From my point of view, this is great news--I don't have to hang around at a bar to watch the game.
But I also think it's funny. The NFL caved, but did it in such a way as to make a profit doing it.
As for John Kerry, I'm sure he had a lot of calls from outside of Boston, begging for him to do something. He did. He put public pressure on the NFL, and threatened hearings no one believed would happen. It's what Don Corleone used to do for his constituency.
Frankly, I think that any Senator in the same position would have done much the same and his constituents would have applauded. Is sport serious enough for him to give it this much attention? Well, I have a sneaking feeling that it is at least important enough for those who post here or read this site.
Sport occupies a peculiar position in human affairs, and I guess it has for thousands of years. Think of the Olympics. Sports satisfy some very real urge within us--vicarious combat, perhaps. They're even important during wars or at times of national catastrophe. They played a role, after 911, in convincing us that life would go on, pretty much as usual.
As for me, I'm just glad the NFL caved. It helps keep the national soap opera interesting.
