Making the Most Out of a Ruined Season

From the first time some high school girl walked down the hall in her boyfriend's letter sweater, sports has been more fun with females committed to the game.

I really don't get males smiling, high-fiving and hooting in the stands in the jerseys of their current guy crushes, but women in the stands rooting for their teams, their stars and their winners makes any sport big fun.

At 55, Roger Goodell's childhood memories of football likely had more to do with college loyalties and the New York Giants than the blue collar appeal of the National Football League.  Perhaps he snickered or smiled as Broadway Joe Namath posed in pantyhose and made it okay to appeal to female fans.

The National Football League acknowledges that as much as 45 percent of its fan base is female. I submit that if flasks, hotdogs, hoagies and urinals were all the experience of going to games represented, blackout rules would make watching the home team dicey at best.

Professional football is not academic or amateur. It is mass entertainment, designed to appeal to families.  While the base is male, the marketing and the message is for men, women and their children, often procreated during halftimes or as spiked opportunities spurred on by victories for the regional favorite.

The convergence of the fates, or the stars, now gives America's favorite game and a substantial proportion of its fan base an opportunity to dramatically alter our culture and our society.

The melting pot of U-S has been unable to roil or boil past violence-- family violence, as a method of control, and ultimately a hazard too often causing injury to those considered most vulnerable.

Too often there is a willingness to excuse the offender, point out the adverse impacts of punishment for the victims, and move on to protect the integrity of the institutions.

Goodell, as commissioner of the NFL had the power on Sept. 19, 2014 to declare zero tolerance for domestic violence, outlawing those suspected of victimizing others from the game until their names were cleared.  He could have taken an extreme stand, instead of forming a safe and deliberative committee.

He could have created a category that would have dramatically altered Fantasy Football and given bookies across the country sleepless nights.

"Physically unable to perform because they are suspected of beating their children, wives, girlfriends, or playing grab-ass with an unwilling waitress."

The season tickets are purchased, the schedule is set, yet, female fans make up 45 percent of the fan base for the NFL, and if you look in the stands, beyond the NUTCASES in the dude jerseys out there in Peanut Heaven acting crazy, they represent maybe 48 percent of the fans in the decent seats.

Women now have opportunities to bring structural change to male sports, simply by declaring "you must be acceptable or you WILL BE BROKE."  They also have a chance to dramatically alter the debate-- or lack their of around the antiquated issue of FAMILY VIOLENCE.

"You will commit to fixing this, or your silence says "you just don't get it."

This is a problem in the house, next door, down the street, in the neighborhood, in our towns, our cities, the region, our states and in our country.

Football is America's sport. Men and women love the game, but violence in the home and the family is an unpleasant American tradition.

Fix it by facing it.

COVERGIRL'S RIP-OFF ads  are PERHAPS THE RIGHT IDEA.

See you Sunday, and if you want, change the game.-- Then, make sure that those graced with the privilege of elected office consider the value of moving once and for all, beyond the tragedies of domestic violence as a basic fact of life.

The number one domestic issue in the United States is violence, if it is not, then ask yourself, why not? Then decide if you are good with that.

For Apple: If Anyone is Listening

I WON'T BUY AN IPHONE VI AND WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE

I could text 500 word news stories real time on the original Blackberry keyboard.

The touch screen keyboards of today are not designed for my large hands or texting speed. What's more, the larger screen is why I still use a Samsung Galaxy Droid4x today (can you say tardy to the party).

So how do we improve the product?

Shatter resistant display, gel coated subcase for shock resistance to an 8 foot drop, a liquid tight, aluminum or stainless steel case, and printed nano circuitry to reduce connection ware.

I want something that won't break and will still fit clean, slim and without a bulge in the inside breast pockets of my suits.

The problem with Apple's approach is that they have banked on people accepting a product with a $500 plus price point as a disposable item, with a use life of 18 to 24 months.

That is wasteful. But then I grew up with lighters, flashlights, and watches designed to last five years or indefinitely. No matter how you look at it, the costs of the Apple IPhone is way too many work hours for the crap shoot of a product you have to insure to keep from buying it two, three, or four times during the service contract.

The extension of contract is an insult, the lack of durability is an injury waiting to happen.

Phones: Replace Bakelite with black plastic, black plastic with 60s era colored plastic, rotary with push button, and then some off the shelf cordless digital push button. But not $500 of junk.