Every year the NFL takes its blows on and off the field. This year has been rattled with the incredibly sad death of Sean Taylor and the fall from grace of the Falcon's quarterback Michael Vick. The last two weeks have been emotional on many levels. I think what moves me the most about the NFL's players, coaches, et al is the incredible support they have for one another. They hit the field week after week battling the shit out of each other yet rally together like one huge incredibly loyal family when the chips are down. Taylor's fellow Redskins must be beyond sick over what happened, but what amazes me is that during that time there was no segregation between teams. Two weeks ago, in every game, every player paid homage to their fellow athlete; the number 21 on the helmets, the fingers to the sky when scoring, and Baltimore's Willis McGahee almost single-handedly taking on the Patriots, playing the game of his life for his old college teammate. It was incredibly moving, incredibly sad, yet heartwarming - admirable.
Even at last night's Atlanta vs New Orleans game, despite Michael Vick's charges, his fans, his teammates, his coaches, the Falcon's owner and on showed their support for their fallen hero. There's not too many organizations, communities, individuals that would do that, especially in this day and age. It takes a special group of people to be able to look past certain actions, to offer support and second chances; whatever one's views of what happened are. It's a huge testament to this sport and to its players who, amidst dealing with what they do off the field, enable the show to go on.
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