Great post.
Insanity only fueled by poor leadership in the NFL. Goodell is a nightmare.
I'm probably a bit of an addict. I've loved football, mostly professional football, since we had two teams in Dallas, The Dallas Texans (who became the Kansas City Chiefs) and the Cowboys.
I'll always watch the Cowboys. But we're lucky enough to have an owner who won't put up with the crap.
I grew up watching the Chiefs with my Dad and whoever was playing the Cowboys. My father sorely hated the NFL, the Cowboys, and Murchison for the Texans leaving Dallas and Tex Schramm's part in the NFL/AFL merger. He and I along with friends would drive to Hillsboro to setup the camping trailer just to watch whatever team was playing here at home against the Cowboys due to blackouts.
My father's best friend and his family were huge Cowboys fan. His daughter's successful dream was to be a cheerleader for them. After every Cowboy's win, the phone would ring sending my father into a cursing blue streak knowing it was his friend calling to rub it in. The first baby gift my father's first grandchild received was from my father's friend -- A Roger Staubach tee.
I thought he might forgive the Cowboys when Jerry Jones bought them, but good ol' Jerry shat upon Tom Landry right out of the gate. My father might not have been a Landry fan, but he respected him and Jones obviously did not. He thought the Cowboys got exactly what they deserved in Jerry Jones.
To make matters worse for my Dad, my brother did not follow in my Dad's footsteps, but loved the Cowboys. He wore the shirts and would roll his eyes at my Dad for not supporting America's Team. I, on the other hand, was his only cohort as I had more sense than to root for the Cowboys in front of my Dad. Instead, I avidly listened to his stories about the evil Cowboys, the dastardly Tex Schramm, the "Kill that SOB!"es when Rodger would Dodge, and the never-ending aspersion's cast upon Lance's sexuality whenever the announcer would claim that Rentzel was in motion; although I didn't truly understand what those aspersions actually meant. I enjoyed every minute of those Sundays spent with my Dad and would give anything if I could hear him hurl a few invectives at the television; although I know that he would not be watching football right now even if he could. He would be livid with the NFL and the SJW players and would be cussing a blue streak about it all. Without a doubt.
