The NFL has an image problem that goes a lot deeper than we realize. The league is hoping to create the impression that they treat women well, that mothers can trust their boys with the game, and that they are hardliners when it comes to personal conduct. Trash talk is a part of all sports, and I am not decrying it in this article. I merely wish to point out that professional sports are not all that civilized. Blair Walsh was the butt of a joke because he was playing his former team, but the joke is on the NFL.
It is hard to make a case for the league
The NFL has come out on multiple occasions to make a statement about how it does not accept domestic violence, that it takes player safety seriously, and that they want the game to be more civilized. Roger Goodall attempted to assert that NFL players live longer than the average person. The game is a barbaric spectacle that Americans eat up because it can be fun to watch. The Vikings taunting Blair Walsh is almost not even worth reporting on, but the incident shows that the game cannot be civilized no matter what it does.
The Seahawks made a good acquisition
Blair Walsh hit two 52-yard field goals for the Seahawks against his former team, and he was praised by Pete Carroll for the work he did.
Carroll is known as a player's coach, and he was running onto the field to congratulate Walsh for the work he did. Richard Sherman did the same, and the cajoling from the Vikings sideline was nothing more than jokes that cannot be repeated in mixed company. The NFL wants everyone to believe that this is a game for families and children, but it is a game that is more dangerous than they let on, has players taunting each other constantly, and requires a killer instinct to win.
We should applaud Blair Walsh for what he did, and we should hope to see him hit more field goals during the season.
The interesting matchup
Vikings and Seahawks is an interesting matchup in the NFC because the Vikings could be very good with Teddy Bridgewater returning. The Seahawks must redeem themselves from offseason strife, and they may well meet again in the playoffs.
It is far more interesting to think of these two teams playing than pretending that the game is safe or pretty. Football is a brutal game that will see these two team go to the mat with each other over the smallest possession. I hope to see more, and I will be pleased to see Blair Walsh hit more field goals against the Vikings when it really counts.
