Fun and Games

In my travels through the bookstore today I saw the following title: Warriors--The Greatest Photographs of Football's Toughest Players. Living in a football town as I do, as I was brought to mind of the ubiquitousness of the misused metaphor. Our local paper, The Tallahassee Democrat, recently entitled their coverage of one of the bigger football rivalries, "WAR!" with that headline leading the front page in font as large as "Dewey Defeats Truman".

In the reverse, I've heard both U.S. military and civilian leaders discuss the present war in sports metaphors. But the two just don't equate. I resent this trivialization of a solemn endeavor. Football is nothing like war, and vice versa.

If you don't believe me, ask Pat Tillman.