Football in cancelled, accept it

Dear office mate and other football fanatics who have whined in my vicinity:

Football will not be happening this weekend. It has been cancelled and the games might be rescheduled and they might not be, but this is not the worse thing to happen. The worse thing already happened and they are still removing the bodies.

But you say, we want to get on with our lives–I say, no you don’t you just want to ignore what happened and pretend all is ok. Well, let me tell you, all is not ok. We are at war, have you not listened to anything the President has said. We are still trying to identify the monsters who could do this.

Yes I mentioned the baseball games I had planned to attend but were cancelled, but did you notice I commented on how one minute I was planning normal “important” things to do and in a few moments of horror my priorities were corrected. I miss my baseball games, but not for the game, I want to be there for the national anthem, that’s it, just that song played at the beginning of every game, then I want to go home.

Our world is topsy tervy and you want to watch your games, but I also know you are distressed cause there is nothing to gamble on this weekend. I have no sympathy for your inability to root for a team cause you have some money on them.

You need to get perspective and allow others to mourn, including the players. So could you just shut up.

Thank you.

I agree completely. Who could possibly care about something as trivial as football right now? It just seems wrong and disgustingly selfish to even mention being disappointed that games were cancelled. If you do feel that way, keep it to yourself. There’s much more important things that could be done with the money spent on lighting football stadiums for games. Here’s an idea; everyone should donate the money they were going to spend on tickets to the Red Cross or to the foundations to support the families of deceased firefighters.

My husband and I are rabid college (well, not any college, only University of Alabama) football fans. Every year we gear up and anxiously await for football season, and every year after it is over, we start gearing up for the next one within a couple of months.

It’s always been something, well, hell, mainly the only thing we really love watching together.

This morning, as I was getting ready for work, I asked him if he’d seen whether the ball games (and I meant any of them: baseball, NFL, etc.) were going to be played this weekend.

His response: “Nah.”

I said, “Good. I’m not going to be in much better of a mood Saturday than I have been the whole damn week.”

His response: “At this point, I don’t care if they ever play again.”

I am sure we’ll want to watch a game again one of these days, but for now, neither of us have the desire to have a good time.

The mourning isn’t over yet. We’ll know when it is, but for now, I am glad the games are not being played.

I agree, too.

To all those who whine, kvetch, bitch, and moan that the games were canceled, I would say this: “It is just a game.” Taking some time for healing and reflection is an appropriate thing to do.

And besides, I personally don’t feel up for entertainment. A DVD that I had ordered came in the mail today, which I was able to pick out of the mailbox the instant it arrived, for I wasn’t at work today. I have been waiting for this DVD since the day I first purchased the DVD player in June, 1999. I have anticipated this DVD for a long, long time, and even avoided watching the movie again after getting the DVD just so I can watch it in widescreen once I finally got it.

I got in the mail today, took it out of the wrapping, looked it over, and put it away on the shelf. I realized that I simply wasn’t in the mood to watch anything.

The same would go for sports games. For me at least.

First of all, most people already spent the money on the tickets.

I can understand the feeling to a degree. I would like nothing better than to go spend four hours watching a baseball game and forgetting the outside world for a while. Also, I would like to spend four hours just being in the present of 30,000 other people; there’d be something reassuring about that.

The reason that I don’t actively wish for baseball to resume immediately is that I can’t imagine the players wanting to play.

But just because you want to escape for a while doesn’t mean you want to go into denial about what has happened.

I’m with you, obfus. There’s nothing that I can do for the victims now. I’ve given blood, I’ve given money, I’ve given time, and I’ve given what little optimism I have. And I’ll keep on.

But in between doing what I can and working, I don’t think I’m an evil person for wishing I could watch the Mariners this weekend.

Mind you, I’m not whining about it, like your office mate, deb. But I do care about it.

Boy, I can’t agree with this one. I don’t mean to stir up a fight, but enough already.

To which I’d say, "How long do we need to mourn before you’re happy? When can we get back to a level of normalcy while still understanding and emphasising with what happened? Do we go by your terms, or do we go by mine? Or, do we let people choose.

Shut up until you’re fine with it all, and ready to move on? Or shut up all together?

And Perspective? What exactly do you mean by that?

Am I supposed to sit around and do nothing but stew over what’s happened? Or should I call for action to the television while I sit on my ass?

How much of what is O.K. with you?

Oh, Prayer you say. Who do you approve of that I should pray to, or for? And, since you’ve hit a nerve, what exactly am I praying for, or to? A God that thought it necessary to take so many lives so needlessly?

Because, apparently, I’m doing this for you, and not for me.

I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be this critical right now, but your comments are incredibly critical of those that aren’t following your prescribed process for healing.

Whatever.

I’m not about saying that this event should be forgotten- how in the hell is that possible!?! I’m saying that some -including myself- need to detox from this. We need to get back to life regardless of the hurt we all are feeling.

I’m disappointed the games are cancelled Sunday -not because I want to forget, but because I want to give myself a break. I want to escape for a moment.

To tell me I need to be fixated in whatever mode it is you’re in, is, quite frankly, ridiculous.

You do what you need to get past this, and I’ll do what I need to get past this.

Bashing those that want to be with friends or whoever, for an hour or two, because it doesn’t fit the mold you think those should follow, is, well, quite frankly, insensitive.

Before someone beats me to the punch-

From what I’ve heard, the games aren’t being cancelled out of respect for the events of Tuesday, they’re being cancelled due to logistical reasons.

With the airports in chaos, you can’t guarantee cameras and team’s will be able to show up.

*Somehow, that tid-bit just didn’t fit in to my rant above.

Besides which, I’ve talked to people around here, and a lot of people feel a little uneasy about going to a place which regularly brags about the fact that over 100,000 people are gathered in one spot. Which is Michigan stadium all over.

I do think there would be some value to giving people a distraction this weekend–I think we’re all fatigued with watching the coverage, feeling bad, feeling helpless. But I think there are some good reasons–other than “respect for a national tragedy”–to put this off until things settle down and people have a chance to review security procedures.

I am on the other side of the fence here, more in line with what CnoteChris said.

My perspective is, we need to get back to some sense of normalcy. Sporting events happen to take us away from our mundane and now completely confused lives. Granted the ball players may not be there in complete heart and soul but having diversions from the pain, anger and sorrow so many are something that I think many people need right now. A reminder that our world isn’t so completely fucked up that we can’t enjoy an afternoon of strong men playing a game.

I personally don’t agree with the NFL to cancel the games. We all need some of our innocent lives back. If it happens to be football, hockey, baseball or basketball, we all need somethings to return to bring us together again.

Maybe part of the issue is that the NFL and MLB don’t want to have large gatherings, yet in some cases, 70,0000 + people gathered in one spot and yet another attack could take place.

In either case, I want to see some normal life return and a football game would help carry me away for 3 hours after 60+ hours of constant pain and sadness.

From what I have read and heard, these games were cancelled partly cause the players did not want to play them. That is why I wrote “You need to get perspective and allow others to mourn, including the players”. So maybe instead of accussing me of forcing someone to mourn how I want them to mourn, may I suggest you look at your own mourning criteria.

And may I suggest that you stick it.

You’re backtracking big-time. You said a hell of a lot more than the players simply wanted to take the day of in observance of Tuesdays events up there.

You insinuated that those that were interested in watching Sunday’s game, and were disappointed at its cancellation, were somehow less than traumatized and somehow more detached from this incident than you are.

To that alone I’d say, screw off.

Just because I wanted to watch a game on Sunday, or others wanted to watch a game, engage in some other distraction, doesn’t mean we’re any less mournful than you are.

Who the hell are you to say myself, or that friend of yours, is?

Your not.

Don’t tell me what I should or shouldn’t be doing right now. Each of us has their own way of dealing with things. Just because you don’t agree with it, doesn’t mean your somehow more ‘right’ than those around you.

I do believe you are on to something which a lot of people are overlooking.

I was talking with a friend of mine about the logistics of the attack, and the evil genius of it. We talked about the thought process deciding the targets, and beyond the status of the WTC, was the density of the people there. I cannot say if this was a factor in the terrorists deciding the targets, but this thought gave me chills. ‘Where else could a terrorist hit so many people with minimal effort?” “A football game?”

I believe we would be unwise to think all attacks have stopped, and as a people, gathering in an arena right now is a real bad idea. That would be just too convenient of a target.
The truth is, we, the U.S. of A., have been attacked and we are at war. This is not something that will just go away. Trying to ‘just get on with life’ right now and immersing ones self in a good game may sound good, but that’ll have to wait. Reality is at hand.

Hey, I’m pulling for my Cleveland Indians, like I do every year, but I rather not see them in action for awhile. Not while this is happening. Right now we need to put our team support toward our country.

CnoteChris you remind of my office mate. You sound like someone has taken your toy away from you. I have no problem with you stating in a calm, objective manner that you don’t agree. But you don’t do that. You make it like I am a bad person for saying that I don’t want to hear you whine about it. Look at who I wrote this thread to–the whiners.

That is the way it was today with my office mate. As I calmly discussed the possible reasons for the games being cancelled as I had heard them, he was very emotional about why they shouldn’t be cancelled.

Now Cnote, go back and read techchick68. She stated points in a calm manner without attacking me for not wanting to hear the whining any more. I can appreciate her points. And this is the way the discussion with my office mate should have been.

If any others thought I was a little harsh in the OP, let me say I had to hear this over and over for a couple of hours his ranting about the cancellation and the fact he was disappointed to not be able to endulge in his weekly gambling spree. Not that he doesn’t have the right to want football, not that he doesn’t have the right to be upset about it, but I was a captive audience for too long, with him and others dropping by to commiserate.

I think it’s clear that this was not a matter of the officemates expressing a simple feeling of disappointment over missing football. I can understand that (even though I don’t give a rat’s ass about football). This is about more than a mere complaint, it’s about an over-the-top “Oh my gosh, I WANT MY FOOTBALL” extended whine-fest. Which sounds really irritating.

I live in a town where some people worship at the Altar of Football. Some of them are just obsessed. It occupies almost every waking moment, so it seems. They go into bouts of deep melancholy when the local teams loses. It’s pathetic. It’s not about being a fan, “rah rah rah”. which is fine. We all have interests, and hobbies that we enjoy. But in some people’s cases, they are taking it way too far. Which is their right, of course. But don’t expect such people to be tolerated with any patience (especially during a time like this) by the rest of us who do not worship at the Altar of Football.

And you make it sound like I’m a heal for wanting to watch a football game… five days after the events of Tuesday.

*And in response to your being a ‘captive audience’ to those only interested in football games and dismissive of what’s happened lately- Let me tell you, I’ve been a captive audience to groups of people that say that my life shouldn’t go on in any reasonable or normal fashion because a tragedy has taken place.

You’re tired of it? I’m tired of it.

I’m tired of the exact opposite that you are- I’m tired of those critical of me going about my life.

Listen, I wasn’t apart of world politics before Tuesday, and I’m not going to be apart of it after (As far as I know). What I do know, and know tomorrow, is that I’ll not affect the world in my actions alone.

It’s not only impossible right now, it’s not even considerable.

Others have that responsibility… let them deal with it.

What I lived for before, and will continue to live for tomorrow, is a feeling of responsibility to my family, my friends, and those that are counting on me.

Yelling at the television screen, going on TV or the radio to voice what I want to see happen because of this, accomplishes nothing… absolutely, positively, nothing.

In fact, for the first time in my life, I listen to the radio and TV and think, “Thank God that people with better reasoning are in charge of our destiny. I wish it were someone who could communicate better than GW, but that’s a whole 'nother matter.”

That, if anything, is what I’ve learned from this event- Some serious crackpots out there are willing to sink our country for the sake of revenge and idiocy.

But, to get back to your points-

My life didn’t change as a result of Tuesday’s events. My cat still looks to me for food, my plants still need watering, and my view outside the window is the exact same- all of it is the same, except for the knowledge that I have of what happened in New York. My heart and condolences go out to those affected by it.

But, regardless of your wishes, I’m not going to let it continue to cripple my life after four, five, seven, or fifteen days. The amount of time it took me to deal with it and begin to move forward might well be less than what it takes you. But I sure as hell didn’t come in to the pit and tell you to get over it already- you, in a converse kind of way, did.

Now, you’re saying, “Well I didn’t say anything about your responsibilities in life it was only a football bitch blah blah blah” and I’d say, “You’re right. You didn’t.”

But part of my life before this tragic incident included getting together with friends at the local bar watching a game together. That was, and I hope still is, a part of my weekly life. It’ll be a damn shame if that aspect of what I do, as insignificant as it might be to you, doesn’t continue for me, because it’s a part of me.

It’s one small way in which I define myself- I get together with friends, we shoot the shit, and we have a beer or two together. In the process, talk about things important to us. It can, and often does, run the gamut of topics- from babes to world politics to how much to invest in retirement- all of it is covered.

To you, an analogy might be your trip to the local coffeehouse, and getting together with your friends to talk about whatever it is you talk about.

How’d you like it if I came in here saying, “How dare you fucks go to the coffee house at a time like this!”. Or, “How dare you people go to the park and enjoy yourselves like that! That’s uncalled for! There’s a tragedy that took place!”

It’s all the same. Different places, different situations, different people.

How fucking dare you come in here and tell me that yours is the right attitude and mine isn’t.

It isn’t. Nobodies is… and nobody’s should be.

What you did before, or decide to do now, is completely your choice, as much as it’s my choice to do what I want to do, or that friend of yours at work.

Whatever it is, it’s important in our own way. And I can’t believe anyone has the balls to get in the way of that.

Just because it doesn’t fit into your model of what’s right and wrong, it certainly doesn’t mean it isn’t any less important, or right.

My apologies-

I didn’t mean to slight the actions of those (A guy from my hometown, no less) involved in the crash in Pennsylvania, and the the crash in Washington.

Those too were not meant to be dismissed, or disregarded, in my previous post.

I was supposed to meet deb2world at the game Wednesday. I was hoping they would have it. It would have been nice to see the lights, the green of the grass, hear the sounds of cheering…because I wanted to feel like it was a normal day.

But I understand it. It was the right decision. The players hearts wouldn’t have been in it. And my heart wouldn’t have been in it. It wasn’t a normal day and everyone’s mind was on something else. It would have been nice, and familiar… but hollow, like going through the motions. It’s better to wait a while.

It’s the right call.

i’m on the fence about this also. i can go without the games and i can understand if the players don’t feel up to it either. also, the logistactal aspects of travel and tv coverage, security blah blah blah.

one thing that boggles my mind is the economic inpact this will have: airfare, concession sales, ad time on tv-- so much more i cant even begin to think about or understand-- these are aftershocks of the actions taken by the scumbag terriorists. it seems to me, the longer we take to get back to normal living, the larger the inpact on our nation, economy etc etc and the greater damage the assholes have succeeded.

life is too complex, i’m gonna go have a beer and throw darts. by the way, MY team had a bye this week and was not going to play. the F1 GP is still going on at Monza, so i will have my escape…

See, I wish they were playing football games this weekend. It might distract all the redneck morons from marching on local mosques.