The Popcorn Stand: Great Scott, what a bet, and other things about the NFL

I’ve been informed there’s some kind of game being played on Sunday. The World Championship of Professional Football, otherwise known as the Super Bowl, will be played.

Actually I’ve already been made aware of what I consider to be the greatest prop bet in Super Bowl history. I have no idea who Travis Scott is and I sort of know who Kylie Jenner is. Jenner is the daughter of the 1976 Olympic decathlon champion. I’m sure you Millennials are saying right now, no she’s not, she’s the daughter of Caitlyn Jenner.

The bet is will Travis Scott propose to Kylie Jenner at the Super Bowl? Whomever came up with that bet must be patting themselves on the back.

But that’s not what I want to write about. Again I want to write about my conflicted feelings about the NFL. I’ve quoted Alec Baldwin’s character from “Concussion” before when he said, “it’s a senseless, violent game, but it’s a beautiful game.”

I’ve also written before if I ever develop any kind of sense of integrity, I’ll stop watching the NFL. And as I’ve written before it will be because of the way the NFL treats its players and fans and will have nothing to do with anything Colin Kaepernick has ever done. The way the NFL treats its players and fans outrages me a lot more than Colin Kaepernick taking a knee ever will.

I admit I also have conflicted feelings about NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. I know Goodell makes in excess of $30 million. While this is an ungodly amount of money, the argument can be made Goodell is actually underpaid. I mean the league is worth a gajillion dollars, so it wouldn’t be surprising if the NFL owners think Goodell is worth every dollar, maybe even more of what he makes.

But I wouldn’t be much of an NFL commissioner. You see when I see a former NFL player who can barely walk or another former NFL player whose brains are clearly scrambled and he comes to me and makes the reasonable request of actually just providing for his needs, I wouldn’t treat him like Oliver Twist or something or other. I would say something like “sure, whatever you need. You made this league what is. And besides, we’ve got money to burn.”

But on Sunday, I’ll be watching the Super Bowl. When Goodell is shown, though, maybe I’ll turn away. When it comes to integrity, that’s a start.

— Charles Whisnand