A friend just died of breast cancer last week. I don't find the spectre of pink gloves and shoes at all reassuring, comforting or anything else positive. I like the uniform the way it was meant to be. mean and green.
1981, 2007. Mom and sister. That it happened a generation apart in virtually the same length of time and with almost the same treatments is absurd. I'd be happy if every NFL player wore flaming pink all season long if it meant one of my nieces wasn't going to follow my mom and my sister to the same fate with no basic improvement in survival rates or length of illness in the intervening generation. Prostate cancer went from a death sentence to almost always survivable in a generation of having aging men vote for funding for it year after year in congress. I think we should spray paint America pink until a generation spends as much effort on breast cancer. What the hell, do you guys not have women in your life or are you just lucky enough not have had one killed by this scourge?
My mohter and myself both survived breast cancer, and I would rather see a pink ribbon in the grass at the 50 yard line, and in the corner of each end zone -that would be enough to give awareness to both the fans in the stands, and the TV viewers without being distracting or over-powering.
I see both sides here and I think I have a fair compromise. First, fix the pink and make it pink instead of that ridiculous magenta. Next, make it uniform for all players. Have everyone's gloves be pink and bands be pink. Leave the socks and towels alone, unless everybody on the team wants to wear pink ones. I think it would be just as effective, and look much better.
I feel that the pink thing is stupid and ruins the team colors. I'd be cool with bright green cancer supporting banners or something like that. I just don't understand the obsession with pink. Also, yes, breast cancer is bad but they should focus on other lesser known cancers like pancreatic and testicular as well. It could save lives. And I completely disagree with the people that say, "well you must never have had a loved one with cancer if you feel that way". The issue is not cancer support. The issue is the color pink. Nobody's arguing that supporting cancer is bad. Claiming that you don't care about people with cancer is a giant red herring. I've had 2 relatives die from cancer, I damn well support it. There's no reason for pink though. This is football not a knitting show. Make some badass looking banners that support cancer so people like me will actually buy them to help the cause. WTF am I going to do with a pink Jets towel or hat? Let's be realistic. They'd make way more money for cancer without the pink.
Damn good post and exactly how I feel. Breast Cancer treatment is not all that good and affects a lot of women and occasionally men. I love football but if all I have to do is watch a little pink on their uniforms for a month and that might help furthering our treatment for breast cancer then by all means. Do it all year every month a new cause for all I care.
Its not just awareness. I do believe they sell the gloves and use the money to donate to breast cancer treatments. I know they do it to raise money I'm pretty sure thats how they do it.
I think the jets should officially change there colors to pink. Maybe that's the change this franchise needs to finally take that next step..
Come on guys, my mom died from cancer so I understand the sentiment the NFL is trying to uphold here but they have really gone way overboard with it. I mean pink all over everything for a solid month? Pink all over the stadium, the field, all over the players, all over the coaches and staff? It's just too much... There's such a thing as going overboard in trying to show your support, and that's what the NFL has done here. Honestly I can't stand the color pink, it's an effeminate color, it belongs at a bridal shower not an NFL football game. If the league is going to use it to help raise money for breast cancer research then that's a really good thing but let's exercise some tact in how we do it and not affect a whole quarter of the entire NFL season with it. Yes have pink in the stands, maybe put something in each endzone, have some NFL commercials for it with Probowl players and coaches, ask for donations to the cause, but let's not splash pink all over every player, coach, and everyone on down to the waterboy okay? I mean there's such a thing as going way overboard with something and that's exactly what the NFL has done here. A whole month of this? Sure, but not so much in your face with the pink already okay? It's just TOO MUCH. It's still a mans game and pink don't really belong... Really, it don't belong.
I can't believe people complain about having to look at pink socks and gloves for a game which are worn to support a good cause, but drool over butt ugly throwback uniforms that are worn solely to cause you to spend your hard earned money on more jerseys.
Food for thought... http://www.foxbusiness.com/personal...-safely-during-breast-cancer-awareness-month/
As someone said earlier, it's nothing more than business. The NFL accomplishes two things by slapping some pink on things that players and coaches wear: Enforces a positive image that they're supporting a more than worthy cause - and - creating a ton of business by making it the in-vogue thing to do to wear something supporting the cause. Representing it for an entire month only advertises it more, thus you see it for the entire month of October. Here's my problem with it. If the majority of the players who wear the pink cletes, the pink gloves, the pink towels, wristbands, etc. were all doing it for the right reasons than by all means paint yourselves pink for the month of October. Truthfully, especially when the most flamboyantly decked out ones are these primadonna receivers, they're mostly doing it for the "look at me" factor. Just looking to garner the attention. THAT'S what I have a problem with.
the insensitivity of this thread is oozing a bit too much..... i see breast cancer all too frequently and their is not enough pink that will take away the pain of getting a diagnosis and subsequent life changing effects. agree with the possible going over the top with pink but its also an image thing and the NFL has to play ball. hopefully none of us have to face this thing head on but chances are we will - in some way shape or form.
The classless scumbags making the sexist statements in this post obviously have to pay to have women "in their life". Don't waste even a random thought on these douchbags.......As for the pink...I'm watching the game, not what the teams are wearing. If it raises awareness and makes people, even the douchbags, think about cancer it's a plus.
Guys, it's too much pink... very simply, its too much pink. I believe in supporting good causes but not to the point where you're shoving it in peoples faces and drowning out everything else around you. I don't like this anymore than having the Chevrolet or Toyota logo all over the crowd, the field, and the coaches. There's a way to advertise something without being militant about it. And this woman who runs the whole thing, Susan G. Komen , wasn't she the one who infuriated womens rights organizations by refusing to fund breast cancer screening performed by Planned Parenthood? In other words all the money that is donated to this cause goes through HER... Maybe a little less in your face pink is a good thing. Just dial it back a little. No more on the uniforms or the coaches that's all. Stadium fine, field fine, fans fine, players no, coaching staff no. Maybe a uniform patch for a month but not all this ridiculous pink on the field of play.
Do you not see how silly your complaint is. Talk about first world problems. I don't like looking at a particular color and now I have to look at it for 3 hours for 4 sundays a month. It doesn't affect the game at all and it goes towards a good cause.
When you donate to this you are giving your money to Susan G. Komen, a militant right wing Republican who raised millions of dollars for George W. Bush and is probably raising more for Mitt Romney. She refused to fund breast cancer screening for women attending Planned Parenthood. In other words, if she doesn't agree with your political leanings she will not donate any of the money to have your girlfriends or wives breasts screened for cancer... THAT is who you are giving money to when you are waving your pink towel okay? You're not giving money to breast cancer research, you're giving it to Susan G. Komen, and she will decide how the money is distributed and spent, and if she doesn't like you or you're political beliefs she will basically let you die. So much for the warm and fuzzy face of this thing... A little less pink now please.
