Pictured above is the Newtown, CT helmet decal the New England Patriots will wear tonight when they take on the San Francisco 49ers in what could very likely be a Super Bowl 47 preview. But do remember that as big a NFL game this is, it’s still meaningless in the grand scheme of life. Sports are a distraction from life, not life itself. And a lot of people have lost sight of it.
The tragedy in Newton, Connecticut puts all this into perspective. Football is insignificant when measured against real instances of life and death. The Patriots are not just Boston’s team, they are all of New England’s team, and that includes the tiny Connecticut town founded 71 years before America was born.
Patriots team president Jonathan Kraft said his family will be donating $25,000 to help those effected in Newtown, Conn. It’s a tremendous gesture just like the helmet decals are a class act. Sure, 25 grand is like chump change to the well heeled Kraft family, but they don’t have to do it. Hopefully, this senseless tragedy perpetrated by a previously known maniac will inspire some real change in our gun control laws. Now IS THE TIME to not only discuss things, but to enact real change. Time to get better background checks and mental health screenings in place. If you don’t agree look at the graphic below:
Paul M. Banks is CEO of The Sports Bank.net, a Google News site generating millions of unique visitors. He’s also a regular contributor to Chicago Now, Chicago Tribune.com, Walter Football.com, Yardbarker, and Fox Sports
A Fulbright scholar, published author and MBA, Banks has appeared on live radio all over the world; he’s also a member of the Football Writers Association of America, U.S. Basketball Writers Association, and Society of Professional Journalists. The President of the United States follows him on Twitter (@Paul_M_BanksTSB) You should too.