A Racist Pastime

Rule changes and stricter enforcement of infractions during NFL games with player safety in mind has been a focus of the league during recent years. One theme I couldn't help but notice, is who is truly getting protected within the game we have grown to love.

In regards to the players, every year since 2000, at least 75% of the total players at the quarterback position have been white (shown in the table).

The quarterback position has always been extremely dangerous to play. As many may know, the "Blindside Hit" (yes, there was a movie about it) poses one of the biggest threats to QBs. The NFL has now put in place penalties in an effort to protect the at risk quarterbacks (of whom are predominately white) against the malicious hits of the defensive lineman (of whom are predominately black). 

In addition, while a kicker or punter is kicking the football at any point in the game, if a player on defense were to make contact with them, an immediate 15 yard penalty (the largest enforced yardage possible) is given. The stiffest penalty, protecting a position, in which at least 97% have been white since 2010. 

What does this say about who the NFL chooses to protect? Why do you think so many white people play the protected positions? Let me know your thoughts!

Coincidence or Purposefulness?

     Where is the line drawn between coincidence and purposefulness? It is certainly a topic in which many heated debates will stem from. Just yesterday, August 30th, a man was killed after plummeting 35 feet to his death at the Georgia Dome while watching a college football game. Of course, such an event is tragic, but the coincidence is certainly one that has to bring foul play to mind. Just ONE day earlier, a fan watching a pre-season NFL game at Reliant Stadium in Houston fell 60 feet off of an escalator, killing himself as well.

     Such deaths from falling at sports venues happen so infrequently, it's extremely suspicious that two instances would happen in consecutive days. This being said, I cannot help but think that sick, opportune people used the freak nature of such deaths to pull off murder. Whether murder can or will be proven in the mentioned cases, a seed of doubt has been planted in my mind to say the least. I hate to think that after seeing the death of an individual from falling at a sports venue a day previous, led another man to die, the same way, just one day afterwards by way of another intentionally pushing him. Such a death would be extremely easy to cover up, saying the dead individual simply slipped over the railing, where the perpetrator had actually pushed him. It's a sobering thought to ponder, knowing that deaths that appear coincidental and freak, could really just be a devious cover-up; performed by a individual trying to pull of a murder and make it seem like an accident. Although this may not be accurate in either instance, the freak nature of these accidents, happening in such rapid succession, makes the deaths seem extraordinarily unusual.  What do you think about uncommon occurrences taking place in eerie succession?