Rick Reilly: 'Football getting harder to watch'

I agree with the larger point, but isn't someone in Reilly's position in a slightly different situation? Obviously he has a great deal of freedom in choosing what to write about, and if he thinks the human cost of football is that high, on some level it would make sense for him to say he just doesn't want to have any role in the whole enterprise any more. Sort of like Howard Cosell with boxing after the Tex Cobb/Larry Holmes fight.

 

This may have been addressed, but why? His argument is that the game is different (more violent and harmful) today for the players. That doesn't really affect the owners one way or another.

 

Reilly is using the ages of those owners to make his point, and at the same time ignoring players who lived to similar ages. Then LTL tries to tell us that we have to ignore data related to older players. Sorry, but it is bullshit to say you it is fine to include the ages some owners reach, but argue that nobody should use data on players approaching similar ages.

 

I await the column in which Rick Reilly despairs of listening to music because of all the drugs musicians do and meaningless, disease-spreading sex they have.

 

I don't think this is a particularly good column, but I also don't think there's anything wrong with a columnist expressing ambivalence about a sport he or she covers.

 

Rick Reilly is henceforth obligated to write this column about all fields, including those he doesn't get paid to cover?

It's also possible that Rick Reilly doesn't share your rigid, judgmental moral code.

 

Before anyone does anything, they should ask themselves, "What would Jesus do?" "How uncomfortable would this make Rick Reilly?"

 

Except when it doesn't ring sincere.

 

I think you read rigidity because I tire of the typical liberal bipolarity.

My point is simple: You want to hand-wring the football violence from afar? Fine. Do it. But let's not pretend this is only field in which talented people hurt themselves -- and each other -- because a culture has been built up. Richie Incognito and violence are the two easiest targets in the world right now. They're too easy. A more provocative column takes aim at why football players feel driven to live a certain kind of lifestyle, and how everyone's favorite rap artists lead them right to the trough.

 

You're right, that sounds like a perfect Rick Reilly column.