I'm not, seriously, I'm not.

I'm not going to watch the Super Bowl.  Seriously, I'm not.  Don't care about the teams, don't care about the commercials, don't care about the 'super star' halftime, don't care, don't care.  Matter of fact, I might not watch sporting events ever again.  You will notice I didn't say 'never' because time and time again I've been told to "Never say never."  Never is a long, long time.

Since sportsmanship has been spiraling downward over the last several years, I've become quite disillusioned.  Not just with football, but all the other sports as well.  I used to like hockey a lot.  We have a team here, and as the kids were growing up it was the one sport we could afford to go to as a family.  Great sport.  You could count on some roughness, and an occasional 'throw of a punch', for which the player would spend some minutes in the penalty box.

As time went on the confrontations became more physical, helmets were knocked off, shirts almost ripped off a player's back.  Blood was shed.  Sometimes whole teams came off their benches and it was hard to officials to regain control.

It seemed to me the crowd liked the confrontations more than the game.  I no longer enjoyed attending.  Eventually, we stopped going. 

I began to wonder if the fighting was encouraged on purpose, were the players instructed to (if the occasion presented itself) 'throw a punch' on purpose, to excite the crowd, and increase box office sales?

Over time I've found this kind of behavior has become acceptable.  Professional Baseball is particularly known for teams "clearing the bench" to participate in a melee.  I don't get it.  Why is that necessary?

I hate when people say this, but, "I remember when players (of any sport), played for the love of the game."  Not the money, not the fame,  not the fortune, not for the fact they have come to be believe 'they are above the law' and can do what they darn well please.  Now it seems it is acceptable to participate in spousal abuse, to try to get away with murder, to have countless sex partners and countless children out of wedlock, and...drug abuse is rampant, drinking and driving in a hundred thousand dollar sports car, brings nothing but a chuckle and slap on the wrist...unless there's a horrific accident and some one is killed. Yes, all the above are things that have soured me against sports...all sports. 

Yet, these sports figures want us to have our children look up to them as role models?  I don't think so.

I'm realistic enough to know I can't change society, that turning point is wa-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-ay long past, but I can change me.  And I'm going to do that, and that is why I'm not going to watch the Super Bowl, or the Olympics, or just about any other sporting event any more. 

So, have your party, watch the game, I hope it is filled with good sportsmanship and fair play.   However, as for me, I'm going to watch the Kitten, and the Puppy Bowl.  Those events sound much more enjoyable to me.