Here are actual quotes I heard yesterday during football coverage on FOX, CBS and ESPN:
"He's a warrior, but of course, nothing like the warriors that are continuing to fight overseas."
"I think we can all agree that this football game isn't as important as 9-11"
"We hope he is ok, but of course, it is nothing like the Humanity being experienced in New Orleans right now."
"This kick could raise the spirits of the thousands of lives forever changed by Hurricane Katrina."
"Like the Superdome, the Vikings just got blown away."
Ok I made the last one up, but you get the point. The NFL, and especially the broadcasters of the games themselves seem very keen on reminding us that the Redskins-Bears game "The battle for 1-15" isn't as important to the world as international terrorism or thousands of Americans being killed by attack or disaster.
Thanks a-fucking-lot. It does beg the question, how stupid does the NFL think we are? Is there really anyone out there saying, "I guess Katrina is bad, but not nearly as bad as losing to the 49ers?" There is NOTHING a meathead like Daryl Johnston can add to a story like 9-11 or Katrina. Americans watch sports because we enjoy it. Do we take it too seriously? You bet we do. Yet, in the end, we watch the NFL to forget about the horrors of Katrina for a few hours, we watch sports because they entertain us. We all understand that in the end, sports don't really matter, that's why we love them, because for one day a week during the fall, we can have our worst trouble in life be the wind blowing a kick a few feet wide.
So lay off it announcers, we get it, now shut the fuck up and announce the game for once.
Oh and by the way, open notice to Dick Stockton, Pete Rozelle died in 1996, so unless he was somehow resurrected, I don't think he "flew down to New Orleans to help with the rebuilding effort."