Frazz by Jef Mallett for September 25, 2011
September 24, 2011
September 26, 2011
Transcript:
Boy: Coach Hacker said football is good preparation for adult life. So I watched a practice. It looked like a lot of standing in line. Frazz: There you go. Boy: I don't think I'm interested in a football-based adulthood. Frazz: There's cross country. And you can run your whole life. Boy: I've seen a marathon. It's just a bigger, longer line. Frazz: Yeah, but it moves at 7 minutes a mile. Miss Plainwell: You wish. Blonde girl: I love fire drills at this school. Ginger girl: What if adulthood is just a sequence of dismissed opinions and mocked illusions? Yellow shirt boy: I have three older sisters. I'm all set!
Football is the most corporate of sports: the Board of Directors (the coaching staff) sits on the sidelines, issuing directives while taking none of the risks; the CEO (the quarterback) is a highly-paid superstar protected both by sacrificial underlings (the offensive line) and special rules (like “roughing the passer”); there are a few key executives (like the star running back and wide receiver), and finally the nameless, faceless, interchangeable working stiffs who get their butts kicked on the line, play after play after play… and are prohibited (again, by special rules regarding “eligibility” to touch the ball) from any chance of rising above this status..As such, it IS great preparation for adult life.