The state of the NFL

So many of us just heard from Roger Goddell on the state of the NFL and I have to admit that I didn't care to pay attention to his presser. Why? The NFL has been a black eye in professional sports for a while now. I don't care to listen to his mumbo-jumbo...I can get the recap of his presser from twitter. The truth of the matter is, the NFL is a moneymaker and most of us don't care enough to stop supporting the NFL. I'm in that group - I'll still watch the Super Bowl. People continue to watch the games, talk about the players, buy licensed gear, attend games and despite the amount of tools in the league, it's still one of the greatest products out there. That's right, I said product. It's about making money in the end and all press is good press.

As we near the end of the NFL season, I think back to the entire year and I'm not amused with the amount of negative things that we've seen come out. Here is just a few of the things we've seen.

1. Josh Gordon suffering with substance abuse for everyone to see.
2. Ray Rice knocking out his wife on camera - there's proof.
3. Adrian Peterson using a switch on his son for disclipine - allegedly.
4. Patriots apparently cheating (again).
5. A star running back is criticized for his "defiance" towards the media.
6. Controversy surrounding a quarterback situation in Cleveland.
7. Ray McDonald is released amid investigation into his off-the-field troubles.


There are plenty more stories about the NFL and most experts have agreed that this year was a true test of the stability of the league. Star players with legal troubles and suspensions seemed to be given more exposure. Has it ever been this bad? Is it a result of the commissioner and existing policies? We don't know the true answer....what we do know is that the NFL is still making money.

When I originally thought about the point of this blog, I didn't think it would be hard to point out the good in professional sports. It's not. But, people have proven that they don't really care about it. Or maybe you do, because you're reading this. Regardless of what you think about the tools in the league, we have to understand that they are still human. We all have choices to make in how we carry ourselves. If you think that a specific player isn't acting as they should, maybe you should try living your life in the spotlight. Would you handle it properly? Ideally, it'd be nice for the good stories to be more important and get the proper attention. But, if the NFL continues to make money off the negativity (think advertising), none of it will go away. Thanks for taking the time to read this.

Go Chargers!

Follow me on twitter: @nymari

He's Good For Football

Peyton Manning may not step up to the plate in the playoffs as of late (His record in the playoffs is a dismal 11-13), but, that doesn't stop him from being an honorable professional athlete.

Kristen Patterson with her husband
Army Sgt. Ryan Patterson met
Peyton Manning before the
Broncos-Bengals, Dec. 22, 2014.

Everyone knows that being a diehard Chargers fan (yes, they exist), it is natural to dislike any opposing players in the AFC West division. Ever since the Broncos divisional loss to the Colts and John Fox leaving the team, questions about Manning's retirement have been a hot topic. While I'd enjoy not seeing Peyton on the field in orange and blue, it's hard to say this guy is a bad guy. Putting that hatred aside, I came upon a story about Peyton Manning that makes me think he's good for football.

Kristen Patterson wrote a letter to Peyton Manning about her husband Ryan's love for number 18. She didn't expect to hear back from him but insisted if he could just say hello to Ryan, she would be the coolest wife in the world. Ryan Patterson is an Army sergeant for the 1/25 Stryker Brigade Combat Team and he is stationed in the North Pole of Alaska. Manning's people had trouble tracking them down because Kristen forgot to leave any contact information.

Once Manning tracked them down, he invited them for a one-on-one meeting before a December game in their home state of Ohio. According to the Indy Star, Manning met with the Pattersons at the Broncos' team hotel, talked some football, played with their daughter and then thanked him for his service. An opportunity that Ryan and his wife won't soon forget.

Football needs good stories and positive role models that our children can look up to. While his retirement may come this season, it'd be a loss for the football world because he's just a nice guy with a good image.

A Moment Captured

There's a saying about life that I came across while looking at some photos online and it says "Life is a sum of all your choices - Large or small, our actions forge our futures and hopefully inspire others along the way.” If you can learn anything about me via my social media profiles, you'd know that I am extremely passionate about photography. Photography breathes life into me and takes me away from the monotony of everyday life. It sounds cliche and a bit cheesy but I'm at peace when photography is present. When can you capture one moment in time and have that moment saved for a lifetime. Whether it's taking photos at the local air show (which by the way was amazing) or browsing through a photography exhibit, I understand the importance of finding your passion and pouring your heart into it.

With that said, I would like to share with you my photography blog. I will be posting more photos on there in the near future and hope to inspire other photography lovers along the way.

Photos by Mari

New Year, New Us?

We all have seen the memes and cliche status updates about "new year, new me" in the past couple of days. Some have criticized or mocked strangers, some have encouraged others. In case you haven't heard about her, this young lady is a positive role model and she's younger than most of you reading this now.

Lauren Hill, a collegiate basketball player that was diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer back in September of 2014. She was given only a couple of months to live. That did not stop her from her dreams. At age 19, she wanted to play basketball for her college Mount St. Joseph at the start of their season and assist with raise money for DIPG cancer research.

Shortly after her diagnosis, she set out on her own campaign to raise $1 million in donations for The Cure Starts Now Foundation. With the help of social media and major sports networks sharing her inspirational story, her goal was reached as the year closed out.

As stated on her donation page, layup4lauren.org, a total of $1,247,236 was raised as 2014 concluded. 

Although, the campaign donations are still ongoing, I have a strong inclination that her story can inspire us beyond sending in a donation. Her tenacity to fight through despite being terminally ill reminds us of the strength we can when faced with life-changing obstacles. You may have chosen to donate to ALS during last year's ice bucket challenge or helped the less fortunate with an extra coat or blanket this wintee. Either way, if it's something that makes us feel good the way I'm certain Miss Hill feels now, then I'm all for it. It's people like Lauren Hill that can take focus off the negative and get us focused on being a positive person in the new year.

Follow The Cure Starts Now on Twitter: @CureStartsNow