Those of you
who know me are thinking that’s as unbelievable as some confused 240 pound
linebacker showing up for the after game interviews in high heels and a flouncy
skirt. After all, I wrote HEADSLAP, the
highly acclaimed bio of the great Hall of Famer Deacon Jones, and FOUL, my
novel about that old NFL scandal everybody has been trying to bury for decades. Football is one of those blood sports like
hockey, bullfighting, boxing and war. Graceful
young creatures get battered about, maimed, and sometimes die. To enjoy conflict you don’t need truth,
justice and freedom on your side, you only have to believe the sport, no matter
how bloody, is played by the rules. It’s
called the integrity of the game. If you
gut-shoot a buck, that’s on you, and you have to stalk him down until you can
take a kill shot. That’s one of the
rules in hunting. In mortal combat, poison
gas, nerve gas, and chemical warfare are outlawed, just like chop blocks and piling
on the quarterback. Those are the rules. But there is no rule in the game of football
that says because 200 million dollars in gambling money is on the line a bad
call should stand. It’s only money,
stupid. I believe in all the players who
have played hurt over the years. I
believe in all those brave footballers who die too young of their wounds. But after this how can anyone believe in the
integrity of the game of professional football?
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