The importance of being earnest

I grew up during a revolutionary and yet beautifully confusing time in history when instant messaging was THE way that teenagers communicated. If you had 30 minutes until dinner, you cranked up your computer just to see who was online, and the contents of "status"was something you had to very carefully construct.

I fancied myself a bit of a teenage casanova during this time, and if I may be so bold, I'd venture to say I had much success with the ladies during this time.  Unfortunately, one particular instance where I fell short left me incredibly puzzled, my tragic pursuit of a girl we'll call M.  M and I had attended the same school for several years up to the time in question, which I believe was 7th grade.

I had recently been thinking about how I could attempt to speak with M, and on one particular autumn day she gave me the chance I needed. Her messenger "status" changed to the following message.

Headed out w/ the friends. Call/text  (***-***-****) 

Now, that seems like a very straightforward and to the point message. If you wanted to speak to that person, you need only contact their mobile device. So I did. I gave M a call. We proceeded to have a very awkward conversation where it became obvious that she couldn't fathom why I had called her, despite her unceremonial dumping of her number onto the internet.

That was the day I learned that when a girl gives out a number to the anonymous public and welcomes the contact of that group, she really means that for one particular person. 

SPOILER ALERT: I was not that person.


That day, I learned two lessons. The first, I already said, it's like three lines up, are you even reading this? The second, and debatedly more crucial, was the importance of being earnest.

If you are going to say something, or say you're going to do something, stand for something, or vouch for something, you had better damn well keep to it.

October, if you are not aware, is breast cancer awareness month. That means that the annual campaign involving pink cleats, penalty flags and gloves makes it's way into Sundays, much to the chagrin of  myself and other fans. It's not that I don't support the quest to cure cancer, especially breast cancer, because I do. I'm all for  new and inventive platforms with which to raise support, but I simply cannot stand behind a deliberate use of breast cancer awareness as a money making venture.

Yes, you've correctly gauged what I'm getting at. The NFL does not go through this annual process with the pure and truthful intent to help cure breast cancer. They do it for money. In case you think I'm the only one who has this idea, here's some solid proof.

I don't deny that the NFL is, after all, a business, and the main purpose of a business is to make money. However, piggybacking off of breast cancer research is not just a shameful way of making said money, it also helps to point out an utter hypocrisy in the NFL's recent stance on protecting players.

Brandon Marshall is a standout receiver for the Chicago Bears, and also suffers from a personality disorder. After sorting out his off-field issues and returning to form on the field, Marshall has gained a new respect for his affliction and those efforts that try to help others like him. As such, he made his intentions known in advance that he would wear green shoes in last Thursday's game against the Giants, in an effort to raise awareness for Mental Health Awareness Week.

Marshall  received a $10,500 fine for his actions, a fine he will match and donate to a mental health charity. While it is technically obvious why Marshall was fined by the league for his actions, it shows that the NFL is more concerned with it's uniform policy than actually creating awareness for health issues. Or perhaps they'd prefer not to deal with anything relating to mental health while being sued by a large amount of it's former employees for brain related injuries sustained on it's watch.

Personally, I think the NFL's just upset that Marshall's plan didn't involve the NFL getting their cut.


The bottom line is that as an organization that fines it's players for a wide variety of "dangerous" hits, the NFL seems to care less about the health of others when the ability to make a profit is not present. If you say that everything you do is to protect players, then back it up with your words and actions. It's what should have happened, it's what we hoped would happen, but it's not what happened here.

You're being very M-like, NFL, very M like indeed.