The NFL: How It Got Me

Ah, the sport of football. You have to love it. I personally, love everything about the sport.

It's exciting, fun, enthusiastic, and so much more. I love the teams, athletes, and fans. About the only bad thing is that it isn't played year round.

Now I personally love the NFL more than any other type of football. My favorite team is the San Diego Chargers, but I am not just a fan of them, but a fan of the NFL.

The NFL has changed so much over the years. There are new rules, new teams, and so much more. My grandpa is always talking about how in the olden days, the NFL was so much better.

Since I wasn't alive then, I can't say that time in the NFL was better, but maybe it was. One of the biggest things I believe has changed from what my grandpa has told me and from just watching broadcasters talk, is an athletes need for money.

Some players today are paid more than their team was originally bought for. That's simply mind blowing to me.

You hear about all these athletes that are leaving teams just because they're not paid what they want, or as much as a fellow athlete. Shouldn't one play for passion and fun, not for money?

Now yes, the NFL is a job to many athletes and they count on their makings in this career to last them through retirement. The part I don't agree with is when athletes want to raise their salaries for dumb reasons.

Just take LaDainian Tomlinson and Anquan Boldin, for instance. LT lowered his salary this offseason so his team—that he loves—was able to keep him and other players.

Now Boldin wants the Cardinals to raise his salary because he feels it is unfair that his fellow wide receiver, Larry Fitzgerald, is receiving two million more than he is. In my opinion, that is just not right.

But anyway, back to why I love the NFL. One thing I really love about this league are those die hard fans.

It's crazy what some fans will do for their team. I mean I have seen everything from tattooed heads to a huge flag bolted to a car. Those things will always put a smile upon my face, no matter what. You know what I mean?

Another thing I love are those dang zebras. Sometimes those refs blow it big time! Now when a ref blows it on the Chargers, you can bet I'm yelling at the TV. When they blow it for the other team, however, I am oddly okay with it and end up thanking them.

I always laugh my head off when they get run over or interfere somehow with the ongoing game.

Of course, the Super Bowl is one of my favorite things about the NFL. The Super Bowl is always so exciting to watch and even better if your team is in it, especially if they win.

Even though I have not exactly experienced the joy of my team becoming the world champions, I have had glimpses of it when the underdogs come through and beat the favored team.

The Pro Bowl is also a great part of the NFL. It is awesome to watch the players that have worked so hard throughout the season and deserve to play in that special game.

Now the thing that has gotten me the most over the years are the caring people within the league. There are so many organizations formed by players to support their communities, needy families, and more.

LT and Kurt Waner give away thousands of gifts each year on Christmas to needy kids.

Those players touch my heart and they show the great side of the NFL.

Those athletes don't get caught up in the fame or the fortune. They stay true to themselves, how they were raised, and most importantly, how the NFL once was.

In the 2007 wild fires that raged throughout San Diego, many San Diegans, including Charger players, were evacuated from their homes, including LT and his lovely wife.  Even though there was a great possibility LT was going to come home from practicing in Arizona and be left homeless, he still gave.

He gave to the people who had lost everything in those fires, my friend being one of them. She is ever grateful for what he did and I know for a fact that she isn't the only one.

When she told me for the first time of what he had done, the one and only word that popped into my head was, "wow." She longs to thank him and I do too. She lost everything and even the littlest gift of a backpack put a smile upon her gloomy face. That gift from LT changed her mood that day and it never changed back.

To finish, I just wanted to say thank you to the NFL and the athletes that have touched so many people, including me. 

There you have it, the NFL has gotten me, has it gotten you?