In the article “How I Learned to Love Football,” Felisa Rogers, a freelance writer, details the transformation from going from a high school student, who did not care about football, to an adult who now somewhat understands football and has formed numerous opinions about it. Rogers attributes the surprising conversion of the fact that her husband was such a big Green Bay Packers fan, explaining that because of her love for him she saw numerous of things that brought him happiness and comfort. She laid out the new-found love for football clearly by explaining “Football fandom is a source of comfort, common ground where one can meet with friends and rivals alike, an equalizing arena where your opinion is just as valid as the next guy’s, economics and expertise be damned.” For Rogers, football is not so much about winning or losing, as much as it is about the important role it plays in the lives of millions of people in this nation. In Rogers’ article, she used a personal experience to show her readers how she came about this new found comfort for football. However, this experience was not something that just came out of the blue on day, it seems that it took her a few years to accommodate to this sport. In addition to this article, I believe that when Rogers wrote about her personal …show more content…
“In school, I kept this distaste to myself; I didn’t want to be a complete pariah. I pretended to know what people were talking about when they brought up the Seahawks, and I engaged in sport-related activities that required minimal contact with the ball, such as being the scorekeeper for our middle school volleyball team.” When I had read this quote, I related to it instantly. I hated anything about sports. The only two sports I could talk about are basketball and
Over the past years, many will say that football has become America’s new pastime, taking over our weekends for almost half of the year. Fans travel from all over the country to see their favorite college or professional teams play, and once the football season is over, the countdown clock for the first game of fall begins. There are many positive aspects to the sport, and the fans and players love it, but in John McMurtry’s “Kill ‘em, Crush ‘em, Eat ‘em Raw”, the reader is introduced to a side of football that some have not seen, and many choose to ignore. McMurtry believes that the game of football has become one of people just wanting to hurt other people and too many injuries are occurring to justify the fun
The Odessa football players couldn't be objective about criticisms of football. Their total self-esteem depended on how they did on Friday night. This was the glorified culmination of their football career: wearing the black MoJo uniform in the stadium under the big lights. Football was more than just a game to them; it was a religion. It "made them seem like boys going off to fight a war for the benefit of someone else, unwitting sacrifices to a strange and powerful god" (Bissinger, p.11). Because football was so meaningful in their lives, to criticize it was to criticize everything they'd worked so hard for and lived for.
Obsession is something that gets thrown around a lot, to describe the way someone may feel about something. Obsession can be described by the fans of Odessa as it relates to its high school football team, so much so it is unhealthy. Sustaining the ambitions of not only themselves but the alumni and town of Odessa, Texas is a lot to ask from a young adult. There is a continuous pattern in Friday Night Lights that passion is not always a good thing. The town’s expectations of the team cause the school personnel and coaches to sacrifice the players’ overall wellbeing in return for a successful football team. Although the town of Odessa is unified and sustained by its love of Texas High School Football, Friday Night Lights provides insight into how damaging a fans obsession can be.
Abstract: High school football in the state of Texas has become out of control. The sport is no longer played for the sake of the school but rather has become a Friday night ritual to these small towns in Texas. The players are no longer just high school kids inter acting in school sports but have now become heroes to these small town communities. Communities simply no longer support their local high school team but rally in pride of their hometown rivalry against another team. School administrators and coaches no longer are teachers and mentors for the kids but are the equivalent to what in professional football are team owners and "real coaches". Parents have become agents and sacrifice their jobs and homes so that their child may play for the right team. Finally the fans, the fans have lost the sense that it is just a high school sport and changed the game to a level of professional sports. I plan to prove and show that for all these reasons Texas high school football has become out of control. It is no longer the game that it was originally meant to be.
American Football is a huge spectator sport where offensive and defensive players will use teamwork and perseverance to try and score more points than their opponent. Football is highly respected in America, where boys will try and pursue the dream of playing in the NFL (National Football Association) someday; but if you look at an average neighborhood, you will find that kids and adults of all ages love to go out and throw around the pigskin. (Lerner and Lerner 275). One thing Americans will take pride in is the college and NFL football teams they root for. People sit down with a beer and talk hours upon hours of football and two individuals can get in a heated discussion in the local sports store of whose sports team is better. Surprisingly enough, one will find the most passionate football players at the high school level. Most boys will start their football career as a young child in football programs such as Pop Warner to get a foothold and to get those involved in teamwork and friendships. These programs are usually the start to someone falling in love with the sport and making it a career choice eight years later. Football is one of America’s favorite sports. When fall season comes around, people across America are placing bets, finding out where that new sports bar is, and buying wide screen T.V’s to watch NFL on Sundays. After their team plays, they will go out and reminisce what happened that Sunday. While thousands of fans are still pumped from the NFL games they watched; small towns across America are getting ready to shut down their shops and restaurants to have the chance to make it to the local high schools football game. Ray Glier, a reporter for the New York Times, writes about football in the small town of Appala...
In America, football is no longer a sport but is engraved into our culture. According to SoftSchools.com, a website containing informative information on multiple subjects, The National Football League was established in 1920, quickly becoming the most watched sports league in the U.S. (“Football”). The league is composed of thirty-two teams, competing each year with the intent to play in the Super Bowl for a chance to win the Vince Lombardi Trophy (“Football”). The Super Bowl is the most watched television program in the U.S., averaging 113 million viewers each year (“Football”). With so many people watching this sport the annual revenue of the NFL is approximately nine billion dollars (“Football”). In contrast, baseball is considered to be the American sport, however, the annual revenue is only 7.2 billion dollars (“Football”). Football has now passed many sports in popularity in the United States being the favorite of thirty-five percent of all Americans (“Football”). The sport is appealing to many because the physical aspect to the game is exhilarating and keeps the fans entertained. However, the physical nature of the sport may cause the popularity but also can make the game dangerous.
Growing up, from the time I started my first day of class until walking across my hometowns football field to receive my diploma I never had thought that I let something define the person that I have become today. However, being presented with this essay I have come to the realization that football has defined me as a person. I don’t mean to say that the sport has had this much of an impact on me, I’d rather like to think that the memories associated with the sport has made an everlasting impact on my life.
The roaring of the crowd on November 17 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC finally fell silent late in the fourth quarter after star linebacker Luke Kuechly was slow to get off the field after a huge hit to the head. American’s live to be entertained, and the football field is one of the main sources of enjoyment for many. Immediately after Kuechly’s hit, it was quiet in the stadium for the first time that day. The fans watched in fear, waiting to see if their star player could finish the game and bring out the win. However, they all became disappointed as Kuechly shed tears while being carted off the field, not because they were worried about the player and his head but because they feared about losing the game. Americans want excitement,
Football is more than just a contact sport. What are often disregarded are the benefits that come from the game. The life lessons that young players learn when playing this game are irreplaceable. It molded me a young man into a wholesome human being. One who applies what he learned in football to the outside world. Football has taught me a lot about myself as well as responsibilities in the work
Football is a game of adversity and emotion. People who have not played a sport or follow one closely don’t understand the emotion behind game. They think that football is just a game, but for those who are involved with the team don’t think so. All those horrendous hours of countless preparation are for something players and coaches love. About a few years ago, a football player at the collegiate level was told that he wouldn’t be able to play another down of football again due to his banged up h...
Everyone feels the need to belong. Some people find the answer to fulfill that need in sports. In the United States, the go-to sport is football. Following one’s hometown team or childhood NFL team through the regular season, playoffs, and hopefully, the Super Bowl has become a staple for today’s culture. Whether or not their favorite team makes it to the big Super Bowl game, they still find themselves cheering on one of the teams competing. T...
The athlete and really the sport overall I chose to focus on throughout the course of this paper is the football player and the mindset in which he operates, while in what seems to become his natural environment and other factors which may alter that mindset in a positive or negative way. Having experience as a football player from my youth until present day helps to really analyze the mindset and thinking of this specific athlete and express through experiences my thoughts and feelings concerning my research found. Paul Bear Bryant a very well-known and respected coach for many years in the college football world once said, “When you make a mistake, there are only three things you should ever do about it: admit it, learn from it, and don’t repeat it.” This quote is an excellent example of football psychology and the type of thinking a football player must have, which is also helpful to have off the field. Mistakes are going to happen, learn from them and get better. Football is all about training the mind, which alters the behavior on the field.
The values of sports can influence the way people view themselves and others. Being part of a team creates a bond between teammates that can last a lifetime. Also, enduring the criticism of the coaches distills proper direction and discipline that you would likely not learn off the field. In “The Real New York Giants”, the author, Rick Reilly, writes about how a football team of firefighters lost many teammates and friends due to the attacks on September 11th, 2001 on the Twin Towers, and how the bonds and closeness of that group helped them to keep playing football and honor their fallen friends whom they became so close with through the sport (**insert beginning pg #). While in this certain circumstance, the importance of sports does not affect the performance of the players in their everyday life, there are instances where the sports overtake other aspects of life and could become dangerous for the player.
For as long as I can remember football has been a part of my life in some way, shape, or form. When I was first born my grandfather said that I was solid and built to play football. I used to throw the football with my mother when I was a toddler and she always told me that when I tried to tackle her I hit really hard. My first organized football experience was when I was five. I had just moved to Manassas, VA from Washington, D.C. in 1994. It was around fall and that was right at the beginning of football season in the area. I remember telling my mother that I wanted to play, so she looked for a local organization for children. She came across the Greater Manassas Football League (GMFL) and that is where I began to play the game I love.
American Football is not merely a sport, its a culture. In the south football is in some ways a lifestyle. From the rivalries to the championships its truly one of the most exciting sports to have ever been created. This is why I love it so much, it is much more than just a game it has a much deeper meaning to it. From the outside looking in, many people do not fully realize the impact it has on each and every player throughout its history. Football has made me who I am today.