I don’t know why my oldest is so in love with the NFL. I assume it was because I introduced him to Madden at a young age. We played Madden 2008 on the XBOX One. We would play on the same team and rotate being the quarterback. He did not like playing against me because I would not let him beat me. It didn’t take him long, though, and before I knew it, he was joining online Madden franchise leagues.

This led us to our trip of going to see a game at every NFL stadium in 2021. We would watch Good Morning Football most mornings and set our fantasy lineups. I do not have the same love affair for the NFL as my oldest son, but we have a connection. My Dad raised me as a Cubs fan, and baseball was the love I shared with him. I want to have a similar relationship with my kid. But, unfortunately, he refuses to cheer for the Bears; he’s a Falcons fan.

Now, another season starts. The Bears and the Falcons are not expected to do anything of interest, and there will be no new stadiums to visit until 2026. The Bills and Titans are expected to have new stadiums, which will allow us to see new sites. The Bears are trying hard to get a new home, but who knows when that will happen.

Though there is an underlying issue, I don’t encourage football as a sport. I played in high school and, thankfully, didn’t play any further. I took pride in my helmet being scraped up from all the damage I inflicted on the other team. CTE is real.

I discouraged my son from playing tackle football and witnessed our youngest have a concussion from playing ice hockey. Watching them struggle to recognize where they were made me question why we let them play. What are the ethics behind protecting and supporting a sport you know can cause permanent damage to the participants?

Are there major sports without ethical issues? Isn’t it all rich people exploiting less wealthy people to get money from the middle class?

Go Bears?