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- The Greatest Show On Turf
I was only seven in 1999, but I can still remember the first time I ever watched a National Football League (NFL) game. It was a bright, clear, crisp Sunday afternoon; the time was 12:00. We had just gotten back from church and were fixing lunch. I can still remember my dad and me sitting in front of the living room TV, watching Marshall Faulk, as hejuked everybody on the field. He seemed to be able to stop on second and the next second he would have accelerated to his top speed as if it were nothing. Almost everybody has watched some or all of a professional football game, like the game I saw, and for awhile it was a high contact sport. But the game has changed a great deal since that first time I saw Marshall and the champions Rams. There have been so many rule changes that the game has started to slow, players a not playing the game naturally, and outcomes of game have been determined differently. If the NFL keeps changing the rules, it will eventually lead to contactless, slower, less marketable NFL. Which intern will lead to the nonexistence of the NFL.
Some individuals such as Dr. Ann McKee, an associate professor of neurology and pathology at Boston University, think the rule changes are beneficial to the game because the rules are more specific and safer for the players on the field. But there are two problems with that. The first one is, every time a rule is put into place players have to think more about tackling because they have to make sure that they abiding by the rule.This may seem like an easy feat, but when players aretraveling at high speeds andonly have a few seconds to: recognize the play, hit the player and remember all thenew rules, it is defiantly not. Ray Lewis was quoted saying “when I came in the game was played with one motto: by any means necessary. Now, 15 years later, there are just too many rules” (King). Also, a rule has been established that when a defensive player is trying to tackle the quarterback he can't drive him to the ground anymore I know that from when I started playing football in 5th grade that my couches have to me to do those things. So, of course it goes against everything that you are taught and your instincts so you have to stop for a split second. Also, “this puts more stress on the quarterbacks because one more thing is added to their pre-snap repertoire. When it comes to getting ready for the snap, the quarterback now must take into account that the umpire, is now behind him, and is in his new position 15 yards deep” (Cox), which causes a lot more penalties. The second problem with all the new rule changes is deciding what do tell the younger non professional players. If it is already difficult for professional players to remember all the new rules, then it will unquestionably be even more difficult for players in peewee through high school and even college to remember all the rule so that are able to play the game. This could cause parents to decide not to even put their children into the game of football. Thus, this would stop players from growing up and playing football from childhood all the way up to adulthood.
You may think that because the new rules that were put into place are more precise and are more protective that the game would run more smoothly and the game would be shorter. However , that is far from the case. The game is actually longer because there are so many new rules, and there are now more penalties that can be enforced during the game.Thus, the game will inevitably be longer then before because with every penalty the clock has to stop. As someone who watches a lot of football I know that the game does not need to be any longer. The game already gets a three hour spot on TV. Witch, most of the time the game goes past the allotted time. I love football but when the games start to reach the five to six hour range, I just cannot watch it anymore.I think most fans, even the casual ones, can agree that NFL football games can seemingly go on forever (Wilson).And like me many people that watch football are not going to want to watch the game for that long.Peyton Manning says “"If we had this rule last year,'' Saturday night, "there's no way we catch up in that New England game. We were down, what, 21 points in the fourth quarter?”(King ). He is basically is saying that without the new rule changes the game would not have been as long.
Many people including Dr. McKee say that all the rule changes will protect the players because it will produce a game of football were there isless injuries. However, drawing form my own experience,now that the game is so much longer, there is no way that can be true.Usually, the longer a game goes on the more exhausted players tend to get. When players started to get exhausted, they start to lose focus of the game. Then the players begin to get sloppy. As a result of being sloppy you start to lose focus and may not see a player on the other team getting ready to knock you in to the ground.What that means isthere is now a greater probability that a playerwill get injured while playing. So, indeed, the rules do actually make the game less safe despite the fact that the rules were put into place so that players would be safer.
Yes, it is true that the players will have a hard time remembering all the new rule changes. It is also true that the changes create more penalties to be called during the game. Also, it true that because of the penalties that the game will be longer and the players will become more fatigued. And it is even true that because the players are more fatigued that they have a higher likelihood of getting injured. But what do all of these things mean. Well, they mean that the game of football will become a slow, contactless sport. Put best by Bryan Urlacher “It’s freaking football. There are going to be big hits, I don’t understand how they can do this after one weekend of hitting. And I can’t understand how they can suspend us for it. I think it’s a bunch of bull shit” (Brown).He then goes on that the NFL should be changed to the NFFL National Flag Football League. That shows the frustration of both players and fanatics alike. To most people the game is going in the wrong direction. This could cause fans to stop watching the game because they will not be able to see the high flying, amazing tackles that they all want to see. In addition, the players may quiet because they will not be able to make those plays. With everything happening the NFL will be non marketable with no players or fans and will cease to exist at all.
Works Cited
Brown, Larry. "Brian Urlacher: New NFL Hit Rules Are Bull****." Larry Brown Sports. 20 Oct. 2010. Web. 01 Nov. 2010. <Brian Urlacher: New NFL Hit Rules Are Bull****>.
Cox, By Danny. "Referee Positioning Rule Change Brings Big Problems for Quarterbacks (video) - National NFL | Examiner.com." Norfolk News, Norfolk Information, Norfolk Events - Examiner.com | Examiner.com. 29 Aug. 2010. Web. 03 Nov. 2010. <
King, Peter. "Peyton Manning Worried Newrule Will Slow down Hurry-up Offense - Peter King - SI.com." Breaking News, Real-time Scores and Daily Analysis from Sports Illustrated SI.com. 30 Aug. 2010. Web. 02 Nov. 2010 <
Wilson, Ryan. "NFL Wants Officials to Speed Games Along So Nobody Misses 60 Minutes -- NFL FanHouse." NFL Team News, Scores, Standings, Schedules, Stats & Transactions. 16 Nov. 2008. Web. 03 Nov. 2010. <
- The Steroid Era = Ratings?
In today’s world, we as a society are obsessed and mesmerized by the biggest and the best. We are enamored by the larger than life personalities and performances that we have become accustomed to in professional sports. However, over the last 20 years or so, it has been revealed that these larger than life athletes, have had a little help putting up these huge, video game-like numbers. Thus, The Steroid Era was born and would forever change the world of sports. But it seems that everyone has only looked at one side of this controversial issue. I believe that steroids and performance enhancers have actually been good for professional sports.
Now don’t get me wrong, I am in no way supporting athletes usage of PED’s (performance enhancing drugs) and steroids. They are illegal for a reason and can do a lot of harm to athletes bodies. But you cannot argue with the incredible rise in popularity of sports, specifically baseball during this Steroid Era.
But lets not forget what steroids were originally used for in professional sports. Back before steroid use became commonplace, when a player got injured, he was prescribed steroids to heal that particular injury. This actually is what helped spark the rampant use of steroids. It was so easy for athletes to get a hold of these illegal drugs and they knew of the results that these steroids could cause. That along with the knowledge that no sport tested for steroids at this time, made it a no-brainer for pro athletes to use PED’s and steroids as much as they wanted. And honestly, who could blame them? Professional sports are a cutthroat, only-the-strongest-survive, lifestyle and when it comes to staying on top and making a living, who can really blame them? When just about everyone is doing it and you have to keep up, I can completely understand why athletes chose to use steroids.
Really, there is one main reason that I feel the steroids are good for pro sports. What do most sports fans want? Longer home runs, harder hits, and records being broken. All of these are the exciting things that fans thrive on seeing and thanks to steroids, these things are becoming more common and bigger and better. Now, like I said before, I have no sympathy for athletes whose bodies fall apart due to incredible use of steroids because the know what their getting themselves into. Also I have no sympathy whatsoever for men like Barry Bonds and Roger Clemons. Except for the obvious reason, like lying about their steroid use, they are just overall horrible people. Bonds and Clemons both lied to a grand jury about their steroid use and Bonds even went as far as cheating on his taxes and on his wife. I in no way support that kind of behavior. If you are going to take steroids, if you get caught, be a man and live up too it.
The crazy thing is, I’m not just some crazy college kid who only thinks this is right. Brent Musburger, the play-by-play man for some of college football’s biggest games, has even said the same thing I am. “Here’s the truth about steroids, they work,” Musburger told The Missoulian. Musburger said that said that negative about steroids are mainly the fault of “journalism youngsters out there covering sports, who got too deeply involved in something they didn’t know too much about.” It seems that the opinion of steroids being good for pro sports isn’t so far-fetched after all.
When it comes to steroids being good for pro sports, there is no better example of this then the 1998 MLB season and the greatest home run chase of all time. In 1998, a juiced up Mark McGwire and an equally juiced Sammy Sosa captured a nation with their chase of Roger Maris’ 61 home runs. Even though at the time, no one knew that the two were on juiced, it did seem amazing the kinda numbers these two put up. There is no single better example of my point then this. Even though steroids were the single reason these two behemoths shattered the record, it still brought in record amounts of viewers and caused baseball to be as popular as ever. McGwire finished the season with 70 home runs and Sosa finished with 66, both shattering the record set by Maris’.
But it would just be three years later that, that record would be broken once again. Barry Bonds began the 2001 season on a tear. In the first 50 games of the season, he hit 28 home runs. In the month of May alone, Bonds belted 17 big flys. Bonds finished the season with 73homers. The game in which Bonds snapped McGwire’s 70 home run streak, was the one of the highest viewed games in the history of baseball games shown on ESPN.
Now you may be questioning, “what makes you think you know anything about this?” Well for pretty much my entire life, I’ve been a sports fan. But I wouldn’t consider myself just a causal sports fan, I am as passionate as they come. But I’m not just a fan, I’m a “student of the game.” I don’t just watch the action going on the field or court. I truly analyze all aspects of the game and probably notice a lot more than most. That’s why I’ve took an inkling to this trend of steroids in pro sports.
I cannot reiterate enough that I neither endorse or support steroid use in pro sports. I am a firm believer of earning your success and fame the right way. But from what I’ve told you now and from what you have seen yourself, you cannot argue that pro sports during this “Steroid Era” has been one full of great moments and record turnouts from millions and millions of fans around the world. Hopefully this alternative look into steroid use has opened your eyes to a different way of looking at other things in your life. Things aren’t always what they seem and there is no better example than pro sports and steroids.
- Looking Out for Your Neighbor – Effects of Urban Gardening
The trend of urban, window, or backyard gardening has grown in recent years due to the poor economy, and increasing interests in sustainability and local foods. Whatever the reason, this trend is based on a common-sense belief – eating locally or growing your own food cuts costs where, in this economy, no one has much to spare. Templin states this trend escalates due to aforementioned reasons, and additionally because of Michelle Obama’s influence with her example-leading vegetable garden. Though its popularity is not new, window gardening reached me only in the last year. I gain pleasure from growing bushes of herbs from my living room windows, and nurturing web-like tomato vines into strong tresses that relieve me from making trips to the grocery. While I’m happy to be on the local foods wagon, I cannot help but wonder what the underlying effects these backyard gardens might have.
Due to its sudden yet strong popularity, backyard gardening may have unforeseen effects on the economy. With so many suburban farmers skimping on the amount of produce they usually buy from the supermarket at peak season, one must wonder how these chain grocery stores are surviving. Any loss of profit, though perhaps small in this case, can significantly impact in the current economy. Right now, businesses strive to stretch their dollars and beat the economy. Therefore, it is important to consider how these stores shift their losses into gains. In order to discover these possible actions, one must determine the nature of the threat backyard gardening poses to supermarkets.
Backyard gardens, like farmers’ markets, create an alternative venue where people can acquire food. According to an editorial from Farmer’s Weekly, these farmer’s markets may not threaten grocery stores in terms of price, but they take lure customers away to buy produce elsewhere. Backyard gardens work in similar manner. Frequently, people grow in their backyards much of the produce – lettuce, cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, squash, onions – that they would usually buy at the grocery. While it is unlikely many suburban farmers are growing everything they need, the absence of their usual purchases can create losses in the produce departments of supermarkets during the growing season. While these losses may put large supermarket chains out of business, over time they can force them to try and make up for their losses.
When competitors are stealing business, large businesses typically take action by lowering prices. While this tactic may not have always been successful, in recent years the economy has caused consumers to shift their buying loyalties to whichever business has the best prices. One can see this tactic best illustrated just after a new Walmart has moved into town. According to Huang, after a Walmart opens, the surrounding businesses begin lowering their prices in order to compete with the cooperation. In this particular study, Walmart lowered its prices on dairy products below that of a competitor in order to set itself apart from the other markets. In general, this battle continues until one store has the lowest prices, and all the others either keep their own higher in order to stay in business or move elsewhere. The purpose of this tactic is to eliminate the competition, and it is possible supermarkets threatened by these new venues might use it to eliminate the cost-effective reasoning behind growing your own vegetables.