Fall

 Fall

They always know whats best for you
Something better than what you chose
They say they only want what's best for you
But they've never worn your clothes

Tonight we're going to wish them well
With our own special dance
Tonight we're magic in a witch's spell
Boldly moving and embracing chance

Come see the dawn with me
Take a breath with me
And may we never see the dark alone
Steeped in sunlight
Against the odds we fight
May we never see the dark alone

 They say we've reached the top
And all that's left is the fall
They say we've got to stop
But they've never dreamed so tall

We've set course for tommorow
The anchor's been raised
We've set course for tomorrow
For the best of our days

Come see the dusk with me
Take in the stars with me
See that we are never all alone
Beauty of the starlight
Take in this night
See that we are never all alone

The Changing of Football in America

Solar-Powered Stadium Lights in New York

Football is my favorite sport.

I don't make any bones about it.  I think it's the most creative game for the mind as well as one of the most physically challenging.

Today's game does not resemble the 70's, 80's, 90's and has been in a state of rapid evolution.  Today's players are bigger, faster, stronger and smarter.  Players are now asked to recognize offenses and defenses in a matter of seconds and to make adjustments accordingly.

The game has changed from a strategy standpoint as well.  Where as before, the prevailing wisdom had been that running the ball and defending the run were the most important factors in winning a game, it has shifted to a pass first type approach.

To compare LeSean McCoy to Barry Sanders, or Barry to Jim Brown is a falsehood because the game has been in constant flux.  You may be able to compare strictly by athletic ability, but athletic talent is just part of being a football player.

 Today as we look at the game, the violence surrounding the sport is becoming less and less prevalent due to more protection rules for quarterbacks who play the most vulnerable position that was not a kicker or punter.  (Rules had been established to protect them)  Helmet to helmet contact, spearing, and 'launching' are now being taken out of the game as much as possible.

Strategically, the game has also been impacted by a new philosophy of an uptempo offense, which tires the defense as well as inhibits their ability to substitute.  Offensive play calls are not limited to just the one called by the coach, as the quarterback is now responsible for recognizing what defense has been put on the field and can make a call to get the team out of one play and into another.  Most of it in such a specific code that anyone not versed in football jargon would believe to be non-sense.

The defense now uses a myriad of different defenses to confuse the offense, switching their personnel to different positions in an effort to gain an advantage via confusions and bluffing.

The rules and evolution of the sport now dictate that going for it on 4th down has great advantages, and while at the High School level, there is a coach who NEVER punts, you can see the trend now building at other schools in both the College and NFL games as well.

As I watch these changes take place, I become excited about the game and the direction the game could take.

But then there is the other side.  The business side.

The popularity of the sport has reached an incredible point.  The combined worth of the NFL is estimated to be around 30 billion dollars.  Most college teams have an estimated value of somewhere in the 100 to 200 million dollar range, with larger programs such as Michigan, Southern Cal, Notre Dame, Texas, and Florida valued at much more. 

It wouldn't be hard to imagine that the top High School teams in the country, are similarly valued highly and are supported by various businesses and boosters.  

Now discussion about football in the NFL will largely deal with salaries and keeping players happy or content with their role on a given team, rather than the team itself.  Players are looked at as commodities rather than human beings, given an estimated value based mostly on their performances in the past.

This detracts from the game itself, as money now dictates on some level many different aspects of the game.  The game is literally paused at moments for the television broadcast, allowing for momentum to be interrupted in various ways, including the dissipation of crowd noise and adrenaline.

The analysis of the game itself has suffered as well, though this has more to do with the quality of journalism within 24 hours news networks.  Because a network such as ESPN or NBC sports are so desperate to keep the news fresh, they broadcast information with minimal reflection as to whether or not the story is actually relevant.  For their business model, it is more important that continually fresh information and programming comes out rather than thought out analysis.

 I believe that the current direction of football is such that in the future it will be either less violent, with more rules to protect players or rule changes to encourage less violent play.  I believe sponsorship will continue to become more and more visible. 

Further, I believe the players will continue to become stronger and faster. As training methods improve as well as at the continued evolution of our genetic make-up, I believe that records for 40 times, bench press, and other athletic measurables will continually be broken over time.  The problem may be that as strength and speed improve, I worry that our ability to sustain damage to our bones and stretch our joints may have reached a limit.

I'm still excited as ever about the game, yet as more and more hands get into the proverbial football 'pot', I worry that the game will be enjoyed by less and less people in the stands, who pay a pretty penny to watch the games, for food and drink, merchandise and more.  That the game might be altered to attract more ratings rather than if it's good or not for the game itself.

I hope this is not the case, and in time the sport only evolves for the better.