They're playing a football game in Kansas City Sunday.
They shouldn't. It's so inappropriate and unseemly.
I disagree with my friend, Lowell Cohn of the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat who says the game should be played.
By now you know the story. It's sad and tragic. Jovan Belcher of the Kansas City Chiefs shot and killed his girlfriend--the mother of his three-month-old child, and then, less than an hour later, shot and killed himself--at the Chiefs facility right in front of his coach and GM.
God knows how the families are dealing with this. I can't imagine how Belcher's players are dealing with this. And they're supposed to play a football game the day after? Something is wrong with our society. Seriously now...
No, the show must not go on. Not today. Maybe in a few days. What happened with common sense?
I'll talk about this tonight on the radio show with Lowell at 9 PM, PT.
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NFL FOOTBALL is a business, first and foremost. People in every line of work commit suicide. So it has been true for all history. Would we stop any other business because a worker commits suicide? really?
ReplyDeleteI'm also wondering why few pondering the QB 49ers issue don't just look at the contract math about "starting qb's" It explains a lot, sans emotion.
Agreed. Let's not forget that this dude was also a killer. Does BART stop service for days after some poor soul decides to jump on the tracks? Noo! This cowardly killer deserves to be ignored. Play the game!!!
DeleteThat football game is more than the NFL's business: it's the rent money for the low-paid stadium staff, the life blood of the local restaurants and bars, the pay-off for the broadcast media's investment in staff and equipment, the big event of the week for the fans. Canceling a game has major ramifications, thus the reason for it must be so compelling as to be beyond question.
ReplyDeleteNFL players are big, tough men. They should be expected to soldier on despite this isolated tragedy, the same way our police and firefighters always soldier on after losing one (or more) of their own.
Let 'em play. Organization, union and league reles prevail in the interest of business. Unfortunately, that's life. If team members chose not to play over the incident, that would be their call and rightfully so. If the coaching staff decided not to show up, their call. The fans, TV, radio, sponsors still decide to play, so, let 'em.
ReplyDeleteIt's a business, but it's a "game." This is so very tragic, yet, the result of the most selfish, murderous acts possible. What could have been done? Nothing. Life goes on.
Even if it was the team quarterback and not some virtual unknown, the respect owed is to the families of those involved, not spread to the masses who had nothing to do with the outrage involved.
It's like war. People get killed everyday. People commit suicide. War still goes on. There's not a day of mourning because someone in a platoon or unit died. War is hell. Football is hell. War and battle go on.
If it was a national tragedy, different story.
Team killed as in the Cal Poly plane crash of 1960 which prevented coach John Madden from ever stepping on an airplane again, different story.
It's a game in a business of greed.
Sad, tragic and a time from counseling and wonder why. Let the game go on. Participate by choice. Emotion and feeling understood.
http://keepingscore.blogs.time.com/2012/12/02/how-the-kansas-city-chiefs-and-nfl-are-coping-with-tragedy/
ReplyDeleteThis about says it. From the Kansas City Star.
Admire those with the courage to keep life moving on, and think more of people in your life before a tragedy occurs.
Remember, somewhere today in some city, someone will die -- by murder of suicide -- over bad bets made in a football game, domestic violence will occur -- most we'll never hear of. No one said life was perfect. Our thoughts with those many now affected, especially that little baby who will carry this burden for the rest of her life.
I think..its like damning of the coach-Crennel. That he had a man "thank him"..then take a gun and kill himself right before the coach's eyes. It makes me wonder whats wrong with Lovell to go on the next day as if nothing had happened. The media should rip Crennel as worst example of a coach..and person.
ReplyDeleteI meant Crennel where Lovell is written. And it does sound so cold of the man. But-he won today- and that's all it takes to make what he did "heroic". I don't get our culture sometimes.
DeleteI agree with you it should not have been played. You know sometimes you have to remember that it's still a stupid game. It's unbelievable that people are thinking that money and business is more important than someones life.... Shameful
ReplyDeleteHey, I thought KGO was broadcasting 49'er games? Did I miss something because they are certainly not one today. Oh well....
ReplyDelete@11.02 Madden used to take chartered flights with the rest of the Raider team when he coached them. It was only after he retired as head coach that he stopped getting on planes.
ReplyDeleteThey killed John Kennedy: and they played the GAMES on SUNDAY. After 11/22/1962. REST IN PEACE.
ReplyDelete