For the Love of the Game:

'Winning is not everything, but wanting to win is.'

Vince Lombardi

I loved sports when I was growing up, both playing them and watching them.  At different points in my life I played baseball, (in grade school) hockey, (in Jr. High) and basketball. (in High School) Although I loved playing, I didn't have the passion to win that Lombardi references in the above quote. I enjoyed the process, most of my teammates were annoyed that although I wanted to win, I didn't especially care when we didn't.

The one sport I had little to no interest in however, was football.  In part it may have been that I came from a 'hockey' family, but I think more, it may have been assumptions about the players and the game. Every sport of course, even less aggressive sports like golf and synchronised swimming, is competition based, with winning the goal.  Football however, always seem more about beating, than winning, bashing the life and spirit out of opposing team.  There was an animistic element of masculinity which always turned me off.  I saw this in hockey as well, but never as intensely, nor as intrinsically a part of the game.  Good hockey coaches didn't promote it, as it' unpredictability, didn't usually result in goals or wins.

I also viewed football as painfully slow, with so many starts and stops that tested my patience, even when watching.  Clearly, given it's popularity, I'm in the minority, but it's a sport that I've never learned to appreciate or enjoy.  What has changed however, is my respect for the players.  It's a tough game not only to play, but a tough world to be apart of.

Over the last couple of decades, we learned more and more about the impact of the violence, both on and off the field.  Many players have suffered life long brain injuries due to trauma on the field decades early.  Others, have struggled to keep the violence on the field, with issues of domestic abuse, fights and even dog fighting being residual pieces of a career with violent core.

It's not just football, it's any career that has using physical force as a requirement. Whether it's an adrenaline fueled sport, or the police force, prison guards or bouncers.  They all attract a percentage of men and women who not only must learn to use force, but who want to.  Not all do of course, but you look at any of these professions, and you'll find a fairly large percentage of participants who struggle with violence and aggression.  Many of them were channelled into these careers by parents or teachers for exactly that reason.  The hope, I assume, was to help them control it, but as we all know, that often isn't the case...

It's one of the reasons I've grown to appreciate players like Colin Kaepernick, Drew Brees, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady.  Players whose game is about more than just physical strength and force.  Although it's becoming easier, it wasn't always easy to balance respect and humanity with a career in the NFL. One of football's greatest coaches Vince Lombardi was an early and great example of someone who brought humanity into the game.

Lombardi's coaching career spanned over three decades, from the 1930's through the late 1960's.  Lombardi was known not only for his wins, (He never had a losing season as a head coach in the NFL) but also for his humanity. He was known for addressing issues of racism and homophobia within the league. Although known for his gruff demeanor, he was far ahead of his time in creating a supportive environment for gay players, and he emphatically challenged existing Jim Crow Laws, and provided leadership to break the color barrier within the sport. 

Although I still don't enjoy watching football, Lombardi, and many specific players, have given me a new found respect for the game, and those who fight and challenge some of the long standing issues within the sport.

Dex Carter for Unzipped Magazine