By Joe Torosian —
“Okay, so your heart is broken
You sit around mopin’
Cryin’ and cryin’
You say you’re even thinkin’ about dyin’
Well, before you do anything rash, dig this
Everybody plays the fool sometime
There’s no exception to the rule.”—The Main Ingredient
Kick it!
Football still feels pure.
It’s probably because there’s such attrition in football. I mean, there are busted bodies, bad backs, and knee replacements everywhere. And it’s the wise player who learns how to use football instead of letting football use them.
Basketball has lost its substance. Baseball in America—in many ways—has become a rich man’s game. I like hockey, but who’s got the energy for the regular season?
In football, though, even if lacking overwhelming talent, if you’re willing to grind, you will discover creases you can slip through. Those creases aren’t only about the game but life itself.
Football teaches us that an endless check from our rich uncle in D.C. is nothing more than a narcotic that encourages us not to grind.
This is what football offers…Redemption without condition. It’s all up to you…What are you going to do about a failure or coming up short? Will you accept someone crushing you down, telling you, you aren’t good enough?
Quite often, we can handle not being good enough…but I will not play the fool and allow someone to malign my character, diminish my resolve, question my heart while telling me I’m not good enough or lack particular talents and gifts.
I’m gonna grind…We have an older house with skinny doors, and we needed to move furniture from one side of the house to the other. It looked hopeless when the sofa wouldn’t go through. Not being a toolbox guy, I found a screwdriver—my wife got nervous—and I popped an outside door off its hinges because that stinking/fricken/blankety-blank sofa was going through that door and into the family room. Boom! I did it.
I don’t have skills with tools, measurements, or circuitry. But I was willing to grind to get that sofa through the door. (Whew! I’m still married, so you know I got the door back on.)
Football (and sports in general) presents us with the avenue to press on. A laboratory that allows us to press on. And when I think of these football players who recently faced The Reaper (The Turk) and got cut—I love how they press on.
In the confines of this physical realm, no one defines you or finishes your story, your journey—except you.
I know that sounds a bit vomity, a bit like Joel Osteen, and I apologize for that…but sports is the lab that shows us the results. The grindstone (the grind) works.
Push, pull, press, and grind on.
We see too much of the opposite these days. It’s the inability–up and down in our society– to power through. We’ve become accustomed to and accommodating of the narcotics we receive from our rich uncle.
I wish the line in John Lennon’s “Instant Karma” was—”We all grind on!”…That no matter what happens, we’ll continue to grind first for our God, our family, our country, and our goals.
…And I don’t care if I look like a fool because before I do anything rash—like give in and take the narcotic—I’m going to grind on.
I love that about Tim Tebow. I love that about Josh Rosen. I love that about the 254th selection in this year’s NFL Draft—Rams edge-linebacker, Chris Garrett…out of Concordia. And I love it about so many people I know that didn’t have the physical skills but found the creases and are now training, coaching in, or even reporting on, the game they love.
Are not many of life’s ultimate lessons discovered via the grind?
You can win a lottery, take me to lunch, maybe donate to my church…but I’m going to take the grind. I’ll accept the struggle and take the strength it produces.
And speaking of life lessons…
…The Dodgers…(long exhale)…are good…and I hate them. But they are good. Wishing and hoping for them to be bad makes me feel like the Grinch spying down on Whoville.
“Every Angelino loved the Dodgers an awful lot.
Except for bitter Joe T., who most certainly did not!
I have to stop the loud and growing Dodger cheer. October is nearly upon us—it’s practically here!”
The Dodgers are very good, the National League has melted, and the Giants are falling back to earth faster than David Bowie.
So I’m thankful for the NFL season. Well, I’m thankful for football. I could care less if the NFL dies a terrible death. I just like football, and the NFL doesn’t own football. So we should appreciate football in all the ways it comes to us.
Some quick NFL thoughts before I tap out on this edition:
*** I’m happy the Rams Johnny Hekker survived the push he got from Corey “Mayfair Monsoon” Bojorquez. But what happens if Hekker shanks his first punt against Chicago?
Don’t tell me #FireJohnnyHekker can’t happen…After all, this is the town that keeps a perpetual finger on the button of #FireDaveRoberts.
***I like Pro Football Focus…but I don’t know if I need a “2021 NFL Preseason All-Rookie Team”…Goodness, does anybody?
*** I’ve tortured myself with “Good Morning Football” on the NFL Network this summer. Amid preseason and all that was going on in August…This was a segment: “Name Your Favorite Sitcom Stars Growing Up.”
It’s a travesty how hard the NFL is working to make its product as meaningless as the NBA.
And I’m sure they’ll continue to grind on to bring that dream about.
The Dude abides…
1,189
2 Corinthians 10:5
Joe T. is the author of “Tangent Dreams: A High School Football Novel” … “Temple City & The Company of The Ages” … “The Dead Bug Tales” … “The Dark Norm” & “FaithViews for Storm Riders”…all five available through Amazon.com.
www.JoeTorosian.com
jtbank1964@yahoo.com
Follow Joe on Twitter @joet13b
Instagram: @joet13b
Be sure to read:
College Hoops Breakdown—by Riley Saxon
The Urena Express—by Steven Urena (MLB)
