Journal entry by Joanne Negstad — Aug 23, 2018
During the early years of MN Vikings Football I was a rabid fan. Those were the days of Fran Tarkenton and the Vikings losing at the Super Bowl. When we were living in Mohall our TV died early in a Saturday game. By the start of the 2nd half I'd had been downtown and purchased a new TV from Russ Stene, so I got to see the remainder of the game. Whenever the Vikings lost I went into a funk.
It took awhile but eventually it dawned on me that that kind of an emotional investment in a game with professional athletes made no sense. Joanne always enjoyed watching, her dad was a fan of sports, but didn't emotionally invest in the winning or losing. Gradually I quit watching.
With the revelation of the physical and mental toll of the game on the players, not to mention all the other issues with it, I concluded that it is an immoral enterprise. To seduce athletes to sacrifice their health for outrageous salaries seems morally bankrupt to me; a modern form of gladiators.
What about Joanne? With her usual steadiness she saw the logic in my argument, while concluding that it wouldn't matter if she enjoyed a game when it was convenient. Ah yes, the adult presence which I now miss.
Blessings,
Al
It took awhile but eventually it dawned on me that that kind of an emotional investment in a game with professional athletes made no sense. Joanne always enjoyed watching, her dad was a fan of sports, but didn't emotionally invest in the winning or losing. Gradually I quit watching.
With the revelation of the physical and mental toll of the game on the players, not to mention all the other issues with it, I concluded that it is an immoral enterprise. To seduce athletes to sacrifice their health for outrageous salaries seems morally bankrupt to me; a modern form of gladiators.
What about Joanne? With her usual steadiness she saw the logic in my argument, while concluding that it wouldn't matter if she enjoyed a game when it was convenient. Ah yes, the adult presence which I now miss.
Blessings,
Al
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