I don't usually boycott things. It's not my favorite way to protest, and it's often problematic. But a few years ago, I started boycotting the NFL.
This was not easy. I had to say goodbye to my multiple championship winning fantasy team! And also my beloved 49ers. There's something very odd about not having any idea what's going on with a team you followed so closely for so many years - in my case, since about 1989, when I visited SF at 18 and fell in love with the city. The fact that that incarnation of the team was one of the greatest football teams of all time didn't hurt either!
Tomorrowwill be the fourth straight Superbowl I do not watch.
Many factors caused my decision. The league's long history of hiding the physical and mental damage done to players from concussions and other injuries was a factor. Their incredibly lax handling of domestic abusers was another. I was also turned off by what seemed to me like a unanimous decision by the league's teams to not give Michael Sam, a young man of quality and a fine player, a fair shake due to his sexual orientation.
Originally, it was "as long as Goodell is Commissioner, I'm out." Four years later, I don't know if I would come back even if he was fired. As things stand, the NFL is incredibly dangerous, and a solution to the brain injuries players suffer is yet to be found.
Now that Vince McMahon is resurrecting the XFL... nah. Who am I kidding? The XFL is guaranteed to be awful. The only good thing about it is that it's keeping Vince busy and hopefully away from WWE.
So, yeah. No American Football for me. It's a shame, but life is about choices, and I choose not to support this league.
