I don't know how many of you are die-hard NFL fans such as myself, but there is trouble brewing. Pittsburgh's James Harrison performed a perfectly legal tackle on Sunday and was fined for excessive force. He did not violate ANY NFL rules. His tackle was reasonable and no different than any other game-day take-down. So what? Well, unless you want NFL players to start wearing flags on their uniforms, the commissioner needs a wake-up call. The reason those guys get paid the big bucks is because they endure brutal playing conditions. Tackles are part of the sport. Some might say they are the lynch-pin. Either way you slice it, fining players for doing their job is wrong. There is a FB page devoted to a peaceful and poignant protest, of sorts. They are encouraging fans (primarily aimed at Pittsburgh fans, of course, but this will affect all teams) to send $1 to Roger Goodell of the NFL with a note that says, simply "For James Harrison's fine." Perhaps your football loving student might examine this strategy for possible effectiveness, compare/contrast with other forms of protest, etc. There are a lot of life lessons here. If nothing else, you open a great dialogue about the validity of punishing people arbitrarily and what sorts of snowball affect this type of call will result in.
