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Kudos, NFL In the end, something finally makes sense
When the debate finally gave way to a decision Thursday, the NFL got it right when it chose to not play football this weekend. Both ethically and logistically. There were sets of problems that both options presented. But there were far more hurdles to clear and potential consequences to face from playing than not playing. One reality was this: The league simply couldn't say at this point whether or not it could count on the nation's air travel system to deliver -- and deliver safely -- people to their proper places in time for Sunday's kickoffs. That was huge. That was basic.
Another key point: The NFL's players were almost unanimously opposed to playing amid the backdrop of Tuesday's tragedies. If people come first in the NFL, as the league would have us believe, that should have settled the debate right there. How could a league begin to show sensitivity to the human condition while it was disregarding the very wishes of the men who are the league? That juxtaposition would have been too glaring to miss. And too rife with hypocrisy. Other considerations rightly entered into the decision as well. Why would we expect the TV networks even to be in the position to show three or six hours of Sunday afternoon football this weekend, given the 24/7 nature of coverage that the terrorist attacks have received? And what would have happened if America had retaliated against the terrorist interests at some point this weekend? What if those actions take place Sunday afternoon, while the NFL takes to the playing fields? Does anybody believe the nation should or would be watching and cheering football at that point? From a moral standpoint, while there were legitimate reasons on both sides of the debate, there can be no quarrel with erring on the side of not playing. We are forever hearing that real-life tragedies remind us how inconsequential sports become at a time like this. It was time to prove that cliché, setting aside the games until our nation's real healing begins. That can't possibly start until all the bodies are recovered, every last survivor is located, and the mourning enters the formal stages of funerals and memorial services. The NFL did the wise thing. The games will return soon enough. This is a one-week pause to reflect and grieve. Some time to let the natural stages of recovery unfold. There would have been no sense of normalcy this weekend, whether the players played or the fans watched. In the end, for whatever reason, the NFL understood that and got it right. For once in this most horrible of weeks, something makes sense. Don Banks covers pro football for CNNSI.com.
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