. Let's not forget the 'Waska quarterback in our prayers. He lay prostrate on the field after the jarring hit, requiring attention, then he left the game. One would have to theorize "concussion." So we pray it was not a serious one.
No flag on the play. We used to praise young men on their "toughness" for playing football. What a tragically antiquated attitude.
I shared further thoughts with a friend via email on Tuesday. The friend happens to be a lawyer and this is coincidence although maybe it isn't, because I'd like to think I show discretion with my friendships! Just mention a lawyer and you get people's attention. My email covers a fair amount of ground outside of football. Here's my email:
Hello (name withheld) - You're a personal injury lawyer so maybe you're aware of the throw-down tackle by the Tiger Friday that left the 'Waska player prostrate, very likely with a concussion. Now maybe you laugh, because we have to accept football as this "violent" sport. That observation becomes less cute as time rolls on. The Lord blessed me by not giving me any talent to play football.
One reason I'm bringing this up, is to encourage you to compare that play to the NFL game where the Atlanta Falcon got flagged for making the exact same type of play on the Tampa Bay QB. In fact, if you compare the two, the Tiger hit by Hunter Gibson looks more violent. There was no flag. The QB lay there and had to be attended to. He obviously left the game. Serious concussion? A possibility.
You'll be amused as I note that if I were still with the Morris paper, I'd probably want to acknowledge these issues, the non-call of the refs and the unreasonableness of the defensive play. And even if I walked on eggshells, I'd risk serious repercussions from writing about this. But I think I would. I probably would have left the game by then, but if I heard about it, I could call up the replay on YouTube. You and I could not have dreamt of YouTube for high school sports "back in the day." Impossible.
Parents sign release forms. The best op-ed I've ever read about football's dangers was by a guy who created his own "release form" but it was far more graphic and scary than the norm. "If your son plays football. . ."
UMM HOMECOMING
For years the UMM Homecoming concert was on Sunday but then it got moved to Saturday. I got disoriented so when I got up Sunday, I took a shower and had decided to attend. As I left Don's I saw the Homecoming schedule flier and realized I had screwed up.
Del Sarlette informed me later that the choir did not perform the UMM Hymn. As I told you before, they only performed one-half of it last year, and the whole thing only takes two minutes. It's a great sentimental piece for Homecoming-time, good for loosening purse strings of alums?
A source tells me that the Crookston campus will be transitioning to a two-year format because of the emphasis on agriculture. Let's see, their chancellor is still our executive chancellor? I don't think UMM appreciated it when I blogged about this. UMM probably didn't appreciate how I blogged about the spring band/choir concert being in Alexandria-only. I have an 18-year old car and don't like to drive out of town much, cannot get a new car because I'm concerned I could fail the vision test the next time at the DMV.
UMM probably doesn't appreciate how I have pointed out several times that the music dept. website has become so neglected. Erin told me last year this would be fixed with a new website. No dice. So, hard to know what's really going on out there. Is it possible that UMM powers-that-be are preparing for something drastic? Along the lines of Crookston? The U has been nursing this big deficit.
I think maybe I'll go out to campus before Christmas and make a good faith new $ contribution to my family's fund. No hard feelings, on the issues I address here.
I'm signed up to purchase banners for the music stands for the MAHS jazz band, now if the people over there can get their act together and get going on it. I had wanted to purchase actual music stands but the director was concerned about storage. I just think she likes being difficult sometimes.
So the Cougars beat the team from Finland Saturday. I see where the volleyball team won twice on the weekend.
My standing at UMM may be hurt by the fact Sue Dieter works out there now. After I left the paper, she talked about how "things would be better" with me gone. A former co-worker tipped me off on that. So I wonder, why couldn't they just forget about me? Why keep talking about me? I later returned fire on my blogs, even referring to Sue's weight gain. That's the kind of personal attack Donald Trump would make.
You know, Trump keeps crossing lines and it just doesn't matter now. A couple years ago, I wondered "will we eventually see the Nazi salute at Trump rallies? Surely that would cross a line." And then it happened. It was a QAnon salute but it looked exactly the same.
So inflation rolls along at 8.3 percent. And you're lucky if you can get a bank to pay you 1.5 percent on a five-year certificate of deposit. Strange world.
Oh, dedication of the newest softball field was Saturday at 11 a.m. I assume that's the field where the old UMM field was. That's the field where I have pointed out the problem of batters facing the sun. Very clever on Saturday, with starting time of 11 a.m., no problem with sun! Sun is getting lower in sky now with winter coming, but next summer I expect problems with the sun at the new field. We'll see. The old UMM field was perfect, should have been left as is. And I'm not speaking as an old curmudgeonly type.
Before sending this email, I had to clarify "prostate" vs. "prostrate."
- BW
My companion blog
On Sunday I posted on my "Morris of Course" companion blog, first about the 3-1 MACA volleyball win over Benson, and then on the football violence topic. The permalink:
- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com
No comments:
Post a Comment