Then I got to work and during my usual morning routine I checked out the USA Today football page. There it was in bold black letters "Stringer Dead After Practice". I read the story and thought to myself, I don't need to write an article about fake football, I need to tell people like me to get a grip on reality.

We glorify athletes everyday. Guys that run fast, jump high, hit the ball far, shoot it from a mile away, run through a line stampeding buffalo. We glorify a group of men (mostly) that donate to charities and foundations but are mostly known for pimping, drug abusing, wife beating, murdering, and being a lawless marauding force in our society. Then it happens... "Stringer Dead After Practice."

Think about that headline. Who is to blame for Korey Stringer's death? Who is to blame for the fact that his body temperature reached 108 degrees and that his organs systematically shut down one after another until his huge heart finally gave way at 1:50 am? Why were he and other Vikings teammates practicing in heat that reached 110 degrees when the heat index was measured?

Those are important questions. I never met Korey Stringer and it was unlikely that I ever would have. I don't know anything about him more than what I read in the articlle... .he was an All-Pro, he was 6'-4" and 335 pounds. He helped clear holes for Robert Smith last year and probably would have done an excellent job for Michael Bennett this season. I want to know more... was he a good man, did he leave a great legacy behind, will his kids (if he had them) be able to tell their own kids that their Grand Pa was a great guy? Why do we concern ourselves with foolish questions based on who we should pick in the first round? That is not a question of importance today. Today the question should be why do men have to die for football?

Stringer's death is disturbing but here are some facts a bit more disturbing from the Stringer article. "Stringer's death came six days after University of Florida freshman Eraste Autin died six days after collapsing of heat stroke. Stringer is the first NFL player in memory to die of heat stroke, but figures show that 18 high school or college players have died since 1995."

Read that again please.

Did you see what I saw? 18 high school or college players have DIED since 1995. Not been injured but were still living comfortable lives. Not paralyzed but still being meaningful citizens. DEAD. Let that sink in. Don't gloss over it and move on to the next article. The article that will tell which running back to take with the fourth pick in the third round. We are talking dead boys here, young men who have given their lives so that you might be able to pick them for your fantasy team some day. Forget about my moralizing for a minute and think about what were talking about.

Are you willing to die in your cubicle today for your boss? Are you willing to die while making someone's side order of biggie fries today? These people have died playing football. And were concerned about our draft coming up on the 18th and needing to know who to pick.

So there I was this morning thinking about a humorous football article and there was Korey Stringer's family planning a funeral... trying to pick out a coffin for a 6' 4" 335 pound dead football player.

:: comments to the commish