I Don't Care If Arian Foster Eats Animals or Not

Did you hear that Arian Foster is a vegan?

That means he doesn't eat food containing animal products.

In a related story, I don't care.

I understand that animal rights is an issue that many people care passionately about. I also understand why others feel put off by vegans.

Foster invited the world into his private business by tweeting that he's no longer eating animal products.

Good for him.

Or bad for him.

Whatever.

Unlike some, I don't believe there is any moral benefit to being a vegan. I have many friends and family members that are vegans, and I'm well versed on the issues and arguments. I frankly find them utterly unconvincing.

What someone eats or doesn't eat is a personal choice of conscience and taste. I feel no particular admiration for vegans, nor do I wish them any ill.

Some worry about whether Foster will be able to stay fit without the normal sources of protein that most Americans enjoy. Frankly, given the way most football players eat, I'm not inclined to worry about anyone who is actively watching and considering his diet closely. The fact that Foster is monitoring and paying attention to his diet is a plus in my book.

If Foster has a down year in 2012, it won't be because he eschewed a Big Mac or because he's chewing bean curd.

It will probably have more to do with turnover in the Texans' offensive line.

If he has a mammoth season, it won't be because he's passing on dairy. It will like be because Matt Schaub is back and healthy to do the passing for Houston.

Foster is rich and famous, and that causes people to forget that he's 25.

I wonder how many other 25-year-old dudes tweeted about being vegans last week? A thousand? Whether it's a phase or a life change, there's nothing unusual about thoughtful people in their mid-20s experimenting with their diet.

Like most vegans, Foster will get teased about how delicious meat is. He'll catch a few crude jokes linking veganism to a variety of effeminate behaviors. Then the cheap yuks will die down, and he'll continue to live his life as his taste and conscience dictates. He'll perform well or poorly at his job depending on many factors utterly unrelated to his diet.

Vegans announce their vegananity. People react. It's the way of the world.

Should people be more accepting of others? Yes, of course.

Is it realistic or worthwhile to expend energy expecting people not to make fun of anything that is perceived of as "weird" or different? 

Personally, I've got better things to do than to shove that boulder up that particular hill.

Like eating a steak.