How bout those cowboys?

So much to write so little time.  Football is one of America's favorite past times and betting on games goes right along with that.  I dont indulge myself but lots of people do.  I guess I was naive to think that these so called professional football players could be professional.  But just how professional can you be when you are a grown man playing games.  Oh I admit that the money that they pay these athletes clouds the mind and I admit that we as a society enable this delusion, but it is in fact no more than gladiators fighting for their lives and may the best gladiator win.

The sword and shield has been replaced by superhuman strength induced by steroids, the shield has been technologically updated, the carrot has gotten bigger but the crowd still remains bloodthirsty.  Million dollar salaries are used to motivate these animals and millions of people watch them.  They permit hockey players to hit another player with a stick and render them unconscious.  Boxers are in the ring with one objective, to kill the opponent, to pummel them to death, but they are not suppose to bite.  Basketball players are fouled often with disastrous results, they land on their heads.  Soccer players are just as bad.  An act as simple as sticking out your foot and tripping your opponent, can cause permanent injury and disability.

Now the football teams are covert and preemptive.  They strategically plan the injury and elimination of the other team members by offering a monetary reward for key players.  This is just like one skater paying mercenaries to break the opponents legs.  Mercenaries, this should be part of the job description.

Now the gangs are going to offer odds on the games and insure themselves a win by eliminating the player and the position.  And the players will take the money, and the gamblers will lose to the bookie.  And we will see the Bookie come riding  on a white horse and death will follow.

Imagine this is a legal business, billions of dollars are on the table, the players get free food, the business can depreciate the players, take a tax deduction for medical expenses, sell programs en espanol, peanuts, popcorn, beer.   They sell paraphernalia, t-shirts, caps.  They give them free cars, they sell tickets for hundreds of dollars.  We even pretend to give them an education and follow it up with degrees in basket weaving.

During the game they call the audible and it isnt a play, its a player, the chosen one, its his turn to die.  You can hear the collisions, and when its over one of them is unable to get up.  Mercenaries!  Thugs, Bullies, felons, anything but professionals.