there is something to be said for actively embracing the gentlman athlete and sportsmanship and, well, chivalry

Is there money in it?

A truism that makes me want to say...Kill me now.

Is there money in the current set up? Maybe, in terms of merchandise sales. Do they have access to exciting players who would otherwise be off limits? Sure, you could make that case.

Or this one:

Will the Falcons lose viewers/attendees? Quite possibly. Will the league long-term erode the value of their product if too many people are turned off by the ongoing violence/misbehavior? I think that's a real possibility. Will the league someday find themselves facing actual liability for something or other? Not out of the question.

You can make the money argument come out whatever way you're most inclined.

The NFL has shown admirable leadership among pro sports over the past couple of decades in their approach to the health and long-term physical well being of their players.

They could do the same thing here, but there isn't the drive for it yet.

My favorite joke in Canada:

How are American beer and sex in a canoe alike?

Answer: *They're both fucking close to water.*

My favorite joke in Canada:

Huh. I've heard this joke years ago told by an ex-Python.

Arthur Ashe

Oh. Bless.

His aunt, Odessa Staggers, was my pe teacher in high school. She told such wonderful stories about him and spoke of the family ethic that made sure he 'got up to nothing but good.'

[link]

American beer isn't actually beer

No longer as true as it was; we are finally starting to recover some of the skills we lost during prohibition.

I still see professional athletes marketed as Good Citizens. That was (and is) a big part of Seattle's love for Jamie Moyer and Edgar Martinez, that not only were they great players, they were also genuinely nice guys who mentored younger players and Gave Back to the Community (tm). I don't know as much about the NFL, but it seems like Peyton Manning and Shaun Alexander, to name two really big names, are marketed as Nice Guys. (Whether they actually are, I have no idea. Same for Moyer and Martinez, actually, though I think it's likely I would've heard some gossip at least if they were the opposite of how they're packaged.)

Isn't baseball's Ripkin whassisface generally acknowledged to be a cool guy?

I know Reggie Bush is pretty well liked back home, and not just for stuff on the field.

(From a ways back)

I might actually have to go to MySpace for those sweet little nerds.

Shrift is me in this. Does this mean she's wearing a stripy skirt and corset? I don't know. If she is, and it is also true that she really is Dean Winchester, then I suspect there is already fic about this.

Huh. Shaun Alexander and his wife have three daughters, and they named them Heaven, Trinity, and Eden. I guess once they pick a theme they stick to it...