Football the Fast Way

We watched the Rose Bowl today. We watch "Pat's way" which means that he DVR's the game and then we start watching it when it's about halfway through in real time. That way he speeds through the commercials and all the talkie-talk from the commentators on the sidelines, in the booth and behind the duck who does push ups every time Oregon scores. We skip half-time altogether. It's actually not so painful for me to watch a game if done this way.

I don't like football. It's too violent and reminds me too much of ancient Rome when the gladiators slaughtered Christians and animals for sport in front of packed coliseums. But as depicted in movies, we maybe could have recognized the fighters and their victims while football players remain nearly anonymous in their Star Wars-looking uniforms. I always think of the players' mothers as they are being twisted and pounded on the field while shouts of, "Get him! Kill him!" are roaring around the stadium. And when the game is delayed for injury, I don't like it when the cameras swoop down for a close look at the injured player sort of like driving by road kill. Then I am panting with anxiety for the player and his poor mother who is watching with both pride and horror.

When I was young, I refused on principle to watch football. I had all sorts of lofty reasons for not "wasting my time" on such aggressive, violent exploitation of players, colleges and fans of all ilk. I watch it once in a while now just because I can sit there and knit, be with my husband, and eventually doze off to the rattle-rattle white noise of the commentators. I sort of understand the game but am still way too much put off by all the noise, commercialism and violence of this American cultural rite of some sort of passage that the fans and participants somehow never manage to get through.

And why is it now called the "Discover Orange Bowl" rather than the "Orange Bowl" as sponsered by Discover? Sounds like Wall Street has a big hand in this activity too.

Maybe I'll provide my views about professional basketball sometime soon. I watch lots of Trailblazer games and have views about this "sport" as well.