I watched a lot less football this season, and the football I watched, I watched with some misgivings. This summer, I read a bunch about CTE and how furiously the NFL attempted to blackball the researchers who first raised the alarm about head injuries in the NFL, and those readings made it hard to be a participant in a system in which people are asked to destroy their brains and their futures for my entertainment.
But I've also been a Pittsburgh Steelers fan for my whole life, and apparently that's a piece of my identity that I'm reluctant to give up. I watched the Steelers beat Miami (a game that included two brutal helmet-to-helmet hits by Steelers linebacker Bud Dupree on Miami quarterback Matt Moore) and I watched the Steelers beat Kansas City (a game that included Steelers safety Sean Davis' brutal helmet-to-helmet hit on Kansas City wideout Chris Conley). On Sunday, I will surely watch as the the Steelers play New England in the AFC Championship game.
Why am I telling you all this? As introduction to this.
I didn’t watch much football either, but mainly because I’m not much of a sports guy. I did however get to see the PR debacle orchestrated by the owners of the Chargers (my hometown team) in stringing the city and fanbase along for two years with the possibility of keeping the Chargers in San Diego, but then abruptly pulling the rug out and moving the team to LA.
I say good for San Diego for refusing to be bullied by the ownership. One hopes the day will come in which welfare for billionaires will be seen as the obscenity that it is.
Also, I would be more than pleased to see your Steelers beat the Patriots.