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High school football players are treated like Gods in small-town America, and are allowed a shocking amount of leeway in terms of behavior. It's sad to see peop

High school football players are treated like Gods in small-town America, and are allowed a shocking amount of leeway in terms of behavior. It's sad to see people turn so irrational over a game of teenage boys knocking one another over and playing with a ball. I never personally understood the fascination, which certainly didn't do me any social favors when I was in high school.

GuiA 14y ago
>I never personally understood the fascination 'Panem et circenses'
- kijin 14y ago
  And Panem is the name of the fictional country where The Hunger Games takes place. A country where people turn so irrational over a game of teenage kids knocking one another over ... fatally. We, too, used to do this not so long ago. The stadiums are still around if you visit Rome.
  - pyre 14y ago
    The Hunger Games were instituted by the central controlling authority (the Capitol) as punishment to the worker castes (Districts 1-12) for their failed rebellion. Some of the Districts celebrated the games, but mostly because the winning District was given perks over the other Districts (extra food, etc), so rooting for your 'team' was also rooting for your community to get extra supplies rather than going without. This also pits the Districts against each other, making it more difficult for them to band together to stand against the controlling authority again. On the other hand, football in small-town America contains none of this. They don't get anything other than bragging rights when Smalltown 1 beats Smalltown 2 for some sort of football championship. The individual players might get scholarship money for university to play college ball, but that's about it.
deleted 14y ago
[deleted]
nashequilibrium 14y ago
What is amazing is that the adults in this whole tragedy are acting irresponsible and like kids. These adults also hold position of power like police officers and prosecutors.
- kaliblack 14y ago
  I wish I was amazed by adults being irresponsible and immature.
socialist_coder 14y ago
The amount of local connections that each person has in this situation is amazing. But... where are the connections to the victim? Where is her "aunt who works at the District Attorney's office"? How can you get anything resembling a fair investigation and trial in a case like this? It seems impossible.
lostlogin 14y ago
In New Zealand and (from news, not personal observation) Australia, it's rugby league that usually has this sort of disgusting behavior. Other sports have these issues, but rugby league, even at a very high level, does a pathetic job at managing its young, so called stars, behaviour.
beedogs 14y ago
Don't worry; football will be a thing of the past in a decade or so once the brain-damage lawsuits are in full swing.
- w1ntermute 14y ago
  I can't wait. The amount of time, money, and energy that goes into this absurd activity is nothing short of pathetic. America will be a lot better off without football.

GuiA 14y ago

>I never personally understood the fascination 'Panem et circenses'

kijin 14y ago
And Panem is the name of the fictional country where The Hunger Games takes place. A country where people turn so irrational over a game of teenage kids knocking one another over ... fatally. We, too, used to do this not so long ago. The stadiums are still around if you visit Rome.
- pyre 14y ago
  The Hunger Games were instituted by the central controlling authority (the Capitol) as punishment to the worker castes (Districts 1-12) for their failed rebellion. Some of the Districts celebrated the games, but mostly because the winning District was given perks over the other Districts (extra food, etc), so rooting for your 'team' was also rooting for your community to get extra supplies rather than going without. This also pits the Districts against each other, making it more difficult for them to band together to stand against the controlling authority again. On the other hand, football in small-town America contains none of this. They don't get anything other than bragging rights when Smalltown 1 beats Smalltown 2 for some sort of football championship. The individual players might get scholarship money for university to play college ball, but that's about it.

deleted 14y ago

[deleted]

nashequilibrium 14y ago

What is amazing is that the adults in this whole tragedy are acting irresponsible and like kids. These adults also hold position of power like police officers and prosecutors.

kaliblack 14y ago
I wish I was amazed by adults being irresponsible and immature.

socialist_coder 14y ago

The amount of local connections that each person has in this situation is amazing. But... where are the connections to the victim? Where is her "aunt who works at the District Attorney's office"? How can you get anything resembling a fair investigation and trial in a case like this? It seems impossible.

lostlogin 14y ago

In New Zealand and (from news, not personal observation) Australia, it's rugby league that usually has this sort of disgusting behavior. Other sports have these issues, but rugby league, even at a very high level, does a pathetic job at managing its young, so called stars, behaviour.

beedogs 14y ago

Don't worry; football will be a thing of the past in a decade or so once the brain-damage lawsuits are in full swing.

w1ntermute 14y ago
I can't wait. The amount of time, money, and energy that goes into this absurd activity is nothing short of pathetic. America will be a lot better off without football.