December 3, 2012
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"Manning Up" after a death.....
The Kansas City Chiefs Professional Football Team was faced with a tragedy on Saturday.
One of their stalwart linesman did the unthinkable. He shot his girlfriend, went to the training facility, spoke with the general manager and coach, thanked them for their help in his career and then shot himself.
This tragedy has so many victims. His mother who was there when he shot the girlfriend, the 3 month old child that is now an orphan, the girlfriend, the men who experienced watching this troubled young man take his life, those who looked up to him as a role model and leader, and of course, the young man himself.
Which brings up this idea: Should the Chiefs played their game on Sunday?
Obviously, from a financial point of view, it made sense. The Chiefs have had a lousy season and they are having trouble filling the stands which is how the bills are paid. Rescheduling would have been a nightmare and trying to get sufficient workers for concessions, etc. would have been difficult. Their opponent, the Carolina Panthers also had a vested financial interest in this, and let's not forget that when you play on TV you get paid big.
A sportswriter from Kansas City editorialized that it was scandalous to play the day after the deaths. His reasoning was that this cheapened the lives of the player and of victims of domestic violence. This, I think, was a brave stand to take.
Another national sportswriter waxed on about the culture surrounding football and how it teaches young men and boys to "man up", cover up their emotions and just tough things out. After all, football players are supposed to be the toughest guys around.
Bob Costas, nationally known sportswriter and sports "celebrity" took to the air at halftime of the game denouncing the gun culture and the violence around it. Costas is being roundly thumped by those who cannot seem to see guns and danger in the same scene. (In the interest of transparency, I am a gun owner and I can use guns safely.)
The players stopped for a moment of silence prior to the game in memory/honor of domestic violence victims. Then they went out on the field and performed acts of legalized (and highly paid) violence.
Football is a violent sport. The fans enjoy the speed and they enjoy the hits. This is not likely to change anytime soon, unless the prevalence of concussions finally and completely kills off the sport, and that is highly unlikely.
Death is a curious thing and the response of those affected by it is also a curious thing. Getting back in the routine of life does seem to help a person get through the difficult time right after a death. But when is too soon?
Was it fair to expect these men to go out and do battle on the field (an image widely used and promoted by those who talk about football) so soon after the death of their friend? I imagine that the discussion will go on for some time about this.
One commentator mentioned that being tough guys means that you can never show your soft side.
Apparently, on Sunday, the Kansas City Chiefs showed the world how very tough they are.
Comments (3)
Play the game. Absolutely.
Remember number 59 in some sort of honoring way. No.
The wife, the target, in this tragedy is being swept away in the faux fame of a husband who accosted up her a heinous and infamous act. And then - rather than face justice of others, chose to justify himself through suicide.
If ever there was a time that showing "life goes on" matters, it would be in this instance. To give some measure of compassion to those who cared for Belcher - fine, acknowledge it in a moment of silence - but then keep his wife's visible every bit as long as his. It is the victims of domestic violence whose voices are the one's always hidden - some living, some dead. Bring those faces out onto the jumbotrons, along with those who silence them.
@BookMark61 - The teams did spend a moment in silence for the victims of domestic violence, but in the news reports, the woman's name is often absent. Our society still has a long way to go before women are treated not as chattel, but as people. It is sad.....
Yes, if this recent election showed me anything, it showed me that the road to eliminating racism and sexism from our society is much longer than I'd thought or hoped.
Love that you keep swinging! You're a strong/sharp woman.
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