Non Football Lecturing (NFL) (UPDATED)

Sunday morning, a neighbor and I stood on the sidewalk, chatting about this and that, smiling at and acknowledging those walking by.  It is a good neighborhood for these polite exchanges.  

He asked if we were going to watch the "big game," referencing the Super Bowl.  In response, I explained we would not.  

 

Left unsaid was the primary reason: the National Football League and this particularly game are no longer solely about athletic competition.  A mix mash of political and "social justice" commentary overshadow the game.

A review of the print and on-line pieces leading up to the game and the Monday morning headlines on a variety of so-called news sites reveals the overwhelming number of articles were about either political or "social justice" issues, rather than the game itself.  Politically inspired commercials, the performer boycott of the half-time show, Kaepernick, the National Anthem, male cheerleaders, and even POTUS comments about the game received more print and on-line presence than the competition itself.  It was totally predictable.

And that is why I chose not to watch the game.  Setting aside the obscene amounts paid to the uniformed entertainers referred to as players, athletic competition should be about the sport, not everything or anything else.  

Certainly folks can use any platform they choose to peacefully protest or advocate.  Just as I can choose not to be subjected to their protests or commentary.  Unfortunately for the NFL, it has been captured as the primary sports based platform for such protests and commentary.  And the players, teams, and NFL management have done a very poor job controlling it.  So it was an easy decision not to watch either the NFL or the Super Bowl.

One might even quip that NFL now stands for Non Football Lecturing.  

Thank you, no!  I watch sports to be entertained by the athletic competition, not be lectured to.  

Update: Looks like I wasn't the only one. Check this report.