#Indoor Football League

[tscnews]

Need your spring and summer football fix? Check out the IFL!

[hellsslibrary]

Hello! There's just not so many sub! Kaiser fics and I'm d y i n g to read those 😔😔

Can I request for a sub! Kaiser x male reader where Kaiser has a praise kink but doesn't ever want to admit it 👀

#a.n. :This is so same! Kaiser is such a babygirl, I want to kiss him, eat him, hug him, and then rock him in my arms and let him relax... But no, this bitch is always top, lol. Even funny.

"I don't like your damn praise! Just fuck me alre—...What?"

!!Warnings: Bottom!Sub!Michael, Dom!Top!Reader, sex on an indoor football field (it's empty, it just seemed interesting to me, imagine the echo there...), praise kink obviously, Michael tries to be dominant, but he's too much of a pillow princess (he came out so gentle... In his own way), in fact everything is quite vanilla, but he kicks you when he's unhappy, also very romantic in general. × And the reader is somehow connected with football company. You can be a manager, a football player, or even a cleaner there, honestly.

The football field in the building was closed at night, knowing full well how persistent football players in the leagues can be. Darkness, silence, idyll... Except for the flashlight from the phone somewhere in the middle of the field and quiet groans echoing from the walls.

"Why did you decide to have sex here? Plus, at this time?" You ask, looking over at Michael, who was clutching at the trimmed grass in the lawn as you thrust into him at a careful, almost tremulous pace.

“I think you said yourself that you wanted to experiment... So we’re starting with something easy,” Blonde whispers, wincing from the unpleasant feeling of artificial grass in his hands, so he just hugs your neck lazily.

“Well, yes, but... You obviously have some other reasons. But I won’t push if you don’t want to talk,” Michael just sighs at your words, but it immediately turns into a soft moan when your lips touch his neck.

“I just love the atmosphere in here, as weird as it sounds, so shut up and fuck me,” A disgruntled mutter escapes his lips, only to be cut short when he tilts his head back, giving you better access to his neck.

You look over his face, surprisingly too peaceful for him. Maybe this place really brought inner comfort to his soul, erasing all the doubts and burdens that he kept inside and sometimes shared with you. Maybe it was. But your heart broke at the sight of him for some reason, you understood his feelings more than anyone... Because you were probably the only one he was able to open up to so much.

“Micha? You’re a good boy,” echoes from your lips almost casually, but with a sickly sweet note that you want to listen to forever and drown in these sweet speeches.

"What was it?"

You find yourself torn from examining his face by his question. And really, why did you say that? He didn't do anything special during your entire session, which lasted about half an hour. And you too... But one look at him is enough for you to understand why.

Your attentive gaze glides over his perfect facial features, long eyelashes giving his eyes an unusual softness and warmth. Instantly you feel the desire to say that he is beautiful, extraordinarily beautiful. Faithful hands, strength and tenderness in every touch, sincerity and warmth in every word, just for you. The desire to praise, to say how much love and kindness he has, how he is able to bring a smile even in the most cloudy weather.

His soul shines brighter than the stars in the sky, his smile can melt the heart of icy granite. The desire to praise, express gratitude for all the beauty and kindness that he brings into this world. He is not just a person, he is magic, miracle, a spark that pushes you to move even in your most difficult moments.

The words seem unfair, but the heart is filled with feelings that are impossible to carry on the wind. Praise, approval, love — all these are small before the greatness of his soul and his existence. You really want to tell him about this so that he understands how amazing and significant he is to you. Just as the sun rises every morning, he awakens in you a feeling of awe and admiration that seems endless and will remain so.

“Because I love you,” You say without thinking, and immediately catch a light, rare blush on his cheeks.

His hand immediately drops down from your shoulder to cover the pink dust on his cheeks, but you intercept his hand, kissing his fingers tenderly, intertwining your fingers together.

"You idiot... Why so suddenly?" He asks, even if he doesn't wait for an answer, lightly kicking you in the side, groaning when you lean over him a little closer, hitting his sweet spot at a pleasant angle.

You find yourself thinking that you would worship him if he were God. It’s not that you didn’t already worship him... But he was definitely the person for whom even an atheist would reconsider their views on the world.

"Why suddenly? I'm always ready to praise you. You are tenacious, driven, incredibly smart, caring for those you care about in your own way... You are simply magnificent."

"Shut up, please shut up. I don't need your praise, just fuck me and..." He trails off, kicking you in the side again as he realizes something, "You didn't say that I'm handsome."

“Your beauty is a fact. But your appearance is far from the main thing that you have, even if you think differently... But if I started to list what I like about you externally, then we would move on to dithyrambs and ballads, and not to the climax."

Michael chuckles, finally distracted from contemplating you in response, realizing that he really feels a knot growing in his stomach. In general, he would never admit that he would be glad to listen to these dithyrambs and ballads and much more if it came from you. He's always taken praise for granted because, yes, he's Michael Kaiser, but now? He's just a puddle in your hands that's trying to look like ice.

“I’m not clenching around your cock right now because...” He cuts himself off, groaning as your mouth sucks on his neck in the area of his tattoo, “It’s not because I liked the praise, is that clear to both of us?”

“Of course, my King, as you say,” You say, biting the skin of his neck, causing him to whimper quietly as one of your hands slides to his cock, stroking it in time with your thrusts.

Your pace gradually picks up as you get closer too. And the sight of Michael, who clearly enjoyed your previous praise, did not at all ease your hard-on, nor did the warm walls around him.

"Call me!" He suddenly shouts, kicking you in the side once again, although you have no idea what he means at first, pulling away from his neck.

"Good boy?" You ask cautiously and to your surprise and pleasure, his cock twitches in your palm, and after a few thrusts he actually comes, squeezing you tighter than usual, which is why you can’t help but cum, thrusting into him a couple of times in post-orgasmic bliss, and then laying down on his chest.

The quiet rhythm of his heartbeat calmed you as he lightly ran his hand through your hair. You were both regaining your more than ragged breaths before the comfortable silence was interrupted by a question that made you chuckle hoarsely.

“Why did you ask this and not state it as a fact?”

[fallershipping]

Food for thought:

Pokemon Gyms are not exclusively for Pokemon Gym Battles, but instead can often be colloquial names for general use areas during a gym challenge OR the arenas are flipped from battle stages to pools/football fields/baseball/etc.

Galar has SO many stadiums that are huge, it would be a waste of space if those stadiums were only for Pokemon Battles. SURE they are built with battles in mind, particularly dynamax, but they're huge enough to cover Olympic events or regular football matches. Maybe the pokemon battles is just half or even a third of the arena's use. Hell, you could also use them for open air convention halls.

As for the gyms we grown used to, they seem so very diverse that honestly? I feel like they were all unique buildings that then got certified as a "gym" but are just regular everyday establishments. Kind of like how an Aquarium has a Summer Camp program or special event.

Misty and Crasher Wake's gyms are just olympic sized pools for general use, some of them are LITERAL gyms for work out, some of them are indoor gardens and greenhouses to visit and work at, Skyla is Mario 64 Cannon Factory for no reason don't ask, and Elesa's... Well that was literally a roller coaster.

Imagine that maybe the outer facade is all unique unless you're Galar or Paldea (with the designated League buildings that are an office and not the stage.)

And they wouldn't be called "Pewter Gym" or "Cerulean Gym" but Pewter Mining Co. and Cerulean Olympic Pool Area

Edit: This would mean that the Battle Frontier is, indeed, a fucking Las Vegas because then the facilities would double up as hotels/convention centers/offices, maybe LOL

[rolandkaros]

i remember that mana shim said that part of the reason why she didnt want to speak out originally about her abuse was because there was so much concern about the nwsl folding like how the wusa and wps did. that there was this feeling like 'i dont want to be the one to ruin it' because so many of these women had fought so hard to get a professional women's league started in america. these players had a minimum salary of <$7,000 and were expected to try and play full time professional football on that salary. non-national team players had a salary maximum of $31,500. many of them worked multiple jobs to fund their careers.

i can never really take arguments about the quality of women's sports seriously.

women's football was banned completely for 50 years in england. 50 years, the men got to play and learn and improve and adapt. 50 years, the men's game evolved. and 50 years, the women were banned. are you don't think that might have an effect on the sport as a whole? many other women's sports had similar bans at one point or another.

the men can do virtually whatever they like and get paid hundreds of thousands – millions, even.

did you know the manchester united women's team got a brand new, team specific building last season? and in june it was announced that the men's indoor facility would be needing to go under construction so it could be "revamped"? and that the women's facility was handed over to the men for training? and that the women will now train in portable buildings?

but yes, of course. talk to me about the product. talk to me about quality. because we must be objective, we must look at the numbers. its so obvious, of course, the men are simply outperforming the women! the men must be better. there is no other explanation.

[squiddosss]

salutations fellow human being! if you are taking requests, may i suggest the aouv crew (there needs to be a better nickname for them) as children? idk just an idea

p.s. this is also a reminder that al had a bowl cut when he was 6-7 years old :) do what you will with that info :)))

I AM ALIVE! [insert 20 exclamation points here] ok but seriously sorry for dipping off the face of the planet :(

here’s the line up! i kinda forgot everyone’s exact ages. i’m going to go ahead and say the characters are in 3rd-5th grade right now. also isn’t elionor one of the oldest champions?? uhhh idk

additional headcanons:

we all know Reid is a huge nerd. he probably leaned into the nerdy-ness a lot as a kid. this kid wore starwars shirts every day. also glasses, (i believe this is canon)

Isobel was actually rather quiet as a kid. she preferred books over people, and liked talking to adults more than kids her age. she was still exceptionally clever and motivated, but she didn’t really learn how to be sharp-tongued and ambitious until she befriended Briony. she owes her people skills that got her through the months before the tournament and all the reporters to her best friend. 

Briony basically coerced Isobel into joining a thing called spell scouts. think like boy scouts or girl scouts or any other youth program but for a magickal world. things like nature and survival skills were taught, but also the basics of spellcrafting and ethics of spell using. (just imagine them in their little uniforms)

Finley was pretty athletic and played a few sports, but didn’t fancy working with a whole team. he attempted junior league soccer (wait… football??? i am american help) but found that he preferred scoring points for his team rather than with his team. he did summer swim at first and running, but wouldn’t discover fencing until he was older (i believe he is the team captain in high school) oh, he also totally did summer theater camps. 

Alistair TOTALLY had a bowl cut. unfortunately, he has curly hair. Marianne Lowe thought his curly hair (which he inherited from his father, whoever that could be) was unbecoming for an eventual Lowe champion, so Alistair’s mother would have to magickally get it to stay straight every day. this is part of why Al lacks freckles— whenever Al went outside, humidity would turn it back into a curly mess. so, under Marianne’s instructions, he just never went outside. he later stopped straightening his hair (and outgrew the bowl cut thank god) but the habit of staying indoors stayed with him. 

Elionor experimented with dying the ends of her hair when she was younger. the blues and pinks never really showed through because her hair was brown, but she liked it, so that’s all that really mattered. she also wrote fanfiction and posted it to online forums despite technically not being old enough to use them.

after losing their father and having their mother leave them, it was hard for Briony and Innes to feel noticed within the large Thorburn family. they went about trying to feel accepted in different ways. Briony, obviously, was loud and learned to announce her presence to feel heard. Innes preferred a more subtle approach, learning a particular relative’s interests and schedules to find a way to slowly do little things to win them over. stuff like doing their chores or completing their hair. 

Carby was like… basically a baby at this point. so… [insert toddler personality trait here]

Diya definitely did extracurriculars at school. she won the spell fair (like the science fair but… y’know… spells) three years in a row and was a member of the book club that included a tournament with other schools at the end of the school year (which she won, duh) she was pretty competitive with it, too. 

Gavin… thinking about his childhood makes me so not ok. he realized pretty early on he was basically a sacrifice to a tournament his family would never win. Gavin knew about the tournament, and realized he would be the champion, and had always seen how distant his parents were, but didn’t realize what that really meant until a bit later. 

OK BUT SERIOUSLY THANK U FOR REQUESTING THIS!

[ionlymadethissoicouldleaveanask]

I got tagged by @rainintheevening for this one, so here we go!

Are you named after anyone?: Yeah! First name after my dad's dad, middle name after a prophet from the Book of Mormon (always happy to talk about that if anyone has questions about it!)

When was the last time you cried?: I'm honestly not sure. I kind of quit letting myself cry in high school, and have since lost the ability by and large.

Do you have any kids?: I do not. However, Wife and I have been talking about it more and more lately...

What sports do you play/have you played?: I am a team roper, used to bulldog a little bit, and have recently been getting into team penning. Beyond that I played football and baseball, and I try to get into softball summer rec leagues when I can.

Do you use sarcasm?: It is my primary form of communication. Wife is not a big fan.

What is the first thing you notice about people?: Hands. I don't know why I started doing this, but I pay a lot of attention to the state of people's hands and the way they hold/use them. I believe that a person's hands say a lot about them.

What's your eye color?: Blue/Green. Which color ends up coming out usually depends on what color shirt I am wearing.

Scary movies or happy endings?: I'm a big sap at heart. Always here for the happy stories.

Any talents?: Getting myself into trouble.

Where were you born?: Northern Utah, USA.

What are your hobbies?: Roping and penning, writing, reading, getting chased around/beaten up by my various nieces and nephews (both biological and informally adopted).

Do you have any pets?: At the moment just one horse named Red. I usually end up buying and trading horses in the summer. I like dogs and cats, but Wife and I are in an apartment currently and I'm not one for indoor pets so we're waiting until we have more room for them.

How tall are you?: 6'1" or 6'2" depending on the day.

Favorite subject in school?: History. Big time history nerd.

Dream job?: Space cowboy like Han Solo or Malcolm Reynolds.

Tagging @sparkledragon04, @makowrites, @caffeineyum, and @helix-studios117

No pressure though! Just do it if you want of course.

[battleangel]

2 NFL Player Deaths Under 35 — NEXT!

Let's get to the first death that occurred in May 2024.

The next and final death I am going to discuss happened one month prior in April 2024.

First of all, did you catch that?

Both players' deaths were under six months ago. This year.

Did you hear about either one?

And, even if you did during the off season, they have both been swept under the collective rug with 300+ other NFL CTE corpses now that the regular season is underway.

The first death is Ray Lewis Jr.'s, Hall of Fame Ravens Linebacker's, son Ray Lewis III, at 28.

He technically wasn't an NFL player but he did play professionally at the indoor arena level as well as playing at Miami University.

Ray Lewis’ (Hall of Fame Ravens Linebacker) son, Ray Lewis III,died at 28 this May of an accidental drug overdose.

He had Stage II CTE.

He started tackle football at age 5.

He played college football at his father's, Ray Lewis', alma mater, for the Miami University Hurricanes then he pursued a career in professional indoor arena football.

Google:

"Lewis’ family stated in the years leading up to his death, Lewis experienced issues with memory, was extremely forgetful & exhibited erratic, sporadic behavior & impulsivity.

His mother suspected he was battling CTE."

His autopsy report revealed an accidental cause of death due to a mixture of fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine, alcohol & anti-anxiety pills.

His father remains just as indoctrinated into the cult of football after his sons CTE induced accidental drug overdose at 28:

“We are proud to honor Ray Rays legacy by teaching OUR YOUTH about football SAFETY while sharing & supporting research on CTE.”

The emphasis with the capitalization added by me to convey my utter and complete total disgust — safety???????????????????????????

The mother had a totally different & sane take:

“Little did I know when I put my son in tackle football at age 5, I ran the risk of burying him 22 years later. I would have done things different now knowing the risks. We need to wait until our babies are at least 14 to allow them to play tackle football. It breaks my heart that you have to die to get a diagnosis for this disease.”

This only happened four months ago in May and I didnt hear one word about it before today and I only came across it today because I regularly research the effects of tackle football, the consequences of repetitive subconcussive head impacts & concussions & the NFL's, NCAA's & Pop Warner's continued deception & subterfuge dating back 100 years to the literal 1930's that repetitive SUBconcussive head impacts, NOT concussions, are the cause of degenerative neurological conditions & disorders like CTE, Parkinson's disease, ALS, Alzheimers, dementia & Lewey Body Disease.

So, I am always researching and coming across something which is the only reason I saw anything today regarding Ray Lewis' son dying of an accidental drug overdose and being posthumously diagnosed with Stage II CTE at the age of 28.

The delirium of a new NFL season is already upon us and, as we approach Week 3, there is already the requisite breathless reporting, endless storylines, drama & spectacle that accompanies each and every single season of football.

Even Hall of Fame linebacker for the Ravens, Ray Lewis', son dying of an accidental drug overdose & being diagnosed with Stage II CTE during the off season this May barely made a blip on our collective NFL obsessed radar and it clearly wasn't even an afterthought by the time the NFL season got underway a mere four months later earlier this month in September.

Nothing stops the NFL machine — not even the CTE induced accidental overdose death of one of the leagues most famous & recently voted greatest linebacker of all time's 28 year old son.

The show always goes on.

Sickeningly, depravedly, mind numbingly, thoughtlessly, inhumanely, unfairly & unjustly.

But the show does goes on.

It always does in the NFL.

Nothing seemingly ever stops the non-stop allure and spectacle of the game.

Google:

"Ray Lewis III told The Baltimore Sun that he hoped to follow in his fathers footsteps:

“One day, I do dream of making it to the NFL. But I also have a dream of making a difference in peoples lives outside the football field.”

He died before the age of 30!

He died alone per the police report surrounded by anti-anxiety pills & a used drug needle!

Is the sport of football worth that much?

What makes people question football?

Does anything make us collectively stop and question ourselves and our rabid obsession & compulsive desire to endlessly consume a sport that is endlessly consuming its own players?

Or is it just, on to Chiefs Falcons Sunday night?

Well, I have a question amongst all the early NFL season hoopla, hyperbole & mass hysteria.

Football IS mass hysteria.

Why does anyone have to DIE to learn a LIFE lesson???

Ray Lewis III started tackle at age 5.

23 years of tackle football started at the absolute youngest & insanest age allowed by Pop Warner.

Dead at 28 from the sport of football which absolutely should have been included as an underlying cause of death on his death certificate.

It wasnt but it absolutely should have been.

In every case where the individual dies and is diagnosed with CTE — whether it was a drug overdose, accident, suicide, heart attack, etc. — CTE absolutely should be listed, not as the immediate cause, but definitely as an underlying cause of death.

And right next to CTE it should say — "Caused by X years of participation in tackle football".

But it won't, will it?

Because of the NFL, its farm system the NCAA & its feeder system, Pop Warner.

The $1 billion concussion settlement doesnt even cover CTE!

Players with CTE & their families only get payments under the settlement if they also had dementia symptoms along with their CTE diagnosis.

The NFL is cruel & sociopathic.

So, trust that the record breaking $13 billion that the NFL generated in revenue last season protects them from ever having to actually give a damn.

And certainly, prevents death certificates from being filled out honestly.

And prevents the American Academy of Pediatrics from recommending that 5 year old children — like Ray Lewis III — don't endure 336 head impacts a season on average in youth tackle football.

How is permanent brain damage safe for children?

All the hallmarks of CTE, including the symptoms & dangerous attempts to self-medicate leading to an untimely death, are present in the last years of Ray Lewis III's life as well as in his tragic death at 28.

The highly vaunted ironically titled “life lessons” imparted from “the game of football” often leaves its male participants fucking DEAD — just a small little detail always overlooked by footballs’ most rabid acolytes, fanatics & especially current & former participants, as well as the most hyped ambassadors of the game, who like Ray Lewis III's father & newest Fox analyst Tom Brady, are often the loudest & most unapologetic proponents, defenders & proselytizers of "the game".

You can learn the SAME exact lessons without fucking dying young & early for no fucking reason!

Basketball. Baseball. Track. Volunteering. Marathons. Debate teams. Chess. Reading clubs. Hiking. Camping. Rock climbing. Lifting weights. Travel. Solitude. Meditation. Vow of silence. Fasting. Minimalism. Frugality. Chastity. Abstinence. Restrictive food consumption. Analog living without digital or electronic devices. Esotericism. Spiritual enlightenment. Total environmental quietude - no music, podcasts, youtube, streaming, TV, movies, videogames, no sound noise or aural distractions. Being a magician, illusionist or mentalist. Aerialism. Fire breathing. Acrobatics. Dance. Acting. Singing. Writing. Poetry. Painting. Drawing. Illustrations. Screenplays. Improv. Comedy. Breakdancing. Street performance. Abstract art. Conceptual & performance art. Philosophy.

This is a very partial & incomplete list but certainly gets my point across.

I am purposely leaving off soccer until they get rid of heading the ball and ice hockey until they remove checking against the boards as that has led to players in both sports being posthumously diagnosed with CTE. Wrestling, with its takedowns, has also resulted in athletes being posthumously diagnosed with CTE. Mixed martial arts & boxing have all the same issues as football in terms of CTE so I have not included either sport in my above list. Lacrosse also causes many repetitive subconcussive head impacts so it is not included in the above list.

There are SO many different endeavors one can pursue in life that can discipline the mind, challenge the self, sharpen the will & resolve, instill perseverance & steadfastness.

I reject the disgusting militaristic & hegemonic notion that boys & men can only learn these lessons by pulverizing their bodies, battering their brains & destroying their minds through the “game” of football which, if you make it to the top echelon of the sport at the NFL level, leaves 1/3 of its participants per the NFL’s own actuaries with a neurological condition or disorder like CTE, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's disease, ALS, dementia & Lewy Body Dementia.

You don't have to DIE to learn a LIFE LESSON!

Football is a true cult.

So, that was the first off season football death with a player under 35 that occurred this off season in May 2024.

Let's discuss the second one that occurred a month prior, in April 2024.

Literally, only five months ago.

And it's already been disappeared by the viscera and spectacle of the NFL which washes away its' own dead participants.

Will Tua & Damar be added to the hundreds of the ever growing list of dead NFL players killed by the sport of football?

Tune into NFL Game Day Morning this Sunday to hear Eisen, Mooch, Irv & Warner breathlessly analyze, debate, breakdown & discuss!

Vontae Davis was a former Pro Bowl linebacker for the Colts, Bills & Dolphins.

Vontae's brother, Vernon, is also a former Pro Bowler as well as a Super Bowl winner.

Vontae was found dead alone inside of his mansion in April 2024 slumped over unconscious inside of his gym at 35.

While there was never a cause of death released to the public, per The Daily Mail, Vontae's ex-wife Meg Harpe, claimed that it was "100% CTE" and that there was definitely more to the story via a text message she sent to the publication.

Vontae's brother, Vernon, confirmed to the media that Vontae never did drugs and was the owner of a holistic wellness spa and had a team of chiropractors and massage & stretch therapists constantly at his mansion.

While Vernon was dismissive of CTE claims telling reporters that there was no way to diagnose that in a living person, Vontae himself admitted in an interview with CNN that he was concerned he had CTE and cited it as one of the reasons for his abrupt retirement from the NFL during halftime of a game.

In the CNN interview, Vontae claimed that he experienced an “out of body, spiritual moment” on the sidelines that led to a profound realization that football no longer aligned with his well being which caused him to abruptly retire from the league in the locker room at halftime.

While no cause of death was released to the public, the police did state there were no signs of a break in or foul play.

However, if we go back about a year prior to Dontae's death, there is a very familiar at this point decline and downward spiral in his personal life which makes me believe he did have CTE.

In January 2023, Dontae Davis was arrested in a DUI incident where he slammed his Tesla into a stationary truck injuring the owner who had been attempting to change a flat tire.

Dontae had just left a night club and was found asleep on the literal side of the road outside of his vehicle by police.

The same year in 2023, Dontae also divorced his wife, Megan Harpe, of eight years.

Additionally, Dontae faced two lawsuits in 2023, one from his father as he was in Dontae's vehicle during the DUI incident and a second from a vendor regarding non-payment issues for one of Dontae's businesses.

We have seen this precipitous decline before in football players suffering from CTE.

Dontae was a 10 year NFL veteran & multi Pro Bowl winner.

Dontae intercepted Tom Brady twice — once while guarding Randy Moss — Peyton Manning & Brett Favre once.

Dontae was a multipreneur who wisely invested his NFL millions into two businesses, a holistic wellness spa & a luxury chauffeur business.

Dontae was also working on a documentary about how he and his brother rose from impoverished backgrounds, with parents who suffered from drug addiction & alcoholism, enduring violence & trauma as they witnessed their uncle shoot their father, to become multi Pro Bowl NFL veterans with Vernon winning a Super Bowl.

Dontae was also committed to holistic wellness and did not even like to take OTC medication and stopped taking Toradol during his time in the league once he researched the long term consequences.

Dontae started his holistic wellness spa because he was committed to helping others heal in a holistic and integrative sense.

Dontae was also unafraid to follow his heart even when faced with enduring the backlash of millions of angry Bills fans demanding to know why he had supposedly "quit on the team".

Imagine you are an NFL player, a veteran who just turned 30 after having your third groin surgery, on a $5 million prove it deal with the Buffalo Bills.

Would you have the courage to walk out during halftime if you had had an epiphany on the sidelines as Vontae said he did?

From Vontae's Instagram post & personal tweet:

”I have been doing what my body has been PROGRAMMED to do”.

Tackling & running drills from Pop Warner to the Pros are Pavlovian whistle blowing conditioning brainwashing exercises of repetitive brutalistic violence!

Decades of tackling & hitting drills that literally brainwash these men as children to commit acts of violence upon one another. Its fucking creepy & dystopian as fuck if you really think about it. It is extremely militaristic but these are kids participating in these violent repetitive brain damaging tackling and hitting drills so it is even more dystopian — 5, 7, 9, 11, even 13 years old — they are legally minors, they are not adults!

They are children!

Why are they endlessly hitting each other in creepy violent militaristic drills with Pavlovian whistle blowing?

How else do you get them to override their bodys natural self defense mechanisms?

How else do you get them to turn off their natural self preservation instincts, go out there and hit somebody!

From Vontae's Instagram post & personal tweet:

“Its more important to me and my family to stop sacrificing myself for this game and to walk away healthy than to continue to embrace the WARRIOR MENTALITY and limp away when its too late”.

Warrior mentality is nothing but the brainwashing I described above.

Vontae simply told Coach McDermott that he was "done", removed his jersey and pads, walked out of the locker room and drove home.

Predictable backlash, personal insults & attacks & unmitigated fury ensued among some of Vontae's former Bills teammates, NFL analysts, team journalists and ofcourse the ever rabid and demanding "fans".

Why did Vontae describe this self-realization to CNN as an "out of body experience"?

Because he woke up from a literal lifetime of brainwashing to commit mindless violent acts since he was a child — tackling & hitting drills normalized in America's brutalistic militaristic culture — very publicly during a game at halftime.

And he had the courage not to suppress his realization & to remove his jersey — the ultimate talisman & almost mystical symbol representing all he had broken his body & bashed his brain for since he was a child in Pop Warner — the NFL team jersey with team logo proudly emblazoned on solid bold bright team colors — decades of brainwashing & Pavlovian conditioning — & he walked out of the stadium a free Black man — there is nothing more dangerous to the NFL and to the white supremacist capitalistic exploitative racist mass incarcerating colonialist AmeriKKKa.

The lifelong brainwashing that started when Vontae was a child had been short-circuited by his own self actualization.

ESPN.com:

“But his mind felt far away — like he was going through the motions in a game he had spent decades playing.”

Vontae sat on the bench on the sidelines then he realized what was happening.

His mind had finally caught up with his body.

Mentally, he was finished.

Vontae felt scared and vulnerable and wasn't sure what to do — all he knew was that he couldn't return to the field. He needed to get away.

“Im done.” Vontae told his defensive coordinator.

He removed his Bills jersey & pads & texted his wife.

“Babe, Im done. Im hanging up my cleats. I dont want to put my body through this anymore.”

Vontae called his brother Vernon who was in the Redskins locker room at halftime.

The brothers never called each other during games so Vernon answered right away.

“Im retired.” Vontae said.

Vernons heart sank. “Are you joking or are you serious?”

“…Im tired.” Vontae replied.

ESPN.com:

Dontae says, in the moment when he realized football was no longer his purpose, he felt overwhelmed but he trusted himself and left the field.

“It was honestly one of the best decisions I've made in my life.”

Dead at 35.

His ex-wife who he divorced last year that he was married to for 8 years said he “100% had CTE” and “there was more to the story” of his death.

No official cause of death was ever released to the public despite a full autopsy being done.

It does not appear that Vontae's brain was ever donated to be tested for CTE despite Vontae himself telling CNN in an interview that he feared he had CTE and it was one of the reasons for his sudden and abrupt retirement from the NFL.

10 years in the NFL. 3 years at Illinois. 4 years in high school. Multiple years in youth tackle football.

As a cornerback, all of those hits, all of those collisions, all of those head impacts, all of that violence adds up.

And, given the fact that he was running two successful businesses, had been married for nearly a decade, had wisely invested his NFL earnings and was extensively traveling before his life began to unravel a little more than a year before he was found dead alone in his mansion...

How many times do we have to see this movie?

Do you honestly think that Vontae Davis didn't die at 35 — just like Ray Lewis' son did at 28 — from the sport of football?

Or do you just not give a damn?

The sport of football with all its attendant spectacle, pageantry, glamour, allure, gloss, shine, breathless anticipation, endless storylines, drama, exhilarating highs, adrenaline rushes and of course the vicarious thrill of the violence along with the constant dehumanization of the players and minimization of the brutality of the sport by every analyst, color commentator, sideline reporter and journalist gives you a license not to give a damn.

The violence is sanitized and Photoshopped for your viewing pleasure and enjoyment.

Don't forget to order a large Papa John's along with your CTE drug overdoses and deaths under 35.

[alexbkrieger13]

Has the article already been shared? www(.)espn(.)com(.)au/football/story/_/id/38079094/how-cornhole-created-frenzy-swedens-world-cup-camp

How Cornhole has created a frenzy at Sweden's World Cup camp

UPPER HUTT, New Zealand -- Sweden and Bayern Munich defender Magdalena Eriksson has a target on her back. "Everyone wants to beat Magdalena," her Sweden teammate Olivia Schough says.

Eriksson and Scough are both part of the Sweden squad that hope to win the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, but they are fierce rivals when it comes to what has been dubbed "The Alternative World Cup," a Cornhole competition that has gripped the camp between games. In the run-up to Sweden's nervy 2-1 win in their opener against South Africa, the Cornhole "group stage" took place, with the knockout rounds being played this week ahead of their second World Cup match against Italy at Wellington Regional Stadium.

Cornhole is a simple game, but one that's stirring strong emotions among the Sweden players. The competition is ferocious; there have been tantrums and wild celebrations, while both players and coaching staff have come up with far-fetched reasons not to take part because they can't handle the idea of losing.

The idea for the competition was proposed by team psychologist Rasmus Liljeblad as a way to help cure the boredom that can set in when you are away from home for potentially more than 40 days. For Sweden, whose base camp is in the quiet town of Upper Hutt, some 20 miles north of Wellington, that was a particular danger; therefore, they sought ideas to keep the players entertained. There are table tennis tables, a basketball court and a massive indoor screen alongside one of the training pitches where they can play interactive games. There is also an area where they can practice their golf swing.

However, Cornhole is the one activity that's created a frenzy across the squad.

Teams of two -- some opted for a three-player squad -- met in a "group stage" before this week's playoffs. The games take place in the players' lounge, using boards branded with the national team's crest. The aim is to throw a small hand-held sack through the hole in the board. If you manage that, you get three points. If the sack lands on the board, you get one point. The winning team is the first to 21 points.

The game is popular in the United States, one of the seldom-seen sports from around the world that features annually on "ESPN 8: The Ocho." The American Cornhole League events, which are broadcast globally, allow ACL pros to team up with celebrities for the competition: maybe the winners of Sweden's Alternative World Cup could get an invite next year?

Eriksson, who recently left Chelsea for Bayern Munich, hopes she will be in the running when the final comes around. "It's extremely competitive, as you can imagine," she told ESPN. "We don't know who is the best yet. We are coming into the playoffs now after a very tight group stage."

After a tough start, Eriksson and her partner, Barcelona forward Fridolina Rolfo, progressed to the knockout rounds, although they needed a win over the team's physios to kickstart their campaign. "If we had lost that, I think we would have withdrawn from the tournament," Eriksson added. "We wouldn't have deserved to be included."

Rosengard midfielder Schough, part of a team with defender Linda Sembrant and Sweden captain Caroline Seger, is waiting for Eriksson in the next round. "We had an easy group stage, four out of four wins," Schough told ESPN. "We are a strong team, but now we are facing Magdalena and Fridolina. [Eriksson] is a tough one, but I am very excited to beat her.

"Of course there is a fun side, but we always want to win ... and everyone wants to beat Magdalena."

Once the competition is over, there may still be some debate about who is the best. That's because Everton right-back Nathalie Bjorn and Manchester City midfielder Filippa Angeldal are not taking part.

Bjorn and Angeldal have known each other since they were six. They have gone on to play in an Olympics, a European Championship and now a World Cup together, but perhaps more importantly, they won the inaugural Cornhole competition, which took place at a camp before the World Cup. Given their 20-year relationship, they might have already had an advantage over their teammates, though some previous training with Bjorn's dad also helped hone their skills.

"My dad plays a little bit at home in Sweden, in Uppsala," Bjorn told ESPN. "He took me at Christmas, with Filippa and her girlfriend, and we went and played and had a competition against other players."

So why are they not trying to retain their crown? "I already won once," she added. "This time I felt like I can be a coach or referee and just see because I get easily bored. I can play two games and not be focused anymore. I just thought no, I am just going to watch now."

Eriksson is not so sure. "They don't want to come back and do worse after winning the last tournament," is her opinion. That gives an idea of how competitive the games can become.

"We have some players that get so angry and frustrated which is just funny to watch," Bjorn said. "You sit on the sidelines and just laugh. I would say everyone here is so competitive, so it's hard to name one or two because it's the whole team. When they are going to throw the bag and it goes somewhere else, it's just bad words coming out."

While some members of the backroom staff are involved, the coaching staff are not. Schough jokes that we should ask assistant manager Magnus Wikman why he didn't sign up.

"I like to play and I think I am quite good," Wikman laughed when asked by ESPN. "But in this situation, I think it's bad for the players to play [with me] because I talk a lot with them and [have to make decisions], so I think it's better I don't compete. If I lose, I am not going to control my emotions and that's not good for the players!"

Ultimately, the silliness and competitive Cornhole helps take some of the pressure off a group of players who headed to New Zealand with heady expectations placed on their shoulders by those back home in Sweden. Peter Gerhardsson's side are ranked third in the FIFA rankings and have a rich history in the women's game. They were runners-up at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and finished third at the World Cup in France four years ago. There is a demand for them to go far this summer.

"It is important to do these type of things as a team, to not always only think about football," Eriksson said. "Talking from my own perspective, I know I can be quite obsessive about football so I need things to distract myself and other competitions.

"It is a really nice way to get the group together. These games have been the highlights of the evenings. It's been fun and now we have the playoffs, so I will keep you updated."

[blackswaneuroparedux]

From my point of view, what's beautiful in the sport is that you don't need to know too much about tactics or anything to see. If you find something beautiful, you don't need to be an expert to know it. It's like ballet… The reason it was nicknamed 'ginga' was that normally, when we'd play against a European team…back then, the European teams were very tough and physical. They were big, and defensively solid... There were some in Brazil who thought we should make that our football culture. We would say, 'We want to dance. We want to ginga. Football is not about fighting to the death. You have to play beautifully.' And so we did, and that's the reason that Brazil created more of a show, more of a ballet… The ambition should always be to play an elegant game.

- Pelé (Edson Arantes do Nascimento)

Pelé was born on Oct. 23, 1940, his father was a professional soccer player in their native Brazil. Pelé — who was given his nickname by childhood friends because of the way he mispronounced his favourite soccer player goalkeeper Bilé  - honed his craft playing futsal (or indoor soccer) in Bauru, the region within São Paulo, where Pelé grew up.

In 1956, at only the age of 15, Pelé tried out for the Santos FC professional club near São Paulo. He soon signed a contract with the team and made his professional debut on Sept. 7, 1956. In the Brazilian press, Pelé was instantly hailed as a star, with the forward leading the league in scoring as a 16-year-old in 1957. The following year, Pelé joined the Brazilian national team for the 1958 World Cup, delivering a performance that would make him a global star and earn him the nickname “O Rei,” or “The King.”

Pelé’s dominance continued through the Sixties as his Santos team won six championships in the Brazilian league over the course of that decade, while Brazil also won the World Cup in 1962 and 1970, with Pelé winning the Golden Ball for best player at the latter tournament. In his 19 seasons at Santos, spanning from 1956 to 1974 and roughly 660 games, Pelé scored a record-shattering 643 goals.

In 1975, Pelé helped ignite interest in “the Beautiful Game” - a phrase he in part popularised for the sport, inspired by his own majestic style of play — in the U.S., a country seemingly culturally impervious to soccer’s charms: The American team failed to even qualify for the World Cup between 1954 to 1986. Following nearly two decades at Santos and a brief retirement, Pelé signed with the New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League.

Pelé’s mere presence helped the Cosmos reach record attendances, and the sport itself gained public awareness otherwise unheard of stateside. He spent three years with the Cosmos, culminating in a Soccer Bowl championship with the Cosmos in 1977. That same year, Pelé played his final game as a pro as the Cosmos hosted his former longtime team, Santos, for an exhibition match at a sold-out Giants Stadium, with Pelé playing for both teams during the game. In the near half-century following his retirement, Pelé became one of soccer’s greatest ambassadors, continuing his push to keep the “Beautiful Game” on the forefront of the world stage. He starred in soccer-related movies — 1981’s Escape to Victory and 1986’s Hotshot — and teamed with Brazilian musician Sergio Mendes on the soundtrack to a 1977 documentary about his life. He received an honorary knighthood from Queen Elizabeth as well as every other possible soccer-related accolade, from the FIFA Order of Merit to the FIFA Player of the Century to a spot on TIme’s 100 Most Important People of the 20th Century list.

The debate over his status as the all-time No.1 is almost unresolvable, with Lionel Messi the only player to match him in Ballon d'Or awards, and the Argentine and Cristiano Ronaldo also leading him in the all-time goal race. But you can judge Pelé’s greatness by what his footballing peers - legendary players in their own time. “The best player ever? Pelé. (Lionel) Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are both great players with specific qualities, but Pelé was better.” said Alfredo Di Stefano, the late and great Argentine star for Real Madrid. Ferenc Puskas, the legendary Hungarian footballer disagreed, “The greatest player in history was Di Stefano. I refuse to classify Pelé as a player. He was above that.” For Franz Beckenbauer, he said of Pelé “He is the most complete player I ever saw.”Rarely do the Germans see eye to eye with the Dutch such is their footballing rivalry, but for the late great Johann Cruyff, “Pelé was the only footballer who surpassed the boundaries of logic.”.

Even Ronaldo, the only player on the same level as Lionel Messi in the modern game, put the debate to rest when he declared, “Pelé is the greatest player in football history, and there will only be one Pelé in the world.”

RIP King Pelé (1940-2022)

[krasivaa]

King Felipe VI of Spain, Queen Letizia of Spain, and Queen Sofia pose with Futsal Palma indoor football team, winner of the European Champions League 2023 during the dinner for authorities at the Marivent Palace on August 03, 2023 in Palma de Mallorca, Spain.

[alln64games]

World Cup 98

NA release: 19th May 1998

PAL release: 19th May 1998

JP release: N/A

Developer: EA, Software Creations

Publisher: EA Sports

N64 Magazine Score: 73%

World Cup 98 is simply FIFA Road to World Cup 98 with some minor gameplay changes and a ton of stuff removed. While the previous game had every official international team, plus teams from multiple leagues (such as the Premiership), this just has the teams that qualified for the world cup (plus 8 extras).

The gameplay has some minor tweaks that isn’t as noticeable and one of the fun parts of the previous game – the indoor 5-a-side – is also gone. This is just the previous game with fewer stuff.

Interestingly, the FIFA branding is missing (even though the World Cup is a FIFA tournament) – I wonder if they thought that not having the FIFA name would make people think that this is another competitor to try out.

ISS took you gently by the hand and lead you on the path of footballing excellence. World Cup ’98 handcuffs you to the back of a motorbike, hops on, starts up and revs off at 30 MPH. You’ve got to run to keep up, or become a red smear along the long sporting highway. Or something.

- James Ashton, N64 Magazine #16

Remake or remaster?

Nothing interesting is offered here.

Official ways to get the game.

There is no official way to get World Cup 98

[safehouse-if]

Take all the time you need!!! Good luck in your game, could I ask you to tell us more? what do you play? are you good?

Thanks for the cheers! I play as a futsal goalie (indoor soccer) during winter or football/soccer as a center back/striker in summers. Just a 'Sunday league' game so nothing incredible but me or my team are not the worst out there. 😅

[usnatarchives]

From peach baskets to skyhooks, let's play some basketball! 🏀

The sport of basketball was invented in 1891 by a man named Dr. James Naismith. He was a physical education teacher at the YMCA Training School (now known as Springfield College) in Springfield, Massachusetts, and he came up with the idea of basketball as a way to provide his students with a fun, indoor activity that would keep them active and engaged.

The first basketball game was played on December 21, 1891, and it was a pretty simple affair. There were nine players on each team, and the game was played inside a YMCA gymnasium. The court was just half the size of a modern basketball court, and the baskets were simply peach baskets attached to the walls.

The game was a huge success and quickly became a popular activity at the YMCA. In fact, the game spread so quickly that just a few years later, the first professional basketball league was formed.

Check out our new “All American: The Power of Sports” Exhibit: https://museum.archives.gov/all-american. All American is free and open to the public and will be on display in the Lawrence F. O'Brien Gallery of the National Archives Museum in Washington, DC, through January 7, 2024. This 3,000-square-foot exhibit showcases more than 75 items, including original records, artifacts, and photographs..

Image 1: “DR. JAMES NAISMITH (WEARING SUIT), A SPRINGFIELD COLLEGE INSTRUCTOR AND BASKETBALL’S INVENTOR. HE IS WITH THE “FIRST TEAM”. THE FIRST GAME WAS PLAYED IN 1891 IN FULFILLMENT OF AN ASSIGNMENT GIVEN TO NAISMITH TO CREATE A GAME THAT COULD BE PLAYED INDOORS BETWEEN THE FOOTBALL AND BASEBALL SEASONS.” SOURCE: SPRINGFIELD COLLEGE. https://catalog.archives.gov/id/12004702

Image 2: PHOTOGRAPH OF THE UNITED STATES BASKETBALL TEAM PLAYING BRAZIL IN THE TITLE GAME OF THE 1954 WORLD BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT  IN RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL. LOCAL IDENTIFIER: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/12004711

[lboogie1906]

Marshawn Terrell Lynch (born April 22, 1986) is a philanthropist, entrepreneur, actor, and former football running back who played in the NFL for 12 seasons. Nicknamed “Beast Mode”, he spent the majority of his career with the Seattle Seahawks. He grew up in Oakland and played college football for the California Golden Bears (2004-06)majoring in Social Welfare earning first-team All-American honors and becoming the school’s second all-time career rusher. He was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 2007 NFL draft and played three full seasons before joining Seattle during the 2010 season.

Playing for the Seahawks (2010-15) he was voted to four consecutive Pro Bowls, made one first-team All-Pro selection, and twice led the league in rushing touchdowns. He helped the team win their first Super Bowl title in Super Bowl XLVIII. His Beast Quake touchdown during the 2010–11 NFL playoffs, which saw him rush for 67 yards while breaking nine tackles, is considered one of the greatest runs in NFL history. He retired in 2015 but returned to the NFL in 2017 to play for the Oakland Raiders. He retired a second time and reunited with the Seahawks in 2019 for their last regular season game and playoff run. He has co-owned the Beasts of Fan-Controlled Football and the Bay Area Panthers of the Indoor Football League.

He has three older siblings. He was raised by his mother Delisa, who once held a 200-meter track record at Oakland Technical High School. He started playing youth football.

He received an honorary degree from Princeton University after he was invited to be the Class of 2020 speaker.

He is an entrepreneur in the cannabis industry, launching a line of cannabis products under the brand name Dodi Blunts. He joined the ownership group of the Oakland Roots SC of the USL Championship. He joined the PFL as a brand ambassador and investor. The Seattle Kraken of the National Hockey League announced that he had joined its ownership group. He an investor in PORTL Inc., the holoportation startup. He started his charitable foundation called the Fam1st Family Foundation to give back to his hometown. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

[halalgirlmeg]

I do not and will never understand the appeal of football. Men playing for 3 hours and at best gonna score 50 points and sometimes in terrible weather conditions. Basketball is fast paced at least and its indoors, they dunk and everything. Depending on which league there's gay women. Like as someone who's not really a sports person I can like, see the appeal. Football though? Absolutely not

[sergio-para-siempre]

what exactly is the kings league i dont get it... is it an amateur league or

i wish i knew tbh. Supposedly he's trying to revolutionize football with it ... whatever that's supposed to mean. But tbh it just feels like a bunch of old men desperately trying to hold on to their fame ...

from what i've gathered so far (by which i mean information i wish i had been able to avoid) it's some sort of indoor football tournament. a bunch of streamers (i've never heard of) and ex football players like Kun Aguero or Casillas each have their own team and they play matches against each other that are streamed on twitch. it has all kinds of ridiculous rules and events and people playing in masks that are supossedly ex-footballers to and it's supposed to be all new and exciting and much better than regular football but it honestly just feels like it's for people with the attention span of a peanut.

I don't think i've ever been less interested in something tbh.