I think ALL football (both Pro and College) should voluntarily be called OFF this weekend

[Tuesday Afternoon]

and let there be a weekend of quiet honor held for the victims. Let this sport show where their hearts are. Let us see where are the priorities in this country.

My god, have we as a nation, sunk to this?

[fishwax]

1. I disagree n/t

[bluestateguy]

2. That is going too far

That would do nothing to honor the victims and would only hurt the young men who work hard to play these games each week.

[kath]

16. Well, maybe those young men could work hard at their studies this week - which is what college is

SUPPOSED to be about.

Make pro football and pro basketball have thier own minor league system, the way baseball does, and stop using the universities for that purpose.
Get the colleges and universities back to EDUCATION, which is what their mission is supposed to be.

[sylveste]

20. you do know

that baseball is played in college too, lots of major league players played college baseball. as far as the op goes, i hope this story dies soon because the amount of stupid it's producing is mind boggling.

[kath]

21. Of course I know that - but it doesn't bring in the megabucks that football and basketball do.

AFAIK, the US is the only country where universities bring in millions of dollars for fielding what are basically semi-pro or minor league sports teams, and the only one where full-boat scholarships are given not for SCHOLARSHIP (ie scholastic performance) but for one's ability to play freakin' SPORTS. WTF?? European students visiting the US are dumbfounded by this situation - years back, an AFS student visiting our town (from France, IIRC) said "In my country, you do not get a scholarship for playing *football*"
It's way past time to get big-money sports OUT of the universities.

[Fumesucker]

3. I predict a pile on..

:evilgrin:

[Dreamer Tatum]

4. No, Sandusky sank to this, and those who covered for him are fired.

Get over yourself. Why should someone else suffer for the crime when all they have in common is football?

[Initech]

6. I agree - this is a dumb idea.

The only team that should call off its' game would be Penn State. No one else. That's it. l

[pintobean]

8. I agree, but without the "Get over yourself."

I don't think she's the type of person who needs to get over herself.

[NYC_SKP]

5. I'd be fine with that, but then I'm in the minority, I know it.

I would like to see educational institutions devote all of their energy toward education, enlightenment, the betterment of mankind and stewardship of humanity and of the planet.

But then I'm just a stupid dreamer that way.

Fuck sports.

Yay physical fitness but fuck aggressive sports.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

10. I ask too much. I know.

at least I am in good company. :)

[MADem]

13. I'm with you!

I can't help but laugh at the whole construct of it. A bunch of aggressive young men put on all sorts of padding, top that off with obscenely tight clothing that highlights the body hair and the cracks on their asses, they then top off the entire ensemble with brightly colored helmets, and run around chasing a ball that is longer than it is wide. In this activity, in the stadiums and at homes around the nation, they are being cheered on by aggressive, drunken, well padded (fatted) old men in too-tight clothing (they have to wear that team jersey, even if it doesn't fit, because "supporting the team" wouldn't be the same, otherwise). Between the beers, they shovel in all manner of high-fat, high cholesterol foods, and, if in their homes, scream at their tee vees like their exhortations make a difference. All this screaming, swearing, and drama is given a high value by these guys--they wouldn't miss their football for the world. The net result is that their children look at this behavior, and, in an effort to please their parents, imitate it. In this way children are brainwashed to believe that this activity is "fun" and has purpose.

I just don't get it. It's just not that great a game. A lot of Ummmmmmph! and CRACK/CRUNCH and ball tossing, and a lot of time outs and milling about. I don't understand these fat old guys, either, who are so invested in college teams that they give a fortune to favored schools in return for getting good seats and a bit of ass kissing at what should be a COLLEGE athletic contest. There comes a point in time where you really do want to accept the fact that you've graduated.

I guess the mafia betting on college games makes racheting back college football to reasonably sized and funded contests impossible.

Of course, I like baseball, but I like it because it's a great opportunity for a nice conversation, punctuated by occasional plays of interest. I don't spend nine innings screaming like a banshee at the players (I have figured out that they're not listening to me or anyone else, ususally!).

[TheKentuckian]

7. Well beyond absurd, unrec.

[Arkansas Granny]

9. I disagree. It wasn't football that raped the boy. It had nothing to do with the sport itself.

I don't see how it would help anyone, including the victims.

[Nye Bevan]

11. How about CANCEL ALL SPORTS. Hockey, soccer, athletics, lacrosse, everything. At every level.

In fact let's just cancel all non-essential activities. Everyone should just stay home and do nothing, except quietly contemplate the horror of what has happened.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

12. You can think what you want

But it aint going to happen.

It isn't the sport of football that raped the boys. It was Sandusky.

Though the cover up was just as bad IMO one can't blame the whole sport for what happened.

[pipi_k]

14. Since when does it make sense...

to punish everyone for the acts of a few?

[customerserviceguy]

15. Anything you'd care to let us cancel

that you like that has nothing to do with some unfortunate event that the perpetrators will be asked to account for?

[Texasgal]

17. Are you kidding?

Really?

Football did not rape these kids!

There are so many football programs that have INTEGRITY. We found one that dosen't. It's sick and shitty... but it isn't FOOTBALL as a sport fault!

[AngkorWot]

18. I think some people need to get a life.

:shrug:

[quinnox]

19. I would love it

Good idea, it might wake some people up from their self-inflicted football slumber as well.

[TransitJohn]

22. I think we should call off birdwatching.

Also tiddlywinks, chess, and knitting.

[NutmegYankee]

23. All this would do is seriously piss people off.

The New England Patriots had nothing to do with it.
The New York Jets had nothing to do with it.
Other College and University teams had nothing to do with it.

Fans have purchased tickets for games.
Fans have purchased tickets for airplanes, buses, or trains.
Teams have traveled to the away game sites.

Canceling these games and blowing up people's schedules or costing them money won't make them honor the victims of Sandusky. It'll make them hate them.

You don't punish the non-guilty!

[JoePhilly]

24. we should just end all football/

[NutmegYankee]

25. ...

Oh the irony when coupled with your avatar! :evilgrin: