Of course, the NFL planned to finish the Bills-Bengals game

I did not pay good money for your company. I paid it so that I might profit from your death. And just as your mother was there at your beginning, I shall be there at your end. And when you die - and die you shall - your transition will be to the sound of... [claps his hands] - Proximo, Gladiator (2000)

Of fucking course they did.  Don't be ridiculous or naive.  The NFL churns through hundreds of bodies every season and has ground-up thousands in it's history... what's one more body on the pyre?

In the Monday Night Football contest between the Bills and Bengals, Bills defensive back Damar Hamlin collapsed after a seemingly routine tackle.  After his collapse, CPR was administered on the field and he was driven away in an ambulance.

After a few short words from these commercial sponsors The NFL and Network prepared to resume play.  And why wouldn't they?  It's just another replaceable body carted off the field? 'Next Man Up...' as NFL coaches say...  You've got 5 minutes to get warmed up before play resumes.  But, apparently the players and the Bills and Bengals Head Coaches seeing CPR, which is most often unsuccessful in reviving a person, on the field decided they weren't going to play and the game was postponed.  The NFL billion dollar media relations was caught flat-footed and didn't prepare any official response or have the league commissioner give a statement or handle this at all.

No, instead NFL executives and fans are livid because this MNF game was almost unique for a regular season game because of money.  Tonight's match-up was the deciding game in the Championship Week of 95% of fantasy football seasons.  As well as the regular betting which now is a major component of each and every game.  And the old school ratings draw for a marquee match-up between two top teams.

Football is a brutal bloodspot and which has lead to a significant number of early deaths for it's players.  It's just that those deaths are often far removed and the result of an accumulation of years of wear and tear and physical abuse as opposed to one flash traumatic event.  But, there have been several "highlight reel" terrible impacts and injuries this season as well.

I think most fans, executives, and even players have allowed themselves to compartmentalize the terrible destruction this "sport" does to their bodies by imagining those effects will come years later or that they will be the lucky ones who live long and enjoy a great post-playing career as a coach or commentator.

I see that the "Died Suddenly" Anti-Vaccination ghouls have jumped onto Hamlin's event as further evidence of Vaccine Injury.  

Dennis McKinnon the 1985 Bears and Hubris

As the Chicago Bears suffer through another disappointing season, after it began with such promise and talk of Super Bowl aspirations, it's time to reflect on the one Bear Super Bowl Championship; the Legendary 1985 Bears.

The young me who half watched the Bears demolish the Patriots (spit) in Super Bowl XX had no idea it would be 20 years before another Bears team even made the big game.

To be fair, I don't watch football on TV much anymore, don't gamble on games, and don't go to games or buy merchandise because of the barbarity of the sport. Added together with the treatment of Colin Kaepernick provided me the ability to sever connections almost completely*.

But, I believe I will buy Dennis McKinnon's new book, Chicago Bear #85 Silky D Bares All authored with the late great Chicago sportscaster Chet Coppock. The 85 Bears have been overanalyzed since their failure to win a second or third Championship and cement themselves as the Dynasty of 1980's, that honor went to the San Francisco 49ers. McKinnon did the Chicago Sports Radio talk shows and tore into the Bears ownership and management because Ego and Hubris, from coaches, owners and players were all responsible for Bears One-and-Done fate; a fate which seems to be befalling the most recent Chicago over-hyped Champion the 2016 Cubs.

(* - I started "playing" Fantasy Football back in 1992 with High School friends and my first Title was in 1993 thanks to Marcus Allen's 13 touchdown Chiefs season. Much to my chagrin I still indulge with my old friends. I recommend Nate Jackson's book Fantasy Man.)

DraftKings and FanDuel Fantasy Football sites are Rigged

To establish my Fanatasy Football bona fides, I've been playing since High School in 1992. My first pick was Thurman Thomas of the Buffalo Bills. Our league started out as a type-written once a week mailer and official scores had to be gleamed from the Chicago Tribune or Daily Herald Monday mornings.

And with the exceptions of the 2003 and 2004 seasons when I was deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq, I've got an ubroken 20+ years of fantasy behind me.

I've never played big money Fantasy Football, it wasn't why we played, so I've no interest in the latest craze, the one week gambling leagues, FanDuel and DraftKings.

But, when the commerical blitz and big time Sports Radio personalities began the hard sell for the one week leagues I became wary of them as well.

It turns out my wariness is probably well-founded. Many people think the push to regulate these one week gambling leagues is an evil government play for a slice of the pie but, when it came to light an employee of Draft Kings won $350,000 playing on Fan Duel and employees were routinuely able to parlay their insider information gleamed from their companies into $6,000,000 in winnings on their competitors sites, it confirmed my suspcions; That these One Week leagues were just fanciful money transfer schemes.

Even worse, it seems those adept at creating mathematical models and crafting of algoithms have gamed the system as over 90% of the winnings are won by just 1% of the players. Now, were do you think those winnings are coming from? That money isn't being created, it's being taken from the rubes, i.e. the average American, the Sunday couch potato watching football and losing $10 or $20 bucks a week.

How can you trust an internet gambling site? A normal guy, siting at home can dream of the hitting the big jackpot, but as with Wall Street and Casinos, Fan Duel and Draft Kings appear to be set up to fleece Americans, while providing them the illusion of a get-rich quick scheme.