Ahhh.... Be Still, My Heart.....

There are many, many, many things in this world that can bestow happiness upon an individual. Sunshine, a cool breeze, the smell of bacon in the morning, closeness with friends and family, nieces and nephews thinking you're completely awesome, or if you're a young'n; getting to hang out with that cute girl who sits in the front row and hold her hand for the first time. I admit, all of those are wonderful things to experience, and have caused a smile or two to ruin the near constant furrowed brow and overall unpleasant look that I so enjoy displaying. BUT, nothing, and I do mean nothing compares to that wonderful pitter-patter sound of....

.....Steel cleats tearing into Astro-turf.

Yes, fellas and honeys, it is that time of year again. The time of year when Sunday actually does hold a form of significance and reverence in my life. It's pigskin time Baby! And yes, Mr. Williams, I AM ready for some football.

There may be some of you who wonder what the big deal is about football. Or maybe you have the jaded outlook about how the players are grossly overpaid or just a bunch of dudes who enjoy hurting people within the bounds of the law. And, you could be right on both counts. You have to put the money issue into perspective though. You can't just look at it as a guy who's getting paid $10 mil for 4 months worth of work. It's actually a year-round job. They have to stay in shape, which means constant workouts. Every year there are changes to the playbook that they have to memorize, and some coaches' playbooks have hundreds of mapped-out plays in them, and that helps discredit the "stupid meathead jock" myth.

You're probably still thinking that $10 mil is too much for even a year. Actors and actresses make far more, for a hell of a lot less work. Most movies take around 3 months to film, and there are a lot of people making around $20 mil, just for that one film. Some of them are:  Harrison Ford, Mel Gibson, Tom Hanks, Bruce Willis, Eddie Murphy, Tom Cruise, John Travolta, Nicolas Cage, Julia Roberts and Will Smith (who currently tops the list of highest paid actors). Now, in my estimation, guesstimation or whatever you want to call it, these folks will provide 90 to 120 minutes of entertainment for me to enjoy, once or if I'm lucky, twice a year. And if it's twice a year, then they got 20 mil for it. Professional athletes on the other hand, I'm crossing all lines between NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, and any of the others; well, they provide me with multiple MONTHS of entertainment. Granted, I only really pay attention to the NFL, which only gives me one game a week. And in that game the star player will make 300 grand or so. Well, Charlie Sheen makes around $850,000 per episode of "Two and a Half Men" which also only comes around once a week.

Anyhow, it just popped into my head that I'm not getting paid to promote professional sports, so I'm going to cut it short. If you find something entertaining, and are willing to pay to see it, there's a good chance that there are millions more out there that are just as willing. If someone knows they are helping to sell that product, they are going to want their deserved cut of it.

I know I probably haven't sold anyone on the awesomeness of football. Or why it's the most watched sport in the U.S. But think about it, which sport attracts the coolest and most expensive commercials?

At the very least, if you encounter someone watching a game of any sport, don't start spouting off about all the negative aspects of it. Just let it go. Sports are like soap operas to some of us. We have to know everything that is going on, every last bit of the juicy details, and we want to be able to pass it along, scene by scene to our friends the next day.

Well, I'm done rambling incoherently for now. Mostly because its time to go check ESPN's website.

Goodnight / good morning / or whatever.

Just go away.

-B-