CHOOSE RANT

Title:   Football Day:    January 17th, 2000 Author:  Ruiner Reflection:   Hah hah, mourn the fate of my roommate. A diehard Washington Redskins fan, he hates Deion as much as I do (Washington and Dallas are huge rivals). And look who the new defensive player is for Washington... Mr. Sanders.				Yes, your worst fear has arrived. The Ruined One is writing about a sport, something typically embraced by couch-ridden rednecks and the like. Yes, I will stand up in the circle of chairs and announce it. " My name is [censored], and I watch Professional Football." Football, sometimes an uplifting and competitive sport. Sometimes a true showing of dejection and aggravation. You have your pick of thirty-one teams to root for, split into two oddly arranged divisions. There are old teams such as the Green Bay Packers that have been around since the very first SuperBowl. There are new faces, such as the Tennessee Titans who are blazing trails with their new look and strong offense. But I'm not gonna go overboard on the love of the game. It's been a really whacked-out year for football fans overall. Teams that are usually strong contenders for the title have fallen by the wayside (but we here at Ruined Net will shed no tears for the damnable 49ers). Other teams have come from nowhere to rule the proverbial roost, such as the Rams. And there was much contention within the ranks to see just who would go to the playoffs. It's actually been kind of exciting, for a change. For those who wonder, I'm an Oakland Raiders fan. I have been for a while. They haven't won a Superbowl since 1983 back when that Madden guy coached them. Since then they've struggled, and come close once or twice. Remember that Beau Jackson guy who got crippled? He was a Raider, and that happened in a crushing playoff game in the 1990 season. I like other teams, but I have stuck by my Raiders through thick and lots of thin. These days, I'm happy to see my boys finish with an even record. And yes, we won the last game of the season, earning us our typical 8-8 record. It's a tough job. But you see these other people, these 'Fairweather Johnsons' who change allegiances to pull for the winning team. I love this year, because even though the Rams are showing some dominance, it's been hard to tell which team they'll gravitate towards. No more Dallas Criminals… oops, I mean Cowboys fans popping out of the woodwork. Don't you love to see people who don't even watch football regularly pop up with 'Oh yeah, I'm a Cowboys fan.' ? I want to ask these people if they even know how the game is played. And well, I'd apologize if some of you are diehard Dallas fans, but you know how it goes with love, sports, and war. Thirty-one teams out there, you've got to hate someone. And I'm not about to sugarcoat things for you. Hey, while speaking about 'that team', word is that Deion Sanders may quit the game. I can't find the exact quote, but it was something about the team not making it to the playoffs. "I don't think I can play for a team that doesn't have that chance to win." Awwww. Please, do us a favor and quit, Deion. Show the world that you're a loser who will quit because he isn't having any fun on one of the most overpaying teams in the league. Who cares about team loyalty, or sticking with your group even in the hard times? No, I don't like Deion and I never have. See, I remember him when he was a loudmouthed cornerback for the Atlanta Falcons. Always talking junk, praising himself when he pulled off some interception, etc. Everyone has the need to celebrate, that's fine. And yes, the boy has some talent for his position. But he always pushed the envelope too far. Especially with the 'let me play offense for the Cowboys'. Had I been a coach, he would never have gotten that chance. Times were never that desperate for the Cowboys. But let him quit. The game overall will not suffer because he is one man out of nearly 1,000 players. Let him go back to that other sport, baseball, and see how he fares. Maybe at least I won't see him on any stinking commercials. [And of course, after writing this, I see a trivia fact on ESPN. Which NFL player has scored the most defensive touchdowns this year? Deion Sanders… of course. (grumble grumble)] On the topic of loyalty, I truly hate the whole system that the NFL has engendered. Sure, if you're a player you would like to have an option to change teams if you're not happy with the one you're currently on. But with Plan B, salary caps, and the wickedly crafted incentive programs out there, they've bred a new race of football players. Ones who have loyalty to only one thing - allmighty dollar. 'If I get any grief from the local newspaper or if the coach doesn't play me when I tell him to, I'm gonna get myself traded to a team next year that will respect me.' Or: 'My contract is up this year, so you'd better pay me more money or I'm gonna ho' myself out to another team.' It burns me to hear this type of thought. Yes, the players should be respected for their abilities, but at what cost? One case in point, Kevin Greene. I like the Carolina Panthers, since they're now my home team. And Kevin Greene is a defensive force to be reckoned with. He was formerly a Steeler, and had a big falling out with them when he was released to meet the salary cap. He ran his mouth about team loyalty, etc. And then he became a Panther. He made cool commercials, he spoke highly of the team. He even pulled off a smooth contract deal where he got payed 100,000 dollars for every sack he made that year. But at the end of the year, Kevin demanded even more money and when he didn't get it, what did he do? Switched over to the teams biggest rivals, the San Fran 49ers. Where was his loyalty then? Karma worked though, because he had to sit out most of the year with a broken toe. Where is Kevin now? Back as a Panther, acting like nothing ever happened. I can't bring myself to cheer for him - it just doesn't seem right. But then again, I'm still chafed that longtime Raider Marcus Allen switched over to their deadly rivals, the Chiefs eight years ago. Go figure. [Am I prophet of doom? After writing this, I read that Greene is choosing to retire. He said he wants go out while he's still in good shape, no knee injuries, etc. Can't say I blame the turncoat there.] I guess my main complaint is that the sport seems to have lost a lot of the honor it used to have. To me, football is a team oriented sport, much more so than basketball and almost more than baseball. Without your team, you get nothing done. But so many players feel that they are more important than their team, and it burns me. We elevate these players so high, allowing them access to huge commercial deals, guest spots on movies and television shows. Is it too much to ask for some ethics to go with that? And of course I'll mention that I'd love to be up there, just to play the game. I'd be on the Injure Reserve list with my knee, but it would be Team-First, always. Unless I got the opportunity to be traded to the Raiders. That's a different story. B.Mooney