How one sport has dominated not only a nation, but also an entire culture since its small beginnings.
Does the culture of football ever change? Artwork by Tori Wallace
As dejected Denver Broncos fans left Sports Authority Field at Mile High, they could only wonder how a Hall of Fame quarterback took them only as far as a quarterback who seemed to have peeked in college at Florida.
They could only imagine if Rahim Moore had played his position like any other bone-head in the league could, would they have left anticipating the AFC Championship game against New England next week? Even look at what took place in our nation’s capital over two weeks ago when RGIII went into the Wildcard game against the Seattle Seahawks with a sprained knee, and at the end of the game completely tore three ligaments and might be out until the early part of next season. Players, fans, coaches, and analysts ripped Redskins’ Head Coach Mike Shanahan for keeping the face of the franchise in the game. Many believed that the Redskins should have taken out RGIII after his second touchdown pass and he was obviously hurt. The Redskins lost the game, and most of the football population that watched that game would agree that the Redskins had a better chance of winning with a healthy back-up than a hurt superstar.
Yet, I find it difficult to take most of those people seriously. Why? When Mike Shanahan was the Head Coach of the Denver Broncos, he led the organization to its first Super Bowl victory against the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl 32. In that very game, All-Pro running back Terrell Davis was experiencing major migraines to the point where he was blinded by the pain. Shanahan kept Davis in the game, telling him:
“They’ll never think we’ll run the ball if you’re not in there. I’m going to give you a play fake for John (Elway). Just run right and block.”-NFL Films, Super Bowl 32.
The next play at the goal line, Elway faked to Davis and ran into the end zone to give the Broncos the lead. Now, Shanahan was never ridiculed nor questioned for putting Davis back into harm’s way after the essential piece to the offense was hurt. Who knows? While blocking, Davis could have met a defensive lineman and caused further brain damage than he was already experiencing. Why was Shanahan never questioned?
The Broncos won.
Had the Broncos lost, I am confident that the media would ask the Head Coach whether or not they believed Davis was at his most effective “run-ability.” Had the Redskins pulled out the miracle win with RGIII in the game, nobody would have wondered whether or not Shanahan had made the correct coaching decision. Now, the question if RGIII still hurt himself and couldn’t play in the rest of the postseason is neither here nor there.
Another example of “winning curing all causes” is the other week in Foxborough when the All-Star and possibly the most versatile Tight End in the NFL, Rob “Gronk” Gronkowski re-broke his forearm in the Divisional Playoff game against the Texans. Six weeks before, Gronkowski broke his arm while blocking on an extra-point attempt. Then in his second game back, the doctors indicated to Bill Belichick that Gronk’s arm was still frail and had a high risk of being reinjured. Then, on a play in which Gronk dove for the ball and landed on that arm, he re-broke it, and is now out for the rest of the playoffs. Now, the Patriots are without their most important offensive weapon (outside of Tom Brady, duh) and have to find ways to distribute the ball differently. Today, nobody questions Belichick and the Patriots march on in the playoffs, until losing in the AFC Championship game to the Baltimore Ravens.
Football fans only care about winning. Other sports are more about the flash and less about the wins, much like the NBA (ask any Laker or Heat fan). Football will remain the one sport where if your team wins, nobody cares. Look at the Baltimore Ravens of 2000, who would win Super Bowl 35. I would be surprised if one casual football fan could name one player on that team who wasn’t playing defense. I mean, if a guy named Trent Dilfer can hold a roster spot as the starting quarterback, and then win the Super Bowl, that says a lot about football.
I do understand that football has undergone drastic change over the past three seasons and will continue to change until it is deemed “completely safe.” Let me tell you that will never happen. Commissioner Goddell has implemented rules for player safety. These are rules to prevent concussions, not protect players from injury. Fans will continue to watch the game, as long as a football is on the turf and their favorite team is touching the pigskin. Just look at the Pro Bowl ratings, which has become a glorified touch-football game. Fans will gloat if their men in tights win, even if the football has become a watered down version of what it once was.
As Al Davis coined in the 1980s, “Just Win Baby.” That’s how football fans still feel about today’s game. No matter how much a team may cheat, grind, or risk players, fans will wade out the sanctions and cheer the organization onto victory. Another excellent example of this is in College Football with the University of Southern California Trojans, who had their 2004 National Championship revoked and Reggie Bush had his Heisman trophy confiscated. Yet, if you ask anyone that is even a casual College Football fan, they will tell you that USC is still the National Champion in their mind. Why is that? Simple put, no governing body or coaching staff will ever impede the joy of winning.
Don’t get me wrong, I love football and enjoy watching the Chargers play. But, the culture around football will never change, regardless of who plays on which team.
