TEARS FOR THE UNENLIGHTENED

Back during our Cleveland, Ohio residence era, when the Browns were a regular weekly winner, this fellow would loyally wend his way to the old Lakefront Stadium on every autumn and early winter Sunday the team happened to be in town. Through local Touchdown Club and other connections, we'd managed to strike up acquaintanceships with a number of the players, adding a certain personal touch.

While driving homeward on one particular heavily trafficked late Sunday afternoon following a Browns' game, we kept seeing auto after auto coming from the opposite direction, many housing entire family complements. What continually repeated itself was the private thought "Why on earth weren't all these people at the stadium? Aren't they wasting their time doing something else? How could they have passed up the sole outstanding event taking place in the entire metropolis?" A self-centered opinion this was indeed.

However, that feeling still persists decades later in a most similar way. Today, with eyes glued to the TV screen every Sunday afternoon, Sunday night, and Monday night throughout the NFL season, we can't avoid sympathizing with that vast multitude of forlorn non-gridiron fans who fail to realize what they're missing week after week.

Part of the problem has to lie with the game's rather exteme complexities, which defy comprehension by that huge array of non-cognoscenti. Whereas in contrast, a low grade moron can understand and get kicks from a basketball, hockey, or soccer match, football requires knowledge that altogether too many folk lack the time or inclination to acquire.

Perhaps we're unduly prejudiced, and must admit that our universe is chock-full of other pleasurable diversions for almost everybody, albeit beyond this writer's intense interest span. It's not unlikely that a lot of people may hold pity for us in ignoring such stimulating activities as attending ladies' fashion shows, breeding canine species, tracking deer with killer weapons at the ready, or numerous other pursuits. Nevertheless, we'll remain content where we are, and let the gridiron game's non-followers suffer their manifold losses.