Is it Just a Game?

It’s just a game! But is it just a game?

For some, it is a passing fancy, and for others, it is just a way to get by after dealing with the monotony of everyday life. But more so, It is a reason to come together with friends, enjoy a couple of drinks, BBQ, and catch up with what’s new in life. It is a way of bringing loved ones closer together.

For young children, playing in the streets having to yell, “Car!”, whenever one was coming near, and pretending to be their favorite player, mimicking their signature moves or end zone dances, it is so much more! It is a way to create friendships that can last a lifetime, even if it is built off of a rivalry. It is a way to prove oneself and earn respect among their peers.

Lovers of the game eagerly await the words of their favorite coach or favorite player to give their version of the game or just to hear some words of encouragement. They purchase team memorabilia, and decorate the walls of their homes, even their bodies, their yards, and adorn their vehicles in team colors. The pigskin brings out the best and the worst in people. It is a rollercoaster of emotion. It is a time for cheering when you are winning, and time to be angry when losing.

Football means building memories.

My fondest memory of the game comes from a young age. I was probably around three years of age, and I was sitting with my grandparents, watching some people dressed in colorful uniforms on TV, running around, throwing what believed to be a brown watermelon, and running into each other, grunting, growling, snarling, and wailing. I would wonder why on Earth was my grandparents were acting that way. They would be clamoring and jumping out of their seats, sneaking out seldom-used curse words. It was so intriguing, and that’s when I began to fall in love with the game.

As time went on, I’m now, 6 or 7, I would play the game with the kids from the neighborhood and began establishing friendships that withstand the test of time. As I reached adulthood, the game had morphed into its less physical form – drinking pitchers with the Buds and watching the game with other people whose journey ultimately brought them to the same inevitability, proving that “not all those who wander are lost.”

Football is quintessential.

To say that football is just a game implies that it has no significance or relevance. However, for professional athletes, football is a process, something they have worked towards their entire lives. They give their minds, bodies, and souls, to the game, and in some cases, even give their lives. But for a lot of players, it is more than just a livelihood; it is a career.

They have the chance to perform feats that can be reflected upon for generations, a chance to be a role model and a champion on and off the field, a chance to help someone else’s life become, and a way to provide for their families.