It’s september

the air is thick with common applications

pumpkin spice lattes and seasons that are changing

and the majority of straight white american males/

creatures and specimens such as myself/

are heavily invested in the NFL

they pray to the gods of football on bended knee

lament the suspension of Tom Brady

and have many teams of fantasy

but not me

no siree

because I am a fan of one of the oldest and worst football teams in the sport

and that team would be the Bears of course

a tradition of defense and championships and the pride of Chicago

with courage and toughness and tenacity and snow

all traits that flourished 25 years ago

yet Americans hold faith in men who can throw

and hold talk shows that talk about the athletic status quo

and we turn off NBC and put the newspapers away

to watch helmeted men hit each other on every sunday

we neglect our responsibilities and sometimes even our family and friends

to watch a ball be touched down at two separate ends

my people watch a man who’s supposed to be an icon deny his faults

and young men who are barely out of college who do not catch balls

and we heap a whole load of responsibility and athletic expectations on them

but do not get off of the couch to go to the gym

we expect perfections on the field and off

and when they do not deliver adults hang their heads and children let out a sob

because we can believe that Super Bowl championships for our teams can come into actuality

but are more worried about Jay Cutler and not their own life’s reality

and we look up to those who can run and catch exceptionally well

while some watch their heroes get mugshots and cells

because we’re so invested in every ball thats tossed

we feel the heartbreak with every Super Bowl Loss

and we live our entire lives,

or that is how its seems

slumped over on the couch

with nachos and flatscreens