saying bounty is wrong

I am a sports guy.

So this whole discussion about “bounties” in the NFL has me scratching my head a little.

And I know the game has changed from when good ole Ronnie Lott was leveling running backs from his safety position.

But.

All this talk has me kind of wanting to tell the Media to find a different word than bounty.

Bounty suggests I am going to catch & kill someone … and it implies something illegal has been done.

By NFL “incentive” rules this whole thing being discussed may be illegal.

But by ‘good natured locker room team building bet’ rules … they were placed on legal hits.

So <in my little amateur world>.

I played.

I liked it.

I liked “putting a hurt on someone.”

I didn’t like “hurting someone.”

Nuance?

You bet.

But an important nuance.

People like football for a lot of reasons <players and spectators>, and one of the biggest is because of the hits <the violence>.

Making someone feel it when they were hit.

People may not like talking about it but if you are real about it with yourself … it’s kind of a fact.

There is some level of satisfaction that the game is being played right … and being played well … when this happens.

Once again.

By players and spectators.

That said.

Football players like the game for a lot of reasons but they play the game because they like to hit people … hard … it is a physical game for physical men.

They aren’t <I would say the majority> out to hurt someone … like in a debilitating hurt.

They just want someone to feel it when they hit them.

They want someone shaking their head a little after they hit them.

They want people to know that they can play the game … hard.

Look.

I didn’t even come close to playing at this level and I know I did.

Should there be locker room bets or payouts for ‘the big hits’?

Whew.

Gotta say.

I don’t have any problems with that.

Should players have their head on a swivel? Sure. But they already do. They have to.

For god’s sake there are 250 pound men with world class speed running around faster than most high school track members can run (just trying to put some perspective on it for the average Joe) trying to hit you to either push you out of the way <to another zip code>or push you into the turf <two feet at minimum>.

I think placing the word “bounty” into this media game suggests that most players are out to hurt other players.

And that I don’t buy <if that is what you are selling>.

Putting a hurt ON someone? I will buy that.

Because that is the game.

Bounty is a bad bad word.

And it creates a media storm undeserving of what is probably actually happening.

I am sure someone is going to pay for this.

But I think it’s silly.

Let the boys play the game they are being paid to play.

On the side <in the locker room> good natured bets are part of what builds the camaraderie.

Get over it.

Or play <or watch> the synchronized swimming league.

(although I bet they have side bets too)