Posts Tagged ‘football’
A Dad’s Jets Dilemma
In this clip, Rich Eisen discusses the New York Jets and their poorly timed win over the Los Angeles Rams. But he brings up something else that’s dad-related.
Eisen’s son asked him if he was upset about the win, and while he was indeed (because this means they probably won’t get the number one pick) he felt like he should say something else. Namely that the win was great because it showed character. The team didn’t take defeat lying down. Talking about running back Frank Gore, Eisen said, “I’m a hall of famer and I don’t want 0-16 on my resume.” (Paraphrasing.)
But he’s a Jets fan. And he needs to teach his son a different lesson. Namely, that the Jets stink and will always hurt you, no matter what.
See also: Mike Francesa Says Parents Should Relax About Fandom
See also also: Raising Kids To Be Fans Of Perpetually Poor Sports Teams
Garrett Gilbert’s Father Gale Gilbert Was A Quarterback, Too
Garrett Gilbert’s father, Gale Gilbert, was a quarterback too. It’s another case of father and son quarterbacks.
From Wikipedia:
Gale Reed Gilbert is a former American football quarterback who played eight seasons in the NFL for the Seattle Seahawks, Buffalo Bills, and the San Diego Chargers. Gilbert is the only player in NFL history to be on five consecutive Super Bowl teams, none of which won.
Wikipedia
Bit of a specious claim to fame there, but hey, it’s better than nothing.
He was also a part of The Play:
He played for Cal.
Garrett, of course, is currently the quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys because everyone else is injured. Maybe he’ll win one someday. I’m sure his dad will be proud either way. Sports dads are proud of their kids even if they stink, and Gilbert just had a decent debut for (cough) “America’s team.” Following in dad’s footsteps is a nice thing. Playing in the NFL when you weren’t expecting to do so is even better.
NFL Should Not Be Convincing Parents To Let Kids Play Football
This article from ESPN about the state of the NFL under Roger Goodell had a line that made me go “hmm”.
“How it will convince mothers that their kids should be allowed to play football.”
So… no.
First, is this article suggesting that fathers have no say in their children playing football? Or that fathers are throwing their children onto the gridiron whether they like it or not? I don’t think so. Can we at least start saying “parents” instead of “mothers” unless we’re talking about breast-feeding?
Second, and this is my main point — how the hell is it the NFL’s job to convince parents to “let” their kids play football? Answer: it isn’t. I suppose the idea here is that to keep a fresh supply of players in the pro league you need kids playing pee-wee football. (Pee-Wee!) To me, the NFL’s job is to make sure parents are informed about the dangers of playing football, and then parents can make their own decisions. If nothing else, the NFL shouldn’t be PREVENTING that information from coming to light, something they have almost certainly done.
Really though, is it the NFL commissioner’s job to “convince mothers that their kids should be allowed to play football“? Fuck no.
Related articles (Note: These are offsite links; DaddyTips takes no responsibility for outside content.)
Tom Coughlin Steps Down As Giants Head Coach
Tom Coughlin has announced that he will step down as head coach of the New York football Giants. In part, he said this was the right decision for his family.
Image Credit: Wikipedia
Coach Coughlin, with Eli Manning as quarterback, led the Giants to two Super Bowl wins, both over the Patriots, the first one ruining New England’s perfect season. You know, the one with the David Tyree helmet catch:
It would’ve been nice to see Tom go out on a higher note, but things don’t always work out that way. I think most Giants’ fans would agree that he had a good run. I know I do. I wish him well and hope he gets plenty of time to enjoy his grandchildren.
Tom Coughlin released a statement Monday, and will step down as head coach of the Giants
Source: Statement from Tom Coughlin (Giants.com)
Related articles (Note: These are offsite links; DaddyTips takes no responsibility for outside content.)
Demaryius Thomas’ Mom Will See Him Play in the NFL for the First Time This Week
Denver Broncos Wide Receiver Demaryius Thomas’ mom will see play in the NFL for the first time this week. Why does this matter? Well, it’s a nice story. It’s also one of the rare times that parenting and fantasy football intersect. Since I do both of those things, I had to write about it.
Stay with me. There’s a point here. I promise.
English: Demaryius Thomas, a player on the Denver Broncos American football team. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
From FantasyPros.com:
Thomas will face the worst secondary in the NFL and will be playing with a little more on the line. Peyton Manning is fully aware that this will be the first time Thomas’ mother will see him play in a professional football game, and he will make it a special day. I am going bold here in predicting two touchdowns for Thomas this weekend.
Emphasis added.
I will admit that my heart likes the analysis. Read more »
Mixed Feelings About James Harrison And Participation Trophies (UPDATED)
NFL player James Harrison does not believe in participation trophies. Even if they’re for his own kids.
James Harrison and coach Keith Butler can be see in the background. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Via ProFootballTalk:
Anyone who’s ever watched Steelers linebacker James Harrison play football knows that he’s an intense competitor who wants to win at all costs. So perhaps it shouldn’t be surprising that Harrison is passing along that intense competitiveness to his sons.
That’s a good, but imperfect, description of what Harrison did. Here’s the post from Harrison’s Instagram:
In general I agree with the notion that we have gone too far in the direction of “attaboy” awards for children and for adults. So while at first I might be inclined to join the chorus of “yay! Go James Harrison!”, in this specific case I think returning the trophies puts Harrison’s kids in an uncomfortable situation socially. Granted, their father is a professional football player, and a well-known one at that. (He’s not Tom Brady or Peyton Manning, but most NFL fans know who James Harrison is.) That makes it easier. And I would never presume to tell someone that they should go against their personal family values, even if that person isn’t someone who can throw me across a room with his pinkie. (That doesn’t mean I think people can beat their kids, or do other harm to their children in the name their individual “family values”.)
However. In this specific case, everyone gets a trophy. I admit those trophies look a lot bigger than the crappy ones that we got “just for playing” when I was young. But youth sports often have a participation trophy, or certificate of completion, or something along those lines. This analogy isn’t perfect, but if a player is injured, he still gets paid, right? The backup quarterback of a Super Bowl winning team still gets a ring, even if he never played a single down. (I know the analogy isn’t perfect. If you have a better one, let me know and I’ll post it.)
Maybe you’re a good player on a crappy team. In my case, I was a crappy player on a great team, at least my first year in youth baseball. The team was so good we won the championship. I didn’t do much to contribute, but I got a HUGE trophy. Should I have given it back because I didn’t do enough to earn it?
This is in no way a commentary on James Harrison’s parenting skills. (And not only because he could hurt me if he wanted to.) I don’t know what kind of father Mr. Harrison is, and I’m glad to see that he is, at minimum, an involved one. But while I agree that “sometimes your best is not enough, and that should drive you to want to do better” I’m not sure it follows that participation trophies are given out because kids “cry and whine until somebody gives you something to shut u [sic] up and keep you happy.” That certainly wasn’t the case when I played, nor was it the case when my own children played.
The truth is, part of life IS about showing up. Maybe the answer lies somewhere in between. Kids who never missed a game or a practice without a legitimate medical reason get a trophy, while kids who only bothered to show up every other game get bupkis. That won’t happen, but it would be a happy medium.
UPDATE: Albert Burneko wrote a piece on this topic for Deadspin that is less restrained than mine. (H/T Whit Honea.)
Source: James Harrison won’t let his sons accept participation trophies (ProFootballTalk)
