Politics and Religion Prohibited

There's this shithole bar located down the street from my apartment that resembles something of a rundown frat house. No bar name or even a "We serve Budweiser" signs were on display. You wouldn't know it was a bar until you looked in through the glass windows. In other words, it was a townie bar if I ever saw one.

Out of curiosity, I decided to walk in and grab a beer and I wasn't disappointed when it came to the lack of hygiene or teeth. Dark, dingy, only one TV, and a bartender you wouldn't kiss with your dog's mouth. As I perched myself on the barstool, I noticed a sign at the far corner of the bar that stated "Politics and religion prohibited"

Hmmm..I remember seeing that sign at a bar in a movie or two, but I had never seen it in real life, let alone in a townie bar. But the underlying of the message was clear. When you mix those two topics, you are bound to get into a shouting match with someone who feels differently. The mood can easily change when these topics are brought up. Let's be honest, when you go to a bar, you aren't looking for an argument unless you are a meathead. You want to get away from your everyday problems and just chill, relax, pick-up girls, or have a neat conversation with your friends.

If you are at a bar and a stranger starts bringing up religion or politics, you roll your eyes, right? Even if you agree with that person, you just don't think this is the place for it.

I think that's how a lot of fans feel when it comes to bringing the personal lives of football players to the forefront. Whether Tim Graham is trying to be some political martyr about Mario Williams' instagram photo of guns or Jerry Sullivan is picking on Mario because he got his peace officer degree from a shady school.. or pissing on Stevie Johnson because he blamed God for a drop on Twitter. Even if their feelings are right on, most fans don't give a shit about this…at all.

I don't care. And not to be a broken record, but when you start making every silly tiny issue with the guy into a major issue, it kills your message.

Within the last 3 days, I've heard MSM make a big deal about Mario's peace officer degree coming from a less than stellar institute of higher learning and complain that he's the next Bruce Smith when it comes to taking camps off. Keep in mind that Bruce Smith took weeks off at a time during training camp via hangnails or contract squabbles..and this happened yearly!

What boggles my mind is most of these MSM folks in Buffalo will be the first to shit all over ESPN for their inordinate amount of Tebow or A-Rod coverage or how Skip Bayless makes a fool of himself, yet, all bets are off when it comes to our local players. The sensationalism of stories to just the ridiculous TMZ like storylines are at an all-time high. Monkey see, monkey do..or these assholes at ESPN make tons of money, so, let's copy their style?

Does anyone remember it being that big of a deal 4 years ago when TO didn't practice for two weeks with a toe injury during the preseason? I don't. I don't remember Sully or anyone else going off on silly platitudes about "There's always something with this guy", do you?

This is just another example of some folks not being able to handle an athlete that makes a lot of money and journalists copying the crap they see on ESPN. Besides A-Rod and LeBron James, can you name another athlete in the pros who goes through this crap? We can be such smalltown rubes sometimes. Mario Williams isn't even elite, yet people try to cover him like he's a part of the Rolling Stones.

But the original point is that I don't care about any of that stuff and because Bills fans are so desperate for a winner, I'm pretty sure they would sell their soul for a playoff run, happy in the knowledge that Mario Williams likes guns and is more of a mall cop than peace officer.

I'm about as liberal and anti-guns as you can get, but when I turn on the TV set on Sundays or look at the paper or blogs, I want to read about how Mario is going to fit in this defense or who is going to be our 2nd corner or if Marcell Dareus is even starting.

I'm looking to watch and read about football and not be reminded about stuff that has zero to do with it. It is football, not a reality TV show.

It is like going to that bar. You are looking for booze, not a history lesson about God or the Tea Party. If I want that, I'll join a church or volunteer for a local campaign.

When I come to football on Sundays or any day of the week, I'm thinking wins/losses, not silly TMZ drama. There are other ways to make a difference in the political/religious viewpoints..Just don't mix them in with my football.